BAKER. BAKER. BAKER, JOHN 1., son of Joseph and Lucy- (Bisson) Baker, was born in Beverly, Essex count}-, August 16, 1812. He left school at twelve and one-half years of age, and after a two years' engage- ment in a store in Salem and Beverly, he served a fourteen months' apprenticeship at shoe-making, and was connected with that business for nearly twenty years. He has also been engaged in rubber manufac- ture and in mercantile affairs, and has done an extensive business as surveyor, and in the settlement of estates. Mr. Maker's proverbial characteristic of fair and equitable dealing was early devel- JOHN I. BAKER. oped, and he was frequently called upon to act as adviser or arbitrator in complicated and important cases. His business of later years has been largely in real estate. He very early took an active interest in public affairs, and has performed long and conspicuously honorable service therein in town, county and state. He was town clerk of Beverly at twenty-three years of age, and for nearly twenty years thereafter, serving also as selectman for nearly one- half that time. In 1S47 he was chosen county commissioner, also in 1850 and '53. Mr. Baker has a phenomenal record of service in the state Legislature, having oc- cupied a seat in the House of Representa- tives' in no less than eighteen different sessions, being a member in 1S40, '45, '46, 47. '5 2 - '5 6 . ' 6 5> '66, '69, '71, '75, '78, '79, '80, 'Si, '82, '83, and '84. He enjoyed the distinction for eight years of being the sen- ior member in service, and in consequence he has been obliged to call the house to order, and preside during the organization on those occasions. He was a member of the State Senate in 1863 and '64 ; council- or with Governor Banks in 1S60, and with Governor Andrew in 1861 ; took a promi- nent part with the former in settling the long vexed question of the Rhode Island boundary, and was in intimate and active co-operation with the latter in fitting out all the Massachusetts troops in the first year of the war ; and after leaving the official councils, continued in similar fel- lowship with Governor Andrew in all the subsequent work of the war. In legislative work Mr. Baker served on many important committees, often as chair- man. The railroad committee received a good share of his service, and he labored earnestly in bringing about the establish- ment of a board of railroad commissioners. He was largely instrumental in establish- ing the present system of state valuation and taxation, and is still interested in state charities and prisons ; believes in female suffrage ; is a radical temperance man and prohibitionist ; member of the congrega- tion of the First Baptist society, Beverly ; was an early abolitionist, and of the anti- slavery wing of the Whig party ; was an active and prominent organizer of the Re- publican party, associated in his labors with John A. Andrew. Mr. Baker continued in full fellowship with the Republican party until 1870, since which time he has acted independently, or with the Prohibition party ; in 1875 he was the Prohibition candidate for gover- nor. In 1878, '79, and '82 he supported General Butler for governor. In 1883 he was appointed by General Butler, who that year occupied the gubernatorial chair, as a member of the harbor and land commission, which position he still holds, having been re-appointed at the expiration of each term of his service of three years by Governors Robinson and Ames. Mr. Baker was many years chairman of the Beverly board of selectmen and of the school board ; is president of Liberty Ma- sonic Association ; of Odd Fellows' Hall Association ; of the Beverly Gas Light Company ; of the Beverly &: Danvers Street Railway Company , of the Beverly co-operative store, and vice-president of
