Joseph Baker ~ Index
Joseph Baker son of Simon Baker, was born 15 August 1839 in or near Montrose, Lee County, Iowa, about four miles west of Nauvoo, Illinois. At this place his mother, Mercy Young Baker died 4 March 1845. His father after the death of his mother, married Charlotte Leavitt. During the exodus of the Mormons from Nauvoo, the family joined with them on their journey west and spent the winter of 1846-1847 at Winter Quarters. In 1847, while he was scarcely eight years old, having neither hat nor shoes, he drove a yoke of bulls on the Old Seven Foot Cannon, most of the way in crossing the plains to the Rocky Mountains. This cannon being the first cannon brought west of the Missouri River is now kept as a relic in the Salt Lake Museum.
During the winter of 1847-1848 he assisted his brothers in digging thistle roots, segos and wild onions for the family, it being their chief food at this time: flour being very scarce, all lived on rations from October until the following July, when grain was harvested, which was ground in a hand mill for the family use. On 10 December 1850, he together with his father and some two-hundred others, with teams under the leadership of George A. Smith, left Great Salt Lake City for the purpose of colonizing Iron County and located Parowan, Utah.
The following spring of 1851, his father sold their locations to John Topham and he and his father returned to Great Salt Lake City. His father at this time contracted with the church to haul timber and wood from the North Canyon, east of Bountiful, called Baker's Canyon. Here he worked for four years, except during the winter, when he went on the ranch west of Jordan River near it's mouth, where his father kept his horses and cattle during the winter. Early in July 1855, President Brigham Young desiring to settle Cache Valley, invited his father, together with some other stock raisers to go to the valley and prepare to winter their stock there.
On July 17th the following persons, as pioneers left Great Salt Lake City for Cache Valley, arriving there on 20th July 1855. Bryant Stringham as captain, Simon Baker and Andrew Moffett, councilors. These, together with Joseph Baker, Brigham Young Jr., Thomas Clayton, Thomas Naylor, Thomas Kendall and George Twist comprised the party of explorers. They first camped near where Wellsville is now located. The following day, 21 July 1855, Captain Stringham, Simon Baker, Young and Moffett started on horseback to explore the valley and find the best location and after three days riding they selected what is now known as the Church Farm. While they were exploring the valley, Joseph Baker cut and hauled a load of poles and made a calf's pen, as they had two cows and calves along with them. This was at Haw Brush Springs and was the first mark of civilization in Cache Valley.
After they had decided on their location, Bryant Stringham said, Boys, I am going to have the honor of cutting the first house log.
Joseph Baker replied, If you do, you will have to fall the tree on me.
They each commenced chopping at the same tree. Brother Joseph Baker was successful in reaching the heart of the tree first and fell the tree on Bryant Stringham, thus securing the honor of cutting the first house log in the valley for himself.
About a month later his brothers George W. and Albert M. Baker came into the valley with a herd of cattle and horses. They cut and put up during the season about forty tons of hay and the following September Joseph Baker and his brother, George W. built on the Church Farm the first cabin in the valley.
That memorable hard winter of 1856 came with snow three and one half feet deep all over the valley, which lasted from December until April 30th. After removing all the cattle that could be driven out of the valley, Joseph Baker and eight others were left there to feed some one-hundred and twenty head of cattle that were left there. By April 1st, they had used all their flour and bacon and their cattle were too poor for beef and fortunately at that time, the prairie chickens came in by the thousands to their corral to roost and by getting up early in the morning they could shoot all they needed before breakfast and having one bushel of seed wheat and half a bushel of seed peas, they had all the pea soup they cared for, so were living well when relief came in the spring.
On returning to Great Salt Lake City, he learned that General Conference held there 6 April 1856, his father had been called to go on a mission to Carson Valley, so Joseph Baker concluded to go with them and leaving Great Salt Lake City the latter part of May, together with a number of others, taking with them about one-hundred head of cattle and some horses, they arrived at Carson about the first of July, where his father bought a farm of six-hundred and forty acres, paying in cattle and horses for the same. There on that location, called the Niles and Sears farm, was born to his father's wife, Elizabeth a son named James Staples, in honor of his maternal grandfather.
Early in December of this year, his father, together with six others, started on a return trip to Great Salt Lake City, leaving him in charge of the place during his absence, which was until 1 June 1857 and on June 12th, he and his father started over the Sierra Nevada Mountains for California to find his brother Jarvis, who went there in 1850. They found him and he returned with them to Carson.
The latter part of July they started for Great Salt Lake City, the mission having been abandoned on account of the "Echo War." They were twenty-six days making the trip to Great Salt Lake City, having found and buried a number of emigrants whom Indians had killed while on their way to California. In the fall of 1857 he went to Cache Valley with part of his father's stock to winter, while his brothers took care of those on the Jordan Ranch. In the spring of 1858 his father and brother George Baker came and helped to move the stock to Great Salt Lake City and soon after Moved on South to the Provo bottoms, where they remained until after the treaty of peace was concluded, June 10th to 12th 1858, between the United States Commissioners and the Mormon leaders. They then returned to Great Salt Lake City, where he attended school during the following winter.
During the spring of 1859 he ranched and sold five-hundred head of oxen for H.C. Perry, a prominent merchant of Great Salt Lake City. On 10 July 1859, he was married to Lucy Amelia Pack Kimball, by Brigham Young which proved to be a happy union. They resided in Great Salt Lake City until the following spring, when they removed to South Bountiful where they lived until the spring of 1861, when they removed to Mendon, Cache Valley. He joined his brothers Amenzo W., Albert M. and George W. Baker, who settled there the preceding year. They divided their land with him, which gave them fifteen acres each. They afterwards bought thirty acres more and divided it between the four brothers. At this time the Indians were very hostile, stealing their horses and cattle; his time was mostly taken up with guard duty, or chasing those that stole their stock; being a minute man he was on duty most of the time for three years, until General Patrick E. Conner came up from Fort Douglas with a detachment of soldiers and killed about three-hundred Indians, (at Battle Creek) which made good Indians of them.
In the spring of 1864 the people moved out of their log fort onto their town lots, building just a log house on the lot, which he lived in for two years, then in 1866 he commenced building a stone house, completing it in 1867. This was the first stone house built in Mendon. He was the first man in Mendon to successfully raise an orchard with choice apples, as seedling trees were all that they had here at that time, going to Great Salt Lake City by team, he secured buds from choice fruit trees, grafting those shoots into the seedling trees, raised wonderful apples of several kinds. He understood the grafting of fruit trees very well doing lots of fruit grafting for others as well as himself.
All seemed well and happy with them until 10 August 1873 when they lost by death their youngest son, George Eaten Baker. Lucy Amelia Pack Kimball Baker seemed heart-broken and was sick from that time until her death, 16 April 1874 leaving Joseph Baker with eight small children to care for. Joseph Baker, referring to the sad occurrence said, I felt that I would die with grief, but God tempers the breeze to the shorn lamb and I saw in a dream the woman that was to take her place, although she was in Wales at the time I knew her when I first saw her and on 26 July 1875 she became my wife.
Joseph Baker was married 10 July 1859, at Great Salt Lake City by President Brigham Young to Lucy Amelia Pack, daughter of John and Lucy Ives Pack, a Utah pioneer of 1847. She was born 22 June 1837 at Kirtland, Ohio, and died 16 April 1874, at Mendon, Utah. He married second, 26 July 1875, at Great Salt Lake City, by Daniel H. Wells, Mary Alice Morgan, daughter of Thomas and Ann Roberts Morgan. She was born 6 March 1855, at Merthyr, Glamorganshire, South Wales.
He held many offices of trust in his town and county. He was president of the Elders quorum, coroner of Cache County from 1894 until 1896, Justice of Peace for sixteen years in Mendon. He died 8 October 1925 at Mendon, Cache County, Utah.
Children: All born in Mendon, except the first and last named. Joseph Lindon Baker, born 22 March 1860 in Great Salt Lake City, died 10 January 1880 at Mendon. Jessie Merrit Baker, born 11 November 1861, married Sarah A. Dowdle. Simon Pack Baker, born 2 January 1864, married Sarah Bassett. John Rupert Baker, born 29 November 1865 married (the same) Sarah Bassett. Lucy Amelia Baker, born 22 October 1867 married Albert W. Raybold. Charlotte Eleanor Baker, 16 June 1869 married David T. Owens, Tamsan Louella Baker, Born 23 February 1871, married Edgar Arlington. George Eaton Baker, born 15 January 1873, died 10 August 1873. Ward Caleb Baker, born 10 April 1874, died 10 April 1874.
Children by second wife: Mary Elizabeth Baker, Thomas Morgan Baker, Albert Marvin Baker, Richard Morgan Baker, Annie Maria Baker, Alice Baker, David M. Baker, William Melvin, Alma Baker, Florence Geneva Baker, Hazel May Baker, Margaret Edna Baker, Mary Geneva Morris born at Brigham City, adopted daughter of Mary A. Morgan Baker's sister Elizabeth Morris.
Life Sketch
Joseph held many positions of trust and responsibility in the church and in the community. He was president of the Elder's Quorum from 1842 to 1866. He was Justice of the Peace of Mendon for sixteen years and was called Judge Joseph Baker. He was also Coroner of Cache County from 1894 to 1896. He felled the first tree which was used to build a log house in Cache Valley, Utah.
He built the first stone house in Mendon, Cache County, Utah. In addition to all the other firsts that are mentioned, Joseph was the first man in Mendon to successfully raise an orchard with choice apples. He secured grafts from choice fruit trees in the Salt Lake Valley and grafted them on to seedlings.
Joseph Baker, the sixth child of Simon Baker and Mercy Young, was born 15 August 1839 near Montrose, Lee County, Iowa. His parents had located that same year on what was called the Half Breed's Tract. In 1841 Simon bought 160 acres of land in this same vicinity and built a log cabin on it. Here it was that Joseph's mother died, 4 March 1845, leaving a family of eight small children. After his father was remarried to Charlotte Leavitt, 8 April 1845, the family joined the exodus of Mormons from Nauvoo and spent the winter of 1846-1847 at Winter Quarters. On the first of May 1847 the family left Winter Quarters for the West.
Joseph was not yet eight years old and he had neither hat nor shoes, but he drove a yoke of bulls on the Old Seven-foot Cannon most of the way crossing the plains. This cannon, the first of its kind brought west of the Missouri River, is now kept as a relic in the Salt Lake Museum. Joseph records in his autobiography many of the impressions and experiences he encountered on the trip westward. Buffalo were plentiful until they left the Platte River. They brought black current bushes to the valley. He made himself some shoes from raw buffalo hides, which tightened on his feet and had to be soaked in water to get them off. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley, 2 October 1847, and made camp where the Salt Lake City and County Building now stands.
During the winter of 1847-1848 Joseph assisted his brothers in digging thistle roots, sego and wild onions for the family. Flour being very scarce, all lived on rations from October until the following July, when grain was harvested, which was ground in a hand mill for family use.
During 1850-1851 Joseph accompanied his father in the colonization of Iron County, and then for several years helped haul timber out of Baker's Canyon, near Bountiful. Early in July, 1855, President Young asked Simon Baker to help settle Cache Valley. Joseph also went on this venture, arriving in Cache Valley July 22, 1855. The group, under Captain Stringham, located a Church Farm in the location which is now called College and Young Wards. (1964)
While others were exploring the valley, Joseph cut and hauled a load of poles and made a calf pen at Haw Bush Springs, the first mark of civilization in Cache Valley. After they had decided on their location, Captain Stringham said, Boys, I'm going to have the honor of cutting the first house log.
Joseph replied, If you do, you will have to fell the tree on me.
They each commenced chopping at the same tree. Joseph succeeded in reaching the heart of the tree first, and felled the tree on Stringham, thus securing the honor of cutting the first house log in Cache Valley. About a month later his brothers, George and Albert, came into the valley with a herd of cattle and horses. They cut and put up about forty tons of hay during the season. In September Joseph and his brother George built, on the Church Farm, the first cabin in the valley.
The hard winter of 1856 came, with snow three and a half feet deep all over the valley, lasting from December until April 30th. After removing all the cattle that could be driven out of the valley, Joseph and eight other young men were left to feed some 120 head of cattle that were left there.
John Clark Dowdle described the situation:
"The following winter (1856-1857) set in very severe… and we were forced to drive the cattle over the mountain to Box Elder and Weber Counties, thinking to save them, but before they could reach those places they became weak for want of food, and thousands of them perished, with cold and hunger. The next spring it was found that there were twenty three hundred that had died during the winter of those belonging to the Church besides four or five hundred of those belonging to individuals. While looking after the stock during this winter we suffered very much from the cold and storm, several of us became snow blinded. We were forced to wear a green lens or something of the sort, to prevent the reflection of the snow from our eyes. During this winter William Garr and myself were required to return to Cache Valley to look after the stock which had been left there and spend the rest of the winter. We rode our horses to Brigham City; stopped with old father Davies for two days, preparing snow shoes, as we were forced to cross the mountain from that place. After arriving at Father Davies I was so badly snow blinded that I could hardly see anything.
Sister Eleanor Davies, the daughter of Father Davies administered sweet oil or consecrated oil, pouring the same in my eyes during the time of my sojourn with them, which relieved me very much, when our snow shoes were ready, Brother Garr and myself were so revived that we thought that, we were able for the task lying before us, leaving the home of our worthy friend, we started our journey. January the 22nd, I think, traveled all day through the deep snow, not being acquainted with the use of the snowshoes, we became very tired and exhausted, boots, pants and all our clothing became wet to the waist, while coming down Sardine Canyon. Brother Garr became quite exhausted and seemed determined to give up by lying down and dying, or freeze to death, which would of soon occurred had he been let alone, but my strength holding out better, when he would lie down, I would let him rest for a short time then I would rouse him and get him a little farther along. Then he would lie down again and would drop off to sleep in less than ten seconds. When I again would get after him, again get him on his feet travel for a little distance and down he would go. I had to labor with him in this way, pulling his arms, whipping his hands with sage brush, kicking his feet, till we reached the muddy (Little Bear) river, there we found some dry willows, made a fire, exhausted, hungry and cold, having only provisions enough for our dinner with us, and thawing our boots found that Brother Garr had frozen his feet quite badly. He took off his boots, we sat around this little fire all that long weary night without anything to eat or blanket to rap around us, in the morning Brother Garr found it impossible to get his boots on, and his feet so bad that it was impossible for him to travel. I was then forced to travel over the dreary plain from the river to the farm house to get some assistance for him, as we had left two families (with one of the Baker boys (Joseph) whose home is now in Mendon, Cache County) with some stock. I reached there about noon, found all well, with one old pony, when I set down, I found myself so exhausted, that I could scarcely talk, however I told them the situation of things, the condition of Brother Garr and that they would have to do something for him or he would die, I, leaving him gathered all the wood that I could, thinking it would be sufficient to last him till he could get some help.
Brother Joseph Baker, with an Indian to accompany him and the pony, started off for the snow bound man, finding him all right but fast asleep, got him up and on the old pony, started for camp, one leading the other driving. Fortunately for them the snow was so crusted that it would hold them and the pony on its top, when they reached the sight of the camp, it produced a sight that shall never be forgotten. When I passed myself through a close examination I found that my feet were badly frosted, it was fortunate that I left my boots on at our river camp, or I never could have reached the Church camp. Thus through the blessing of the Lord our lives were preserved. We remained at this place till April 1857, then going back to assist in gathering the stock. There being so many dead; there was not much labor in this direction, however we gathered all that could be found and drove them back to the ranch in Cache Valley. I spent the summer tending stock and other labor which needed to be done. This consisted of driving beef from the ranch to Salt lake City, and other stock back to the ranch and breaking horses to ride, and to the harness."
By April 1st they had used all their flour and bacon, and their cattle were too poor for beef, but fortunately, at that time the prairie chickens came in flocks to their corral to roost, and by getting up early in the morning they could shoot all they needed before breakfast. Having one bushel of seed wheat and a half bushel of seed peas, they had all the pea soup they cared for. So they were living well when relief came in the spring.
Joseph's father was next called to help colonize Carson Valley, Nevada, and Joseph accompanied him. Simon left the Carson Valley farm in Joseph's charge while he returned to Salt Lake City. Then, on June 12th, 1857, when his father had come back to Carson Valley, Joseph set out with him on a trip to California to find his brother Jarvis, who went there in 1850. They found him and brought him back with them to Carson.
In the latter part of July they started for Salt Lake City, the mission, having been abandoned because of Johnson's Army invasion of Utah. They were twenty-six days making the trip to Salt Lake City, having found and buried a number of emigrants killed by Indians. In the fall of 1857 Joseph went to Cache Valley with part of his father's stock to winter, while his brothers took care of those on the Jordan ranch.
In the spring of 1858 his father and brother, George W., came and helped to move the stock to Salt Lake City, and then on south to Provo bottoms, where they remained until the treaty of peace was concluded, June 12
On 10 July 1859 Joseph was married to Lucy Amelia Pack by Brigham Young. They resided in Salt Lake City until the following spring, when they moved to South Bountiful, living there until 1861, when they moved to Mendon.
Joseph joined his brothers, Amenzo W., Albert M. and George W., who had settled there the preceding year. They divided their land with him, which gave them fifteen acres each. Afterwards they bought thirty acres more and divided it equally between the four Baker brothers. At this time the Indians were very hostile, stealing their horses and cattle. Joseph's time was mostly taken up with guard duty, or chasing Indians that had stolen their stock. Being a minute man, he was on duty most of the time for three years, until General Connor came up from Camp Douglas with a detachment of soldiers and killed about three-hundred Indians, thus ending their problem.
In the spring of 1864 the people moved out of their log fort onto their town lots, Joseph building first a log house on his city lot and two years later a stone house, completed in 1867. This was the first stone house completed in Mendon, and it has been continuously occupied for ninety-seven years. (1964)
Joseph and his wife Lucy Amelia and family enjoyed a happy life there for about six years, when they lost by death their youngest son, Ward Eaton, 10 August 1873. Joseph's wife seemed heart-broken and was sick from that time until she gave premature birth to another son. He was born 10 April 1874, and died two hours after birth. She died six days later, 16 April 1874, leaving a family of eight children. Joseph said of this sad occurrence, I felt that I would die with grief. But God tempers the breeze to the shorn lamb, and I saw in a dream the woman that was to take her place, although she was in Wales at that time. I knew her when I first saw her, (Mary Alice Morgan) and on 26 July 1875 she became my wife.
As his boys grew old enough, Joseph turned the farming over to them. He had a thirty-eight acre farm north of Mendon which the boys ran for their father. Later he sold it to (his sons) Tom, Marvin and William. The Mendon home was turned over to Tom and Will. Also, after his wife, Mary's death, his son, William and his wife, Fern, and family moved in to help care for him. As he grew older he lost his hearing somewhat and was confined to a wheel chair most of the time.
Joseph Baker shared all of the hardships that were necessary in building up this section of the West. He was the last of the pioneers of 1847 living in Cache Valley. He was honored at the Jubilee Celebration that was held in Salt Lake City, 24 July 1897. He was invited to the Diamond Jubilee, 24 July 1922, but could not attend because of illness. He passed away 25 October 1925 at his home in Mendon. He was buried in Mendon at the age of eighty-six years, seven months, and ten days. His posterity in 1963 numbered 514.