An American Family History

Philip Baker and Mary Elizabeth Kessler were married on May 7, 1803 in Rockingham County, Virginia. When they were first married, they made their home in Virginia and their first four children were born there.

Elizabeth Baker Branstiter was born in September, 1805, George B. Baker was born on October 4, 1808 and , Mary M. (Polly) Baker Rockel was born on November 6, 1810.

The family moved to German Township in Clark County, Ohio in between 1810 and 1813. They moved with Mary Elizabeth’s parents, Henry and Barbara Kessler, Philip’s parents, Jacob and Magdalene Baker, and his siblings and aunts and uncles. The younger children were born in Ohio. The move is described in Mary Rockel’s obituary and in The Portrait and Biographical Album of Clark County

Philip Baker, [was] well known as one of the early pioneers of Clark County; he came here in 1813, and settled one half mile west of Eagle City Mills, in German Township.There he bought several hundred acres of land, heavily timbered, of which he cleared quite a large tract before his death.

Philip was a soldier in the war of 1812.

Sarah (Sally) Baker Hunt Bilger was born on January 11, 1813. William Baker was born on October 15, 1815 and the twins James Baker and Susannah Baker Ryman were born on July 4, 1819. The Philip Baker household appeared in the 1820 Census in German Township. Jacob Baker was born in August, 1821.  Elizabeth married in 1823 and Daniel Baker was born on March 6, 1825.

Philip died March 5, 1828 (from his tombstone inscription) when his still exploded. He left Mary Elizabeth with small children to raise by herself. Jefferson Baker was born January 29, 1827 which was after his father's death according to his son's biography. 

The family continued to live in German Township. George and Mary both married in 1829.

The family appeared (Elizabeth Baker) in the 1830 census of German Township, Clark County, Ohio. The household consisted of one male under 5 (Jefferson, age 3), three males between 5 and 10 ( Daniel, age 5, Jacob, age 9, James age 11), one female 5-10 (Susannah, age 11), one female 10 -15 (Sarah, age 17) and one female 40 - 50 (Mary Elizabeth age 49).

Their Daniel died when he was only ten years old on September 17, 1835 and is buried in Lawrenceville Cemetery in Clark County, Ohio.

After Philip’s death, daughters Mary Rockel and Elizabeth Branstiter and their husbands filed a lawsuit and forced Mary Elizabeth to sell the family farm so that they could have their share. Sarah married in 1832, Daniel died in 1835, and William was married in 1837.

Elizabeth remained in German Township in 1840 and in 1850. In 1840 the household consisted of one woman between 60 and 70 (Elizabeth age 59), and a boy between ten and fifteen (Jefferson age 13) and a man between 20 and 30.  In 1850 she was living near her son Jacob.

Susannah married in 1842, Jacob in 1845, and James and Jefferson in 1846.

Elizabeth Baker died in 1869 in Shelby County and is buried with other family members in Glen Cemetery.

from the History of Shelby County, Ohio by A.B.C. Hitchcock; Sidney, Ohio; 1913, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.; Chicago, Illinois

His [William C. Baker's] grandfather Philip Baker was born in Pennsylvania and when he came first to Ohio he settled in Cark county, four miles from Springfield. He married Mary Elizabeth Kessler, whose parents were natives of Germany, and their children were all born and reared in Clark county, namely: George, William, Jacob, Jefferson, James, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary and Susan. Of the above family, Sarah lived to the remarkable age of ninety-three years. Philip Baker died a few months before the birth of his son, Jefferson Baker. His widow survived until 1869 and her burial was in the old cemetery at Port Jefferson.