B. Frank Baker
Benjamin Franklin Baker | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Illinois Senate from the 27th district | |
| In office 1906–1910 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 26, 1864 |
| Died | April 10, 1939 (aged 74) |
| Spouse |
Mary H. Chandler (m. 1901) |
Benjamin Franklin Baker[1] (July 26, 1864 – April 10, 1939) was an American businessman and politician.
Biography
Baker was born in Aurora, Illinois on July 26, 1864,[2] to Nelson G. Baker, a local jeweler who died in 1875, and Lucy L. Cross, who died in 1896.[3] When he was 6 years old, Baker's family moved to Sheffield, Illinois. He graduated from a high school there and at the age of 19, became a bookkeeper for the First National Bank of Kewanee, Illinois.[1] He was elected as village clerk of Kewanee in 1885, serving two terms in that position.[3] In 1888, he resigned from the bank, opting to work for the Haxtun Steam Heater Company until 1892, when he became treasurer of the newly-incorporated Kewanee Boiler Corporation; he also became vice-president of the company following the death of Horton Vail in 1902.[1][3]
On June 12, 1901, he married Mary H. Chandler.[3] They had two children together.[1] In November 1906,[3] Baker, representing the 37th district, was elected to the Illinois Senate, where he served one term.[1][2] Following that, he became the mayor of Kewanee, the first under a city commission government,[1] serving from 1911 to 1919.[4] Baker was also a member of the Henry County committee, a Freemason, and a member of two clubs.[1]
On April 10, 1939, Baker died from complications resulting from an appendectomy.[4] He had left an estate of $350,000 (1930 USD) and in his will, allocated $20,000 (1930 USD) to his wife, who was the chief beneficiary.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Way, Royal Brunson (1926). The Rock River Valley: Its History, Traditions, Legends and Charms. Vol. III. S. J. Clarke. pp. 631–633.
- 1 2 Rose, James A. (1908). Blue Book of the State of Illinois, 1907. Philips Bros. p. 278. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Kiner, Henry L. (1910). History of Henry County, Illinois. Brookhaven Press. pp. 1015–1016.
- 1 2 "Kewanee Boiler Corp. Head, B. W. Baker, Dies". The Decatur Daily Review. Vol. 60, no. 193. Associated Press. April 11, 1939. p. 1. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Baker Estate is Worth $350,000". The Dispatch. April 25, 1939. p. 15. Retrieved May 6, 2026.