BAKER FAMILY HISTORY AND GENENALOGY

REASON BAKER

GENERATION 2

2.    EDWIN BAKER (REASON¹) was born November 20, 1785 in Raleigh or Rowan, North Carolina, and died October 09, 1879 in Boone CO., KY.  He married SARAH ROBERTS.  She was born September 18, 1789, and died March 13, 1860 in Boone Co., KY.

Notes for EDWIN BAKER:

"......Edwin Baker was born in North Carolina somewhere near Rollo (Raleigh)....His father's name was Reason Baker and his mother's name was Nelly Baker nee Roberts."

                                                Source: Mr. William Fitzgerald, Boone County, Ky.

Edwin Baker, a native of South Carolina, born in 1704, settled in the same neighborhood [as Hugh Moore on Big Bone Spring], also took an active part in the same war [1812] and died in 1883. [Note: dates and place of  birth and death are incorrect]

Source: Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 7th ed., Boone Co.

  I found him  in the Montgomery county, Kentucky June 24, 1808 tax list Book 4 page 30.

1808:

            Whties over 21           Whites 21-16  Blacks Horses                        No watercourse given

1                                                                                              2

It is likely that Reason purchased or rented this land for Edwin as he is shown as the purchaser. Edwin may have married between 1808 and 1810 when on the census it is shown that three females are in the home.  Lucinda was the first known daughter of the family and she wasn’t born until about 1816.

1809: Tax Book 2

Note: Name appears as Edward Baker tax book 2

                                     Whites 21-16                              Blacks Horses            No watercourse given

                                     1                                                                                 4

1810: Tax book 22 p. 4

Name appears as Edwin Baker           

Whties over 21           Whites 21-16                              Blacks Horses            No watercourse given

          1                                                                                            4

1810:  U.S. Census Montgomery Co.

Note: Name appears as Edmond Baker. He is probably married by 1810 as the census shows females in the house.

            Males  over 21           Males under 10          Females 16-26

                      1                                    1                                  3

The above tax and census records are seemingly in conflict with each other.  The census taker often counted anyone that was in the house at the time of his visit and this could account for the extra females. It could also mean that Edwin married Sarah perhaps a widow with children between the time of the tax and census dates.

He served in the War of 1812.

Boone County Census

1820 not available in the Scheban Library, Boone County Kentucky

1830 not available in the Scheban Library, Boone County Kentucky

  EDWIN BAKER DEEDS AND WILL

Edwin Baker died October 9, 1879 and his wife Sarah died May 13, 1860.    A Boone County cemetery book states they are buried on the old Pearl Allphin farm, "one mile from Duckhead Inn."   Duckhead Inn was located near the junction of U. S. 42 and the Mud Lick-Verona

Road (in 2004 start at the ball field) and U.S.42.

I was able to track down a relative of Pearl Allphin a few years ago, and from what she says, the farm and graves were north of U.S. 42, on the old Hume - Mudlick Road, which used to be gravel but today is paved to some extent.   (I tried for seven years to find someone who could locate this farm and if it were not for Bill Davis and Dan Moore of Boone County who finally were able to locate a woman who turned out to be descended from Edwin and is my 1^st cousin 4 X removed I would never have located the farm or the little cemetery).

In the fall of 2001 I made a trip to Boone County Kentucky to research my Baker family.  There I had made arrangements to meet this cousin, her husband and Steve Conrad who is a representative from the Boone County Genealogical Society.  Their help proved invaluable as they well know the region and were kind enough to take two full days to show me around, taking me to numerous cemeteries that would have been impossible to locate on my own, as a result I was able to accomplish much more research than the 6 day stay would have allowed.  Steve Conrad on the other hand took me to the local library and introduced me to the staff with assurances that I would have fast access to all records and they responded accordingly.  Most importantly Mr. Conrad went with us to locate Edwin Baker’s gravesite and we were able to register this tiny family cemetery with the Boone County Planning Commission, which in turn will protect the cemetery from destruction from future development. 

My time spent in Boone County was a wonderful experience and I shall long remember the area and people that I met.  The first full day there I spent at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport photographing the tombstones in the little cemetery next to the runways.  The Garnett/Rouse Cemetery had to be moved to build the runways but I was assured all care was taken to re-position all graves in the original order.  I was taken on a tour of all the cemeteries located on airport grounds to see if any others were of family but no other appeared to be part of our family.

The next day I was to meet with several others to go to Edwin Baker’s farm and we met the current owner of the Edwin Baker farm at the ballpark to make the treck up to Edwin’s farm. He inspected our 4 vehicles and decided that besides his truck my rented Chevy Blazer was the only one that could make the trip without getting stuck.  Fortunately the road had recently been paved a big improvement I am told over the old gravel road that had served the area for decades.  At a certain point he pulled off the road and opened a gate through which we passed driving down a dirt trail to Mudlick Creek. The reason the trip was made in the late fall is that is the only time of year the creek usually is low enough to be crossed.  The water was up to the trucks floorboards but we did make it across without, mishap, we then drove across a pleasant cut hayfield that a neighbor maintains.  We drove the width of the field before reaching the foot of a large hill where we stopped and put our vehicles into low gear and four-wheel drive.  There is no road, not even a trail up the side of the scraggily wooded mountain but we followed an area that looked to have been clear-cut many years back and the tree’s just never re-grew. 

There were a few fallen tree trunks that we had to maneuver around and so steep was the hill that it felt like the Chevy Blazer would flip over backwards.  We made it half way up without incidence where we stopped and then walked back through the trees until we came to the tiny cemetery that was so overgrown I would have walked right on through it without even noticing it.  It was marked by a couple of concrete cornerstones measuring not more than 6 inches X 4 inches.

WE WOULD NEVER HAVE   FOUND THE TOMBSTONE

IF THE PRESENT OWNER OF THE FARM HAD NOT BEEN THERE TO

POINT IT OUT TO US.

DIGGING EDWIN'S MARKER   OUT OF THE DEBRIS.

We found Edwin’s stone laying face down next to a tree trunk.  After digging it out of the dirt and debris we found it in pristine condition. 

THE MARKER WAS IN   NEAR PERFECT CONDITION

In 2003 we drove from California to Western Pennsylvania on a 51 daylong research trip. We stopped once again at Edwin’s farm this time to make a foil rubbing of his marker. I hope to find someone who is experienced at castings that will be able to convert the rubbing into a replicated marker that I will place out in my rock garden as a memento not only of an ancestor but also of my experiences in trying to find the marker itself.

Thursday Oct. 16, 2003

We drove up Mudlick Creek Rd and found the spot where we would be fording the creek on Sunday. The creek looked low enough to wade across then we continued up to the roads end to the next farm where I hoped to ask the owner about any old cemeteries that might be on the farm as two more of my direct ancestors lived on both sides of Edwin [Jesse Roberts and Hugh Moore]. At this farm four-attack dogs attacked our car, one putting a deep scratch on the rear fender of our beautiful new car! The others were biting at the tires and one was jumping at the passenger side window where my husband was sitting. I turned around and got out of there as quickly as I could.

We could not find the entrance to the other farm, as it was not off Mudlick Creek Rd., but probably off Highway 42. We checked the drives off 42 and found four or five dirt or gravel roads. Not knowing which one lead to the correct farm and not wanting a repeat of a dog attack we decided not to explore further.

Sunday

My “cousins” joined us for the trip to Edwin’s farm. We forded the creek that this time was only ankle deep and climbed up the bank on the other side. There was a hunter on the property who told us it was musket weekend but that we should be just fine he helped us locate the cemetery and without his help it would have taken us much longer as the clear cut area had grown over and looked much like the rest of the mountain.  We found not only Edwin’s marker but were able to dig around and found his wife Sarah’s marker, it was broken into two pieces.

PROTECTING  THE RUBBING

We made the foil rubbing of Edwin’s stone and while covering the foil we heard a rifle shot very close and we started yelling so the illegal hunter would know that people were in the area. After that first shot to the west of us, there was another to the north and soon a 22 rifle sounded from across the creek probably a squirrel hunter on the opposite ridge. Deciding that finding a nice size piece of rock fencing and a larger fossil rock was not in our best interest we descended the mountain as quickly as we could yelling out each time there was another rifle shot. We were all very happy to return safely back to the car and leave the area.

DIGGING UP   SARAH'S MARKER

SARAH [ROBERTS]   BAKER MARKER

MY HUSBAND AND      MYSELF WITH MY

5X GREAT GRANDFATHER EDWIN BAKER'S MARKER

Notes for EDWIN BAKER:

Died. aged 93 yrs, 10 mos. 19 days

Will was made February 21, 1876 and probated Nov. 3, 1879

Children of EDWIN BAKER and SARAH ROBERTS are:

                                      i.   JESSE BAKER, b. Say . 1811; m. JANE.

More About JESSE BAKER:

He moved to Tennessee but I know nothing more about this family.

                                      ii.  LUCINDA BAKER, b. Say. 1816, KY; m. JAMES M. BRANN, January 04, 1836, Boone Co., KY; b. Abt. 1807; m. 2^nd JAMES BONNER bef. Oct. 1879.

More About LUCINDA BAKER:

Marriage bond by James Baker consent by father Edwin Baker.

In her father Edwin's will he calls Lucinda the wife of James Bonner.  I have no proof of her marriage (other than the posted bond) in marriage to James M. Brann but she was probably married twice.

She was known as Lucy

Marriage b James Baker, c by father Edwin Baker, B-6, Boone Co., KY. (James M.  Brann).

                                3.   iii.   STEWARD BAKER, b. July 18, 1810

                                4.   iv.   GEORGE WILLIAM BAKER, b. July 12, 1812

                                5.   v.    EDWIN BAKER, b. June 06, 1818, Ohio

                                6.   vi.   CATHERINE BAKER, b. July 25, 1819

                                7.   vii.  REASON BAKER, b. January 26, 1822

                                8.   viii. MARY ELLEN BAKER, b. February 25, 1825

                                9.   ix.   AQUILLA BAKER, b. November 30, 1825

                              10.   x.  MARGARET A. BAKER, b. October 11, 1832

                              11.   xi. WILLIAM F. BAKER, b. September 01, 1836      

Two other probable children of Edwin and Sarah are:

                   xii. JAMES BAKER, b. Abt. 1814; d. Bef. August 10, 1842; m. ELIZABETH JENKINS, January 25, 1840, Boone Co., KY; b. August 21, 1814; d. July 14, 1842, Boone County, KY.

(I did not see an inventory for James Baker when researching in Boone Co, KY.  I have in my possession a letter from William Fitzgerald dated March 2, 1957 in which he lists the following:

“Baker wills in Boone County records are as follows (to 1860)

James Baker, Inventory, Sale, Settlement (sale of James Baker mentions as purchasers: G. W. Baker, Edwin Baker, Reason Baker”.)

About 1843 Edwin (probably Edwin Jr.) became the Guardian of Sarah Ann Baker, her father was James Baker.  Stewart Baker administrator.

                   xiii. NELLY BAKER b. Say 1829.