Nathaniel B. Baker | |
|---|---|
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| 24th Governor of New Hampshire | |
| In office June 8, 1854 – June 7, 1855 | |
| Preceded by | Noah Martin |
| Succeeded by | Ralph Metcalf |
| Adjutant General of theIowa Militia | |
| In office January 25, 1861 – September 11, 1876 | |
| Preceded by | Jesse Bowen |
| Succeeded by | John H. Looby |
| Member of theIowa House of Representatives | |
| In office January 9, 1860 – January 12, 1862 Serving with George Washington Parker | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin F. Gue, Robert M. Scott,John W. Thompson |
| Succeeded by | John Meyer |
| Constituency | 28th district |
| Speaker of theNew Hampshire House of Representatives | |
| In office June 5, 1850 – June 1, 1852 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel H. Ayer |
| Succeeded by | George W. Kittredge |
| Member of theNew Hampshire House of Representatives | |
| In office June 5, 1850 – June 1, 1852 Serving with Ebenezer Symmmes (1850) | |
| Preceded by | George F. Sanborn |
| Succeeded by | Nathaniel White |
| Constituency | Concord |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1818-09-29)September 29, 1818 Henniker, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Died | September 11, 1876(1876-09-11) (aged 57) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Profession | Attorney Newspaper publisher Militia officer |
Nathaniel Bradley Baker (September 29, 1818 – September 11, 1876) was an American politician and military leader who served as the 24thgovernor of New Hampshire andAdjutant General of theIowa Militia.
Nathaniel B. Baker was born inHenniker, New Hampshire, on September 29, 1818, and raised inWest Concord. Nathaniel Baker graduated fromPhillips Exeter Academy in 1834 andHarvard University. He then studied law underFranklin Pierce,Asa Fowler andCharles H. Peaslee and passed the bar in 1842.[1]
Baker was a co-owner of aDemocratic newspaper, theNew Hampshire Patriot. Originally a Democrat, he served as Clerk of theMerrimack County Court of Common Pleas in 1845. The following year he became Merrimack County Clerk.[2]
Baker was also active in the New Hampshire Militia, serving as Quartermaster and later Adjutant of the 11thRegiment. He subsequently served asAide-de-Camp to GovernorJohn H. Steele with the rank ofcolonel.[3]
In 1851, Baker assumed the position of Chief Fire Engineer for Concord's Fire Department.[4] He also served in theNew Hampshire House of Representatives from 1850 to 1852, and was electedSpeaker of the House.[5] In 1852 he was aPresidential Elector, and cast his ballot for Franklin Pierce andWilliam R. King.[6]
From 1854 to 1859 Baker was a trustee ofNorwich University, and he received anhonoraryMaster of Arts degree from Norwich in 1855.[7][8]
In 1854 he was elected governor and served a single one-year term, June 6, 1854, to June 7, 1855.[9] During his term the legislature failed to pass resolutions condemning theMissouri Compromise and theKansas–Nebraska Act, evidence that New Hampshire was trending away from the Democratic Pierce and Baker and becoming increasinglyantislavery.[10] (In fact, after Baker left office, Republicans controlled the governorship for most of the next 100 years.) He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1855.[11]
After Baker's term as governor, he moved toClinton, Iowa, where he continued to practice law.[12] He was elected to theIowa House of Representatives in 1859 as a Democrat.[13] His increasingly antislavery views later caused him to join theRepublican Party.[14]
Baker's work as chairman of the Iowa House's Military Affairs Committee at the start of theAmerican Civil War led to his appointment as adjutant general of the Iowa Militia, and he served until his death.[15][16] By now a resident ofDes Moines, during the war he was praised for his efforts to recruit, equip and train soldiers for front line regiments, and to keep track of their service records, including enlistments, promotions, wounds, deaths, and discharges.[17] In addition, at the end of the war, Baker was credited with acquiring from returning Iowa units capturedConfederate regimental flags and other memorabilia, and arranging to have it preserved.[18][19]
_at_Woodland_Cemetery%2c_Des_Moines.jpg)
In 1874 Baker took part in an effort to combat a massive grasshopper infestation in Northwestern Iowa, exposing himself out of doors in harsh weather including sleet, snow and high winds.[20] His health began to decline as a result, and Baker died in Des Moines on September 11, 1876.[21] He was buried atWoodland Cemetery in Des Moines.[22]
"Baker, Nathaniel Bradley".The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. 1906. pp. 192–193.| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of New Hampshire 1854, 1855 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of New Hampshire 1854–1855 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
