My Genealogy Hound

Rev. L. W. Baker was born in the Palmetto State, in 1814, to Joshua and Susan B. (Christian) Baker, being the eldest of their three children. The father was a South Carolinian, and a farmer by occupation, and died in his native State in 1819; his widow, who was born in Virginia, dying about 1844. She was married twice, her second husband being Stephen Williams, by whom she had five children, only one now living—Tabitha A. (wife of William Smith). Of the children she bore Mr. Baker, the subject of this sketch is the only one now living. He remained in his native State until he was thirteen years of age, then with his mother and stepfather moved to Western Georgia, where he was given the advantages of a common-school education. At the age of twenty he began clerking in a dry goods store, continuing four years, was then married, and engaged in farming, and in 1836 moved to Alabama, where he made his home for six years. After a residence of eight years in the southern portion of Dale County, he, in 1850, came to Arkansas and entered Government land at $1.25 per acre, and is now residing on that farm. He has always identified himself with every interest of the county, and is known to be honest, industrious and enterprising. From 1852 until 1860 he was engaged in merchandising on his farm, but during the war was ruined financially. He immediately set to work to retrieve his fallen fortunes, and has succeeded far beyond his expectations, for he is now the owner of a fine farm of 400 acres, and has about 100 acres under cultivation. He was married January 16, 1838, to Miss Nancy Paschal of Alabama, a daughter of Samuel and Frances (Cochran) Paschal, who were also born in that State. To Mr. and Mrs. Baker a family of thirteen children have been born, ten of whom are living: Mary S. (deceased), Joshua D., John W., Frances (wife of H. J. Kemper, a resident of White County, Ark.), Tabitha (wife of C. C. Hall, of Ouachita County), Sarah J. (wife of D. Moncrief, of Lamar County, Tex.), Martha E. (deceased), B. W. (of this county), E. B. (of Lamar County, Tex.), Nancy E., Parilee (deceased), N. L. (of this county), and Jennie (wife of D. L. Pierce, of this county). Mr. Baker has been a minister of the Missionary Baptist Church since 1851 (although he was not ordained for some years after he began to preach), and has been a professed Christian since 1836, at which time he was a resident of Harris County, Ga. He has been a member of the A. F. & A. M. since 1856, is a demitted member, and belongs to Magnolia Chapter No. 11. His wife was born in 1818, and has been a professor of Christianity since 1839. In 1836 Mr. Baker served in the Creek or Indian War for three months, and was commanded by Maj. Howard, of Milledgeville, Ga., his captain being Abraham Mills, of Harris County, Ga. He was one of the famous old Indian fighters who have almost become extinct in the Southern States. He well remembers on first coming to this county, that cattle and hogs were almost unknown, and the settlers lived on bear steaks and venison. There was one cotton-mill, seven miles east of where he now lives, and there was also one cotton-mill in the region, which had been built in 1850, by a Mr. Paskett. There was at one time a mill in this section that was so constructed that instead of having stone buhrs for crushing the corn, it worked with a lever and pestle, the water raising and lowering the pestle into a trough which held the corn, crushing and grinding the latter into meal. One of the settlers of the community owned a dog that was particularly fond of this meal, and when the pestle was raised, would slip in and help himself, but his greediness was the subsequent cause of his death, for on one occasion, forgetting to dodge as the pestle descended, it fell, crushing his head, and continued to beat him into a mass and mixing him with the meal. This event so disgusted the settlers, that they stopped their patronage, and this style of mill went out of use about 1850.