My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE H. BAKER was born in Clinton county, N. Y., March 20, 1848. His father, Zebulon Baker, was a native of New York State, and for many years was known in the mercantile world as an extensive dealer in iron and lumber at Plattsburg. He won distinction as a messenger boy in the War of 1812, although he was quite young. He died in 1860. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Albee, is a native of Vermont, and after her husband’s death emigrated to Fort Dodge, Iowa, but returned as far east as Cleveland, Ohio, in 1862. Two years later she removed with her family of children to Linn county, Iowa. About four years later she came to Lincoln, Nebraska.

George H. Baker, the subject of this brief biographical sketch, came to Buffalo county in the spring of 1872, and located on Beaver creek, in Loup township, where he pre-empted a fine quarter section of land. There was no settlement in that section at that time and plenty of wild game abounded every where. Mr. Baker built a comfortable sod house and at once set about to bring order out of chaos. Being a man of remarkable courage he was prepared to undergo all the trials and vicissitudes incident to the first settlement of a county, he was visited by the festive grasshoppers, when they sampled the green products of the Nebraska farmers in 1874 and ‘76, and saw as fine a crop of corn, as any one would wish to see, disappear almost like a snow flake in the bosom of the ocean. Indeed Mr. Baker is as familiar with the ups and downs of pioneer life as any other man of his day. In the course of a year or so he located in the south part of the country, where he remained three years on a farm which he cultivated to good advantage. In 1877 he moved to Gibbon and engaged in the real estate business. During his several years’ residence there he has prospered by his own enterprise and business sagacity. In 1888 he engaged in the dry goods business and is at this present time one of the leading merchants of that thriving town.

George H. Baker was married September 24, 1873, the lady of his choice being Miss Susie Lewis, a native of Indiana, and a daughter of Horatio Lewis, also a native of the Hoosier State. He was a farmer by occupation and came to Nebraska with his family in 1872, where he resided until his death in 1887.

Mr. and Mrs. Baker have an interesting family of four children, namely — Ray, Arthur, Bert and Georgie.

Mr. Baker is an honored member of the Masonic order and also of the A. O. U. W. He is a republican, and, while he has never aspired to any public office, he has always taken an interest in politics. He has one hundred and sixty acres improved land near Gibbon, besides other landed interests in the western part of the state.