From Europe to Mid-America

Home Search Login  
Share Print Bookmark
James Milton Baker

James Milton Baker

Male 1854 - 1931  (76 years)

Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name James Milton Baker  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] 
    Born 16 Nov 1854  College Twsp, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10] 
    Gender Male 
    Occupation Business - Wholesale dry goods 
    Died 22 Feb 1931  Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4, 7, 8] 
    Buried Baker Cemetery, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  [11] 
    Person ID I516  SnoufferCampbell
    Last Modified 15 Jan 2012 

    Father Joseph Wesley Baker,   b. 15 Feb 1834, Dayton, Montgomery Cnty, OH Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 19 Oct 1909, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 75 years) 
    Mother Mary Jane Davey,   b. 4 Mar 1835, Honesdale, Wayne Cnty, PA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Nov 1926, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 91 years) 
    Married 2 Mar 1854  Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 6, 7] 
    Family ID F507  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Josephine Snouffer,   b. 13 Aug 1859, Reisterstown, Baltimore Cnty, MD Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 16 Oct 1904, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 45 years) 
    Married 24 Feb 1881  Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 8, 12] 
    Children 
     1. Maude Esther Baker,   b. 31 Jul 1884, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 8 May 1957, Hull, Sioux Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 72 years)
     2. Edna Julian Baker,   b. 18 Feb 1886, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 2 Aug 1886, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 0 years)
    Last Modified 23 Mar 2011 
    Family ID F172  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Mary Redd,   b. May 1853, Illinois Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Dec 1930, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 77 years) 
    Married Nov 1906  Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA Find all individuals with events at this location  [8, 13, 14] 
    Last Modified 5 Apr 2010 
    Family ID F2229  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • Regarding James Milton's parents and siblings, THE HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY, p. 790 (Western Historical Co.; Chicago: 1878), records:
      "BAKER, JOSEPH W., farmer and stock raiser ... born in Dayton, Ohio, Feb. 15, 1834; moved to Linn Co., Iowa, 1851. Married Mary Jane Davey, March 2, 1854; she was born in Wayne Co., Penn., 1835; they had nine children, seven are living -- James Milton, born in College, Iowa, Nov. 16, 1854; Eugene Jerome, born in Buchanan Co., Mo., Oct. 5, 1859; John Wellington, born in College, Iowa, July 14, 1862; George Davey, born in College, Iowa, April 16, 1864; William Augustus, born in College, Iowa, July 20, 1866; Sarah Albina, born in College, Iowa, February 17, 1868; Ransom Esdras, born in College, Iowa, June 11, 1875; Harriet Ellen, born April 2, 1856, and William Alford, born in 1858, died in infancy. Mr. Baker moved to Missouri Sept. 28, 1857, and returned to Linn Co., Iowa, Aug. 5, 1861...."

      The 1860 census shows that his father Joseph, a 26-yr old sawyer, had moved to Missouri, where he was living with his wife Mary J, 25, and two sons, James M, 4, and Eugene J, 9 months old. 1860 U.S. Census, DeKalb P.O., Bloomington, Buchanan Cnty, MO (M 653, Roll 609, written page 63).

      PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM OF LINN COUNTY, IOWA, pp. 902-903 (Chapman Bros.; Chicago: 1887), records:
      "Joseph W. Baker *** [married] Miss Mary Davey, at the home of the bride's parents in College Township. ***
      "Mrs. Baker ... became the mother of nine children... [including] James M. [who] married Miss Josephine Snouffer, and they are living in Cedar Rapids...."

      The 1900 census lists James M Baker, 45, born Nov. 1854 in Iowa, living with his wife Josephine, 39, born in August 1860 [sic] in Maryland, and their daughter Maude E, 15, born in July 1884 in Iowa. They lived 5 houses away from Josephine's parents, William I. and Julia A. Snouffer. 1900 U.S. Census, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA (T 623, Roll 444, stamped p. 91).

      After his wife died in 1904, James married a second time. The 1910 census lists him as 54 years old and married to Mary, 56. The census records that they have been married for 5 years, and that this is the second marriage for both. The census further states that James was employed in the wholesale dry goods business, probably along with his brother William A. who lived next door. 1910 U.S. Census, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA (T 624, Roll 411, stamped p. 169B).

      In 1920 James, 65, and his wife Mary, 66, no longer lived alone; they had moved in with her son Fred R. Averill, his wife Alice, and their family. 1920 U.S. Census, Cedar Rapids, Linn Cnty, IA (T 625, Roll 500, stamped p. 267B).

      James became caught up in the notorious Baker family hoax, which was a nation-wide fraud that swindled thousands of Baker families who had tried to prove they were heirs to a vastly wealthy estate which owned major historical portions of the City of Philadelphia, PA. Nearly 30 people were convicted of various fraud crimes in the Spring of 1937. On 28 Mar 1931, after James' death, his brother George, who was a "special agent" for The Northwestern Mutual Life Ins. Co. in Portland, OR, wrote a letter to his niece Maude Baker (Mrs. Herbert Bolks) requesting that she return to him many letters and other items that James Milton had originated in his quest to establish some entitlement to the supposed estate. See Janet Olson Swart, The Family History of Samuel Baker, son of Gunsmith Caleb Baker Sr., p. 337 (published to CD by Janet Olson Swart, 214 First Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616: 2010).

      Obituary, Cedar Rapids [IA] Gazette (23 Feb 1931):
      "James Milton Baker, 76, 843 Third avenue southeast, who was hurt in an automobile accident Dec. 7 at which time his wife was killed, died at a local hospital ... yesterday [22 Feb]. His death occurred eleven weeks almost to the minute from the time he was brought to the hospital.
      "The accident happened in First avenue and Tenth street at 5 p.m. while Mr. and Mrs. Baker were crossing the street. According to the report of Gayland Smith ... who was driving the car which struck them, the couple had stepped back to avoid a trolley and were directly in the path of his car. Mrs. Baker was killed instantly and Mr. Baker was taken to the hospital where he remained until the end. He suffered a fractured leg and was injured about the heart.
      "Mr. Baker was born in College township south of Cedar Rapids, Nov 16, 1854 and has been a resident of Linn county all his life. On Feb 24, 1881, he was married to Josephine Snouffer, who preceded him in death Oct. 16, 1904. To this union were born two children, Edna Julian who died in infancy and Maude Baker, now Mrs. Herbert B. Bolks, of Hull[,] who survives him. He also leaves two grandchildren, Paul and Gordon Bolks.
      "In November 1905 he was married to Mrs. Mary Averill, who was killed in the recent accident. Mr. Baker is also survived by a sister, Mrs. Henry [Sarah] Otterbein, Cedar Rapids, and three brothers, W. A. Baker, also of Cedar Rapids, George Baker, of Portland, Ore., and R. E. Baker, Two Harbors, Minn. He was a member of Crescent lodge, A.F. and A.M.... Burial will be in the Baker cemetery."

      www.Ancestry.com, Iowa Cemetery Records, has James Milton Baker, d. 22 Feb 1931, buried in the Baker Cemetery in College (Cedar Rapids), Linn Cnty, IA, and cites Tombstone Records of Linn County, Iowa, part of the WPA's Graves Registration Project, Washington, D.C. (n.d.). However, he is not named in the Baker Cemetery list at www.IowaGravestones.org (accessed Aug 2007). A variety of sources indicate that his grave is unmarked.

      Jan O. Swart, Family History of Samuel Baker..., supra, p. 475, summarizes the James M. Baker - Josephine Snouffer family thus:
      "JAMES MILTON BAKER ... was born 16 November 1854 in College Township, Linn County, Iowa, and died 22 February 1931 in Rapids Twp, Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa. He married (1) JOSEPHINE SNOUFFER 24 February 1881 in Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa. She was born 13 August 1859 in Reisterstown, Maryland, and died 16 October 1904 in Rapids Twp, Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa. He married (2) MARY 1905 in Iowa. She was born Abt. 1854 in Illinois.
      "Children of JAMES BAKER and JOSEPHINE SNOUFFER are:
      i. MAUDE ESTHER BAKER, b. 31 July 1884, Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa; d. 08 May 1957, Hull, Sioux County, Iowa.
      ii. EDNA JULIAN BAKER, b. 18 February 1886, Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa; d. 02 August 1886, Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa."

      There is a photo of James and his siblings in Jan Swart's book, ibid, p. 323 (Stephen Bolks has the original).

  • Sources 
    1. [S2] Bertha Ina (Newens) Snouffer, "Newens & Snouffer Family Records", (Bertha Ina (Newens) Snouffer; unpublished charts; created abt 1960; revised abt 1970; original charts possessed by Wm.C.Snouffer).

    2. [S165] Anonymous, THE HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY, IOWA, (Western Historical Co.; Chicago, IL : 1878), p. 790.

    3. [S372] Iowa, Sioux Cnty, Hull, 1925 Iowa State Census, (State Historical Society of Iowa, E. 12th & Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50319, accessed via www.Ancestry.com), (Roll 1946, p. 14).

    4. [S374] Stephen Gordon Bolks, "Ancestor/Descendant charts" and Emails, (Stephen Bolks, 18011 Fernbluff Dr, Spring, TX 77379; stephenbolks@sbcglobal.net : 2007-2008).

    5. [S399] Jan Swart & Joanne Smith, "Correspondence", (Email reports from Jan Swart, janswart2000@yahoo.com, and her sister Joanne Smith, smithjoannem@hotmail.com : 2008).

    6. [S77] Anonymous, Portrait and Biographical Album of Linn County, Iowa, (Chicago, IL; Chapman Bros.: 1887), pp. 902-903.

    7. [S676] Janet Olson Swart, "The Family History of Samuel Baker, son of Gunsmith Caleb Baker Sr"; CD-ROM database (2010), (Janet O. Swart; janswart2000@yahoo.com), p. 472.

    8. [S676] Janet Olson Swart, "The Family History of Samuel Baker, son of Gunsmith Caleb Baker Sr"; CD-ROM database (2010), (Janet O. Swart; janswart2000@yahoo.com), p. 475.

    9. [S42] Carol Snouffer Jewell, "Snouffer, Schnauffer, Newens of Germany, IA, 1523-1997" (Nov 1999), (Family Tree Maker, "World Family Tree," CD-ROM database (vol. 54, tree 2400), Cambridge, MA; The Learning Company, Inc. : 2000).

    10. [S460] Iowa, Linn Cnty, Cedar Rapids, 3d Ward, 1900 U.S. Census, (The National Archives, Washington, D.C.), (T623, Roll 444, p. 91).

    11. [S696] Works Project Administration, "Graves Registration Project", (Works Project Administration, Washington, D.C. (abt 1935); online database, Iowa, Cemetery Records, 1662-1999, https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4711).

    12. [S69] "Church Records", (First Lutheran Church, 1000 Third Ave, SE, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52403).

    13. [S376] California, Los Angeles Cnty, Los Angeles, 1930 U.S. Census, (The National Archives, Washington, D.C.), (T626, Roll 150, p. 204).

    14. [S82] Iowa, Linn Cnty, Cedar Rapids, 1st Prct, 1910 U.S. Census, (The National Archives, Washington, D.C.).