Captain J. Baker
Captain J. Baker, master of the schooner York State, has had an experience of over a quarter of a century on the Great Lakes. He has sailed to all lake ports, and during his extended service he has ever been a careful and efficient sailor.
Captain Baker was born in Denmark, in 1853, the son of E. and Jane Baker. The father was a sailmaker and remained in the home of his nativity through life. When but a boy the Captain came to America, and landed at New York. In 1867, when only fourteen years old, he went before the mast, and in 1872 came to Chicago, and for the past twenty-five years has been sailing on the Great Lakes. He first went aboard the schooner Topsy before the mast, and within three weeks was appointed first mate. He remained with her three years, and then went on the Francis Palm, of Detroit, as mate. After serving on various other boats in the same capacity, he sailed the schooner Charles Luling, and remained her master for five years. Then for three years he sailed the schooner Richard, after which came the schooner Mediator. From that vessel Captain Baker took command of the schooner York State, which he has since sailed. He owns an interest in several vessels, and is regarded as one of the careful and promising practical men of the lakes.
He was married at Chicago, in 1878, to Miss Johanna Platt, a native of Hanover, Germany. Three children have been born to Captain and Mrs. Baker: Nancy, Emma and Eddie.
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Volume I
This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.
Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.
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