Three Forks of the Kentucky River Historical Association

Biography

Allen W. Baker

History of Kentucky
Judge Charles Kerr
Edited by William Elsey Connelley
From information Contributed by John Sandlin and Transcribed by Michelle Williams Cole

ALLEN WILSON BAKER was born in Clay County, Kentucky, on the 23rd of January 1864, and after having profited by the advantages of the rural schools he pursued a higher course of study in the academy at Burning Springs. He left school when nineteen years of age and thereafter studied law under the effective preceptor-ship of his father. He made substantial advancement in the assimilation of the science of jurisprudence, and was admitted to the Kentucky bar a few days after attaining to his legal majority. For one year thereafter he was engaged in practice at Hyden, Leslie county, and he then established himself in practice at Manchester, judicial center of his native county, where he remained until 1889, when, after the assassination of his elder brother in connection with the family feud (mentioned below), he determined to emancipate himself from the workings of the ancient enmity, and accordingly he removed in that year to the county seat of Jackson County, where he has since been established in the practice of his profession, with secure vantage ground as a resourceful trail lawyer and well fortified counselor. His practice has involved his appearance in many important contests in both the criminal and civic departments of law, and his reputation in his profession is founded on work successfully achieved by him. He owns his office building and residence property on Water Street, and is one of the progressive and public-spirited citizens of McKee. Mr. Baker is the owner of five farms in Jackson County, with a total area of 200 acres, and he has besides his home place another residence property in McKee.

He has been established in the successful practice of law at McKee, judicial center of Jackson County, since 1889, and is recognized as one of the able members of the bar of this section of his native state. His great-great grandfather (Renta Dan) John Baker, a native of North Carolina, became a pioneer settler in Owsley County, Kentucky, where he was a member of a substantial colony of North Carolina families who settled within the borders of the county at a time when it was practically a wilderness. As a resourceful farmer this sterling pioneer contributed his quota to the civic and industrial development and upbuilding of Owsley County, where he died at an extremely venerable age.

His son, Julius Bob Baker, a great grandfather of the subject of this sketch, passed his entire life in Owsley County, where he followed farm enterprise throughout his active career and where he stood exponent of loyal communal spirit. His son Boston, grandfather of him whose name initiates this review, was born in Owsley County in the year 1800, and as he was a representative of the third generation of the family in that county, the date of his birth indicates that the family name must have been associated with the earliest stages of development in that county. He continued his residence in his native county until about 1845, when he removed to Clay County, where he continued his activities as a farmer until the close of his life. He was a loyal soldier of the Union in the Civil war and lived less than a decade after its close, his death having occurred in the year 1874. His wife, whose maiden name was Sallie Rogers, was born and reared in Clay County and was a resident of Owsley County at the time of her death. Their son, George W., was born in Owsley County, in 1832, and died at Manchester, Clay County, in 1898, he having been killed in connection with a feud existing among the Baker, Howard and White families. His marriage to Rachel Strong was solemnized in Clay County, she having been born in Breathitt County, in 1837, and her death having occurred on the home farm in 1888. This farm, ten miles north of Manchester, continued to be the residence of George W. Baker until the death of his wife, in 1888, when he removed to Manchester, where he continued to be engaged in the practice of law until his tragic death. He was a man of strong mentality and had effectively equipped himself for the profession in the work of which he was engaged.

He served four terms as county attorney of Clay county, was a republican in politics, and had much of leadership in public sentiment and action in his community. Of his children the eldest, Thomas J., who was born in 1861, likewise became a victim of the family feud already mentioned, he having been killed in 1889 and having been at the time a prosperous farmer in Clay County; Allan W., of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; Anderson C. is a farmer in Laurel County; Wiley B. owns and conducts a general store in Clay county; Gardner is a farmer in that county; Iby, who resides at Berea, Madison County, is the widow of Christopher Jackson, who was a merchant at London, Laurel county, at the time of his death; Annie is the wife of George Hays, a farmer near McKee, Jackson County; D. H. is engaged in the practice of law at McKee; Abner, likewise a lawyer by profession, is engaged in practice at Fresno, California; Robert is a prosperous farmer in Jackson County; and Sallie, who resides in Clay county is the widow of Carlo L. White, who was a farmer and merchant in that county.

Mr. Baker has been a leader in the councils and campaign activities of the Democratic Party in Jackson County, and in the primaries of 1919 his name appeared as candidate for nomination to the office of attorney general of Kentucky, but though he made an excellent showing he failed to receive the nomination. He is a stockholder in the Owsley county Deposit Bank at Booneville, and in a fraternal way is affiliated with McKee Lodge No. 217, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was a vigilant and influential worker in furthering the success of the Jackson County drives in support of various Government loans and other war activities in connection with the World war, made liberal investments in bonds and contributed his quota to the support of Red Cross and Young Men’s Christian Association activities.

January 1, 1901, recorded the marriage of Mr. Baker to Miss Sylvania A. Bennett, who was born and reared in Jackson County, and who is a daughter of the late Robert and Sarah (Hamilton) Bennett, her father having been a substantial farmer near McKee. In conclusion is given brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Baker: Cleo K., who was born in the year 1903, was graduated in Berea college, in Madison County, and is, in 1921, a successful and popular teacher in the public schools of that county; Marion E., who was born in 1905, is a student in Berea College; and Sylvia, who was born July 11, 1909, is a student in the public schools at McKee.