Conrad Baker Papers
S54, B1
1847, 1872
1 folder, 1 os. folder

Manuscript Section, Indiana Division
 Indiana State Library

Revisions and additions by: Barbara Hilderbrand, February 2007

Biographical Note:

Conrad Baker was born on 12 February 1817 in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He studied at Pennsylvania College, and read law in Gettysburg under Thaddeus Stevens and Judge Daniel M. Smyser; Baker was admitted to the bar in 1839. He relocated to Evansville in 1841 and began practicing law. In 1845, he was elected to serve a term in the Indiana General Assembly. In 1856, he ran for lieutenant governor on the Republic ticket with Oliver P. Morton. In 1861, Baker was commissioned Colonel in the 1st Cavalry, 28th Regiment of Indiana. In April of 1863 Baker received a telegram from the Secretary of War ordering him to report to Indianapolis. Upon arrival he was told that he would serve the remaining year of his commission as assistant provost-marshall-general, and that he would be responsible for establishing the provost-marshall-general bureau in Indiana. In 1864, Baker was elected lieutenant governor under Governor Oliver P. Morton. Baker became governor in 1867 when Morton was elected to the United States Senate. Baker was elected to his own term as governor in 1868. Baker was well-respected and many believed him to be an honest man. Conrad Baker died in 1885.

Sources:
”American Civil War Soldiers Record.” Ancestry Library. 29 Sept. 2005 <http://search.ancestrylibrary.com>.
”Benito Juarez.” Wikipedia. 5 Oct. 2005 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito Juarez>.

Memoirs of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana. Chicago: Goodspeed Brothers, 1893. 309-310.

Nowland, John H.B. Sketches of Prominent Citizens of 1876. Indianapolis: Tilford and Carlson, 1877. 228-230.

”Sequential List of Indiana Governors.” Indiana Historical Bureau. 29 Sept. 2005 <http://www.statelib.lib.in.us/www.ihb/govportraits/baker.html>.

Scope and Content Note:

This collection consists of a letter and memos written by Conrad Baker. The letter is from Baker to Matthew Harbinson regarding a disagreement that Harbinson was having over a piece of property with a man referred to in the letter as Mr. Hole.  In the letter Baker offers his legal services. In addition, this collection contains Baker’s writings about the admission of women to the bar in Indiana and two memos from Baker while he was serving as Governor of Indiana. The memos concern photographs that Baker was having deposited in the State Library of the late president of Mexico, Benito Juarez (d. 18 July 1872), and his successor, Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada.  The photos were sent to Governor Baker by Thomas H. Nelson, the U.S. minister to Mexico.

Item Listing:

1 folder.

1872, Oct. 22 Baker, Governor Conrad memos
undated Baker, Conrad writings on the admission of women to the bar in Indiana.


B1, Folder 1

1847, Aug. 8 Baker, Conrad to Matthew Harbinson

Collection Information:

Size of Collection:

1 folder, 1 oversized folder

Collection Dates:

1847, 1872

Provenance:

Mrs. Harry T. Watts, October 1948 and Mrs. Brant Steel, May 1965
Access: This collection is open for research.

Restrictions:

None

Reproduction Rights:

Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript Section, Indiana State Library.  Possession of a reproduction from an Indiana State Library collection does not constitute permission for use.
Language Materials are entirely in English

Alternate Formats:

None

Related Holdings:

 

Notes:

 

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