Biography of James H. Baker

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JAMES H. BAKER
 
James H. Baker was born in March 1848 in Shelby County, Indiana, a son of George and Elizabeth (Hollis) Baker. When they moved from Iowa to Johnson County, Missouri, he went with them, but soon was in Kansas with brother William Wiley and Benjamin L. Baker.
He married Selena Leedy about 1874, probably in Missouri.
 
When Benjamin went west and William Wiley went to Nebraska, James H. stayed with the railroad. In 1880, James was a telegraph lineman for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. When he died, he had worked his way up to General Foreman Of The Telegraph Department. He died as a result of injuries received in a railway accident while on the job. Many Railroad officials from Chicago and St. Louis attended his funeral in Sedalia.
 
He and Selena owned a house at 222 E. 4th in Sedalia where they lived, but he spent most of his time in Kansas City where he worked. James was buried in Sedalia City Cemetery and Selena is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.
 
The following are news stories of his accident and death.
 
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DEATH OF JAMES H. BAKER
News story, KANSAS CITY STAR, 13 Dec. 1907
                        A FALL FROM A TRESTLE FATAL
The Death of James H. Baker, Wire Chief of The Missouri Pacific
 
James H. Baker, 58 years old, wire chief of the Missouri
Pacific Telegraph System, died last night at the Missouri Pacific
Hospital from injuries received Monday in a fall from a trestle
near Leeds, Mo.
    With R. A. Land, a lineman, Baker was making a short
inspection trip on a railroad velocipede. While going around a
curve the machine left the tracks and fell thirty feet from the
trestle. Land received only a few bruises and was able to go to
his home in Hallowell, Kas. Tuesday morning.
    Baker had lived in Sedalia Mo. more than twenty years and had
been employed by the Missouri Pacific Railway Company thirty
four years. His son, George Baker, and the widow arrived in
Kansas City last night after they were notified of the death.
Another son, Benjamin, lives in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The body
was taken to Carroll-Davidson's undertaking rooms, where the
coroner will hold an autopsy this morning.
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SEDALIA DEMOCRAT SENTINAL
12 Dec. 1907
                            JAMES H. BAKER'S FUNERAL
Will be conducted from the family residence Monday afternoon.
 
The body of James H. Baker, who died at Kansas City
Thursday afternoon, arrived here Friday afternoon and was taker
to McGlaughlin Bros. undertaking rooms and later to deceased's
former home 222 E. Fourth Street.
    Rev. S.S. Martin, pastor of the First M. E. Church will conduct
the funeral services at the family residence at 10 o'clock
tomorrow morning, and burial will be made in the city cemetery.
Benjamin Baker, of Dewey, Okla., a son, arrived Friday, and
George Baker, another son, of Santa Rosa, N. M. will arrive today.
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SEDALIA DEMOCRAT SENTINAL
16 DEC. 1907
                THE FUNERAL OF MR. BAKER
      Remains laid to rest in the city cemetery today.  
 
The funeral of James H. Baker, formerly General Foreman of
the Missouri Pacific Telegraph Department, was held from the
family residence, 222 E. Fourth Street, at 10 o'clock this morning.
Rev. S. S. Martin officiating. 
Burial was made in the city cemetery, the following serving as
pallbearers: James T. Montgomery, Edward Shultz, Harry Mayer,
L. C. Redmond, William Harris, and T. J. Higgins, a line man from
Wichita, Kas.
The services were largely attended. Every lineman on the
different branches west of St. Louis attended, also the following
officials: E. A. Chenery, superintendent of Telegraph for the
Missouri Pacific; T. W. Jackson, representing a Chicago
electrical firm, and J. C. Brown, general foreman from Little
Rock, Ark.
There were a number of beautiful floral offerings.
 
 
 
James R. Baker, Jr.
 
 

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