Caldwell County MO Archives History .....ANDREW BAKER - PIONEER PREACHER OF NEW YORK TOWNSHIP 1860 
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Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 1, 2008, 4:50 pm

ANDREW BAKER - PIONEER PREACHER OF NEW YORK TOWNSHIP 1860
	Narrator:  Mrs. Caroline Williamson, 84, Breckenridge, Missouri

     Mrs. Williamson is a grand daughter of Elder Andrew Baker and Nancy 
Bryant.  Rev. Baker was born in Washington County Virginia 1797 and died about 
forty years ago.  He was an outstanding character in the church history of 
Caldwell county.  His grandfather Andrew Baker was a farmer-preacher in 
Virginia and was a chaplain in the Revolutionary war.  He himself followed in 
his grandfather's steps and was ordained a Baptist Elder at Versailles Indiana 
in which State he and his young wife had moved as pioneers in 1828.  In 1860 
he moved to Caldwell county in what is now New York Township and acquired a 
farm of 400 acres.  While a splendid farmer in reducing the unimproved lands 
to fertility, he never forgot his church and the ministry.
     He busied himself in arousing an interest in the Missionary Baptist 
church in his community.  For some years they had held occasional services in 
homes before he came on the scene.  Finally he organized the Hopewell Church; 
its organization dates from November 10 1866; and he and his wife Diana, his 
son Thomas and wife, his grand daughter Caroline (later Williamson), Sarah 
Cox, and Elizabeth Puckett were some of the constituent members.  He preached 
there till he died.  He gave liberally to the church building erected 1867 and 
besides gave $1000 to be loaned at 6% to be used in paying a preacher's 
salary.  This fund still is being used for this purpose.
     When the Hamilton Baptist church was being organized in May 1868 at the 
home of Elder Bennett Whitely we find Elder Andrew Baker there to help in the 
organization as a messenger from the "Baptist church on Shoal near the mouth 
of Crab apple Creek" which was an early designation for his church.
     By his first wife, Elder Baker had ten children.  After her death 1861 he 
married Diana Bateman and had two daughters Mrs. Hattie Young and Mrs. Grace --
- who was a milliner here in Hamilton in the nineties.  Grace Baker his 
youngest child was much younger than his grand daughter, Mrs. Caroline 
Williamson the narrator aged 84.  Rev. Baker is buried in the Hopewell 
Cemetery.
     Interviewed  September 1933.


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