NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Source: History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II, Lewis Publishing Co., 1914

Thomas BAKER, one of the best known and most respected citizen of Morris county, New Jersey, is a member of a family, which for many generations has held an honored place, both on Long Island, the scene of its first residence in America, and subsequently in New Jersey, which for over a century has been its home.

The first of the name to tread American soil was Thomas BAKER, who sometime in the first half of the seventeenth century migrated to this country from England, and made his home on Long Island in the early settlement of East Hampton. He became at once prominent in the affairs of the little community, where his name is found on a record dated 1649. His reputation soon extended beyond the confines of his home place and he became one of the first of Long Island's magistrates. In 1657 he was still more highly honored by being elected, with Lieutenant Lyon GARDINER and John HAND, to represent the Long Island colony, at Hartford, in its negotiations looking to the formation of an alliance with the Connecticut colony.

For several generations after this Thomas, the Baker family continued to reside on Long Island, the first to settle in New Jersey being Henry BAKER, the great-grandfather of Thomas BAKER, who lived in Union county in that State, about a mile and a half from Westfield Church on the road to Springfield. He was married to Mary HEDGES, of Long Island, who bore him six children.

Jeremiah BAKER, son of Henry BAKER, removed to Morris county, where he engaged in the trade of currier and tanner, the tools and implements of his occupation being preserved to this day in the family of Thomas BAKER, his descendant, whose name heads this sketch. Besides his trade, Jeremiah BAKER, who was one of the most forthputting and energetic of men, became interested in the industry which the bounty of nature had supplied this part of New Jersey with the basis of, and was soon engaged in the mining and founding of iron, and on the road to becoming, as he eventually did become, the largest owner of real estate in the region. Upon his arrival in the new and then sparsely inhabited part of the State, his whole belongings were contained in the knapsack which he carried, and his wealth was just sufficient to compass the purchase of a yoke of oxen, but before a great while he numbered among his possessions iron mines and foundries, and was reputed among the wealthiest men in the rapidly developing region. Jeremiah BAKER married Mary KING, daughter of Andrew KING. Among their several children were the two brothers, Henry and William Hedges, who in partnership completed much of the work their father had begun, developing the Dover iron industries, and acquiring property in that vicinity. At one time there was in the possession of the BAKER family as much as 1,500 acres of the most valuable land in the district, in which was included most of the present site of Dover, and the choicest timber land thereabouts.

William Hedges BAKER, son of Jeremiah BAKER, was born January 3, 1806, died June 27, 1876. He was one of the prominent men in his community, and besides his wealth was actively engaged in the affairs of Dover and its environs. He married Clarissa DELL, daughter of Thomas and Maria (FRANCISCO) DELL, natives of Dover, who survived him until November 18, 1910, when she died at the advanced age of eighty-five years. To them were born ten children, as follows:

• Jeremiah, died in early youth;
• William H., a resident of Dover;
• Mary K., wife of Dr. JOHNSTON, a dentist;
• Annie M. Dunham;
• Andrew K.;
• David, deceased;
• Phoebe H., deceased;
• Thomas, of whom further;
• Henrietta, now Mrs. Francis H. TIPPETT;
• Lydia, now Mrs. W.E. JACOBUS, of Philadelphia.

Thomas BAKER, son of William Hedges BAKER, who has fully carried on the family name for industry, foresight and probity, was born February 21, 1865, on the old Baker homestead, about a mile and a half north of Dover. He obtained his education, first at the public school at Mount Pleasant, and later at the Mount Morris Academy, Morristown, New Jersey. Upon the completion of his studies, he accepted a clerkship in the store of his brother, William H. BAKER, and here he remained for three years, and then returned to the old home farm, of which he took charge, operating it successfully until the year 1894. In that year he removed to Dover, which he has since made his home, and there bought out the real estate business of H.L. DUNHAM, which he has since conducted in partnership with his brother-in-law, Frances H. TIPPETT. In this Mr. BAKER has been actuated by public spirit as well as personal motives, and his business has tended materially to the development of Dover, some of his own property having been cut up into plots to serve the needs of Dover's growing population. In 1896 Mr. Baker built for himself a splendid house on West Clinton street. The house stands upon a hilltop and commands a magnificent prospect of the surrounding country, which is hilly and beautiful with all the enchanting and romantic beauty of northern New Jersey. Mr. BAKER is not one of those who plat the aristocrat in the community, a part which his wealth might tempt a less level head to play, but on the contrary takes an active and personal part in civic affairs. He has served for twelve years on the Dover fire department, and as alderman for seven years, and on May 1, 1913, he was chosen by Governor Fielder, of New Jersey, one of the board of taxation for Morris county. This appointment is the more remarkable in coming from a Democratic governor to Mr. BAKER, who is a member of the Republican party. Besides his public duties and his business interests, Mr. BAKER is associated with two fraternal orders in the neighborhood, and is a member of Accasia Lodge, F. and A. M., and of the R. A.

Mr. BAKER married, April 19, 1893, Hester Ann HILFERTY, daughter of Josiah and Jane HILFERTY, of Port Jervis, New York. To Mr. & Mrs. BAKER have been born two children, a son and a daughter as follows: William Hedges, a graduate of the high school, and Florence J., now a student there.

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