Wayne County

Allen H. Baker

1884 Biographical Sketches of City of Fairfield

ALLEN H. BAKER, manufacturer, Fairfield, was born December 7, 1839, in Chester County, Penn. His father, whose name was Lewis H. Baker, was born in 1804, on Prince Edward's Island, where he remained until 1837, when he came to Pennsylvania and located in Chester County. Here he married Mary A. Ward. She was born in Pennsylvania in 1817, and is now a resident of Wayne County. She is residing with a daughter, Leonora, wife of James Barnhill. This family removed to Wayne County in 1853, and here Lewis H. followed his trade that of carponter. He died in 1870, leaving two children, three having died previous to the decease of the father. Allen H. Baker is the oldest of this family of five children.

In July, 1861, he enlisted in the Fortieth Illinois Regimen and was a non-comniissioned officer in Company D. At the end of the first years service he was discharged in consequence of impaired eyesight.

In 1863, having recovered from this affliction, he accepted a clerkship in the Paymaster's Department at Cincinnati, under Judge E. Beecher, where be remained until the close of the war in 1865. He then went to Olney, Ill., where he was employed for sometime as book-keeper. Here he married on June 24, 1868, to Mary E. C, daughter of Dr. George W. Carrothers. She was born in Ohio, November 9, 1839.

In 1871, they removed to Fairfield, Ill., to engage in the drug business, which he did with William 0. Carrothers. In the spring of 1873, he was induced to take the position of Superintendent of the Fairfield Woolen Mills. He continues in this position, and in 1882 became a part owner of this extensive establisbment.

His family consists of George C. Baker, born December 16, 1869, and Katie Baker, born March 30, 1874.

He is an ardent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as is also his wife.



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