TEE BAKER OF PEINGHILL vJnty ^i>lltv&r^liyk: ••' •:•' >*'' A'&j K\I/'*>I^3H JIJ v *'•'- •'•'• ^jiffn s**wsBSi( "#11 *%k 'A'-**'- ••_;•*-^ "s^-d~ S^^sil^&sw S^t'^ : v.* >§§gj , ',y£$SX f^St jf, <^-""*v* *^".%^ f . , Hi •, i,,.», £Sk . ;i-v.,...'. I—m—t 1 ' •':• .V': • 1 m—1 ».. **^y§ ' ' - • i •'• ."/**"" "•-v; "••., ••' • •'' : : -'-' -.'^ '' ; fo|j|%ffili ' ; '•;•>•;•' f;.-'.-."'V?:-'-'r '.y%: \ . « m THE DESCENDANTS OF PETER AND MARY BAKER OF SPRINGHILL TOWNSHIP FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA GORDON C. BAKER YTX)- 72*072 PETER BAKER OF SPRINGHILL THE DESCENDANTS OF PETER AND MARY BAKER OF SPRINGHILL TOWNSHIP, FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA GORDON C. BAKER 1998 -*—- DATE MICROFILMED SEP 1 7 2001 ITEM #_2___ PROJECT and G s ^ROU.# CALL# FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY 35 NORTH WEST TEMPLE USfcvW SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84150 cj-> i, a-13 ^nub IN THE BEGINNING This book on our Baker family has "been in the works" since I was thirteen years of age. In 1952, my Grandfather, Charles O. Baker, died. In helping my Grandmother Baker complete the memorial book from the funeral home I found it contained a family tree. That was when I discovered the Bakers. I immediately started asking questions not only of my Grandmother but also of the other older members of the family. Somehow I had enough sense to keep notes. That was the beginning of the adventure searching for the Baker family. Over the years I made several attempts to start a book but for one reason or another gave up. This time I stuck to it. So here it is - our Baker family, the Descendents of Peter and Mary Baker of Springhill Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. THANKS I want to thank each and everyone for the information or photographs that you have supplied in the preparation of this book. I would like to extend special thanks to the following, who went to extraordinary lengths to assist me: Edna Baker, Marcelene Baker, Edith Bixler, Carol Doss, Violet Frum, Sharon Groves, Lela Hoard, Ann and Steve Hopkins, Jean and Jim Hopkins, Shirlene Korzun, Joe and Wilma Kromeich, Isabel Lawrence, Pauline McKean, Rosalie O'Donnell, Lois Sanetrik, Annabelle Scott, Janice Cale Sisler, Harry Taylor, Joan Taylor,and Patricia Wilson.. I hope I did not leave anyone out. Thanks to you all! I also want to recognize some the "old timers" who have passed on and who were a great help to me in my early years of research: Dan Baker, Ed "Spetty" Baker, Sylvia Baker, Myrtie Dunham, Chuck Dunham, Lyle Brooks, Earl and Nellie Deffenbaugh, Lola and Don McCann, Marge Farquhar, Nella Hamilton, and Robert P. Stevenson. If you find any errors, or have any additions to this book, please contact me, Gordon C. Baker, 126 South Adams Street, Rockville, Md. 20850-2324. HOW THIS BOOK WORKS This book is divided into six parts covering the largest branches of the family. Each part will have a family chart so you can connect everyone together. Under each part will be a chapter for each of their children. Each chapter will be about that child and all their known descendants. Here is a sample of how it works: PART IV George Baker Parent CHAPTER 46 James Baker Child 1. Charles Baker Grandchild la. James P. Baker Great Grandchild .. lb. Gordon Baker Great Great Grandchild Find your own family and you will see how easy it is to understand. Also b. = born d. = died m. = married •• >.'• CONTENTS Introduction 5 PART I PETER AND MARY BAKER FAMILY 6 Chapter 1 Peter and Mary Baker 7 Chapter 2 Peter and Mary Baker's Children 17 PART II MICHAEL BAKER, SR. FAMILY 20 Chapter 3 Michael Baker, Sr., son of Peter and Mary Baker 20 Chapter 4 Mary Baker Hart 24 Chapter 5 Elizabeth Baker Gillespie 27 Chapter 6 Joseph Baker 27 Chapter 7 Sarah Baker Bateman 29 Chapter 8 Jacob Baker 35 Chapter 9 John Baker See Part III 35 Chapter 10 Daniel Baker 36 Chapter 11 Susan Baker 36 Chapter 12 Phebe Baker 36 Chapter 13 Michael Baker, Jr 36 Chapter 14 Samuel Baker 45 Chapter 15 Catherine Baker 46 PART III JOHN AND CATHERINE BAKER FAMILY 47 Chapter 16 John Baker, son of Michael Baker, Sr. 47 Chapter 17 William Baker 52 Chapter 18 Jacob Baker 65 Chapter 19 Michael Baker 69 Chapter 20 Mary M. Baker Johnson 75 Chapter 21 Joseph L. Baker 92 Chapter 22 Daniel M. Baker 102 Chapter 23 James P. Baker 112 Chapter 24 John Baker 118 Chapter 25 Martha Baker, see Richard Baker in Chapter 13 36 Chapter 26 Margaret Baker, see Oliver P. Baker in Chapter 45 184 PART IV GEORGE, SR. AND JULIANA BAKER FAMILY 121 Chapter 27 George Baker, Sr., son of Peter Baker 121 Chapter 28 Elizabeth Baker 125 Chapter 29 Mary Baker Brooks, See Part V 126 Chapter 30 Margaret Baker Jackson 127 Chapter 31 Thomas Baker 128 Chapter 32 Charlotte Baker Brooks 128 Chapter 33 George Baker, Jr., See Part VI 168 PART V MARY BAKER AND JAMES BROOKS FAMILY 130 Chapter 34 Mary Baker Brooks, daughter of George Baker, Sr 130 Chapter 35 John Brooks 133 Chapter 36 Julia Ann Brooks Bowers 134 Chapter 37 George Brooks 135 Chapter 38 Elizabeth Brooks Lyons 136 Chapter 39 Mary Brooks Blosser 139 Chapter 40 Minerva Brooks Baker, See Chapter 17 52 Chapter 41 Oliver Brooks 149 PART VI GEORGE, JR. AND MARGARET BAKER FAMILY 168 Chapter 42 George Baker, Jr., son of George Baker, Sr 169 Chapter 43 Julia Baker, See Daniel M. Baker, Chapter 22 102 Chapter 44 Sarah Ellen Baker Palmer 181 Chapter 45 Oliver P. Baker 184 Chapter 46 James Baker 192 Chapter 47 Emma Baker Deffenbaugh 223 Chapter 48 William Baker 229 Chapter 49 Joseph M. Baker 238 PART VIII RELATED FAMILIES 257 Including the Blosser, Bowers, Brooks, Deffenbaugh, Dick, Everly, Jackson, Larch, Nichols, Saddler, and Shecter families. PART VIII STORIES 268 Family Stories and Tales, Church, School, Politics, Life on the Farm APPENDIX 287 BIBLIOGRAPHY 323 INDEX 325 INTRODUCTION GERMAN'S ON THE MARYLAND FRONTIER According to Dieter Cunz, in his book, The Maryland Germans A History, "the history of Western Maryland began in the year 1732." Prior to that time the "western part of Maryland remained completely unopened." During the 1730's an influx of immigrants started arriving on the Maryland frontier, in what is now Frederick and Washington Counties. Many of these new settlers were Germans moving down from Pennsylvania. At this time no one knew exactly where the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland was located. As a result Maryland claimed land north into Pennsylvania. The Germans refusal to pay taxes to Maryland resulted in many men, living in areas that are now York County, Pennsylvania, being arrested and hauled off to jail in Annapolis, Maryland. This became known in Maryland as "The Revolt of the Ger­ mans." Eventually the problem was resolved and the Germans living in Maryland respected the laws of the province. As Germans continued to pour in from Pennsylvania, other Germans arrived from Europe through the ports of Annapolis, Maryland and Alexandria, Virginia. It is believed that about one hundred Palatinate families arrived in those ports in 1735. In 1745 the town of Frederick, Maryland was laid out. Three years later the new Frederick County was formed. This shows how fast the area was growing. In 1748 the Reformed Church built a log church in Frederick, Maryland. In 1752 the Lutherans had a church and a permanent pastor. About two-thirds of the Germans were Lutheran and one-third Reformed. The Reformed Congregation finally got a regular minister in 1753. This minister was Theodore Frankenfeld. Not much is know about him and he was dead by 1756. His successor was the Swiss, John Conrad Steiner. Inl760 Philip William Otterbein became pastor. Pastor Otterbein married our ancestors, Peter Baker and Mary Nichol. See the Appendix for more information on Otterbein. The outbreak of the French and Indian War caused havoc on the Maryland frontier. By the summer of 1756 most settlers had fled east. In August 1756 George Washington wrote, "The whole settlement of Conocochreg is fled and there now remain only two families thence to Fredericktown.. .that the Maryland settlements are all abandoned..." The Maryland Gazette of 19 July 1763 published a report from Frederick, Maryland, "Everyday, for some time past, has offered the meloncholic scene of poor distressed families driving downwards through the town with their effects who have deserted their plantations for fear of falling into the cruel hands of our savage enemies, now daily seen in the woods." It is in this area, amid all this turmoil that we first find our ancestor, Peter Baker. FIGURE 1 STATE OF MARYLAND SHOWING FREDERICK AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES. PARTI PETER AND MARY BAKER PETER BAKER DIED 1812 MARRIED MARY NICHOL .IOHANNEAND DIED 1820 MARGARETHA NICHOL PETER BAKER MICHAEL BAKER GEORGE BAKER JOHN BAKER 1762-1844 1764-1849 1764-1839 1774-1855 NO ISSUE NO ISSUE SEE PART 11 SEE PART [V LEWIS BAKER MARGARET RAKER CHARLOTTE MARRIED A BAKER NOTHING KNOWN MR. MARQUIS 1778-1858 NOTHING KNOWN UNMARRIED FIGURE 2 CHART OF PETER AND MARY BAKER FAMILY CHAPTER I PETER BAKER THE MARYLAND YEARS Peter Baker was of German origin and probably German born. Whether he migrated to America along with his parents is unknown. There are a number of Peter Bakers in the passenger lists arriving in Philadelphia, Pa. but none fit the time frame of our Peter. It is likely he arrived through another port, such as Annapolis, Md., Baltimore, Md. or Alexandria, Va. In the 1776 Census of Elizabeth Hundred, Frederick Co., Md.