William and Elizabeth's children included:
Daniel Baker (1838, died at age 19),
Jonah Baker (1840, died at age 2),
Sarah Jane Baker Hartman (1841, married Peter Hartman),
Mary E. Baker Wagner (1845),
Margaret Ann Baker Gilfillen (1849, married William E. Gifillen),
Allen G. Baker (1852),
Martin A. Baker,
and Lewis William Baker (1859, married Julia A. Booze).
In 1842 they moved to Perry Township, Shelby County, Ohio. They were democrats and members of the Baptist church.
The family appeared in the 1850 census in Salem Township, Shelby County, Ohio. The household consisted of William age 34 who was a farmer, Elizabeth age 31, Daniel L. G. Baker age 12, Sarah Jane Baker age 9, Mary E. Baker age 3, and Margaret Ann Baker age 1. The children were all born in Ohio.
William and Elizabeth appeared in the 1880 census in Perry Township Shelby County, Ohio. William was 64 and a farmer, Elizabeth was 60.
Elizabeth died on June 18, 1905 and William followed on October 2, 1905. They are buried in Glen Cemetery, Salem Township, Shelby County, Ohio.
Clark County, Ohio was formed March 1, 1817, from Champaign, Madison and Greene Counties. The first settlement was in 1796. The inhabitants of German Township were German Lutherans who came from Virginia.
Buildings in Clark County, Ohio ranged from simple log cabins to sophisticated Italianate and Gothic Revival structures.
The first Europeans settled in the Northwest Territory in 1788. Migrants came from New York and New England. Ohio was admitted to the Union as the 17th state on March 1, 1803.
European and indiginous American fought fierce battles as the Europeans expanded their territory.
Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman, 1774 – 1845) was a pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and West Virginia.
from the History of Shelby County, Ohio by A.B.C. Hitchcock; Sidney, Ohio; 1913,
Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.; Chicago, Illinois
Lewis W. Baker who for many years has been a prominent citizen of Salem township, now lives in comfortable retirement at Maplewood but retains possession of several valuable tracts of land. He was born in Perry township, Shelby county, O., November 14, 1859, and is a son of William and Elizabeth [Loudenback] Baker.
William Baker was born in Clark county, O., in 1815 and his wife was born in Champaign county, O. In 1842 he moved on the farm in Perry township, Shelby county, which Lewis W. Baker now owns. He and wife died at the home of this son, their burial being at Port Jefferson.
They had the following children: Daniel; Jonas; Sarah J., wife of Peter Hartman; Mary E., wife of Enos Wagner; Margaret, wife of William Gilfillen; Martin A.; Allen and Lewis W. The parents were members of the Baptist church.
The father was a democrat in politics and his sons are of the same political faith.
Lewis W. Baker secured a district school education, attending regularly in the winter seasons until he reached manhood. He then gave his father assistance until 1893, remaining on the homestead until then although as early as 1879 he had commenced to work for himself. When his father first settled on the farm in Perry township he had 120 acres but he continued to invest in land until he had 235 acres, the extent of the present farm which is now the property of Lewis W. Baker, by inheritance. He owns also a farm of 120 acres in Jackson township, which he bought from William Hogan, and he the present farm which is now the property of Lewis W. Baker, by inheritance, owns a third tract, containing twenty acres, which lies on the edge of Maplewood, on which he resides.
In December, 1878, Mr. Baker was married to Miss Julia E. Booze, who was born in Allen county, O., and was eight years old when her parents, Hezekiah and Mary Catherine (Hill) Booze, brought her to Shelby county. They were natives of Pennsylvania. The father of Mrs. Baker died in Oklahoma and the mother in Shelby county, her burial being in Pleasant Hill cemetery. They had the following children: John and Uriah; Maria E., wife of George Kirtley; Julia E.; Martha, wife of William Warner; and
Christian, Hezekiah, Lewis and Thomas.
To Mr. and Mrs. Baker two children were born; Emory E., who married Lavina. Young, and they have four children, Wildie, Harold, Carl and Ralph; and Edna, who is the wife of John J. Drury, and they have one daughter, Beulah. Mr. Baker and family belong to the Disciples church. Among his business interests in his ownership of stock in the Haviland Grain & Hay Company of Haviland, O., and he is also a stockholder and director of the First National Bank of Jackson Center. While never anxious to hold political office, he consented to serve two terms as township treasurer of Salem township and his interest in the public schools caused him to remain on the
school board for twelve years. He has always been a man of social instincts and qualities and enjoys his membership with the Knights of Pythias, attending the Maplewood lodge of this order.
Baptist churches were found in early colonial settlements and grew out of the English Separatist movement and the doctrine of John Smyth who rejected infant baptism.
Shelby County, Ohio is in western Ohio and was formed in 1819 from Miami County.
A prairie is a temperant, level region with grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees. Most of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma are prairie.
