William P. Baken Biography This biography appears on pages 972-975 in "History of Dakota Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm WILLIAM P. BAKEN. With scarcely an exception the county officials of Pennington county have been men of ability who have discharged their official duties efficiently and William P. Baken, the present sheriff of the county, is an excellent man for the place, fearless, capable and conscientious. He was born in Rossie, New York, on the 2d of May, 1868, and his parents were William P. and Catherine (McGreery) Baken, also natives of that state. Upon reaching years of maturity the father followed the trade of a carpenter and builder. He held a number of local offices in the Empire state and in 1872 removed to Park City. Utah, whence in 1889 he came to Hill City, Dakota. In the latter place he engaged in mining until his death, which occurred in 1892 when he was sixty-two years of age. His father, Alanson Baken, was also born in New York, although his father was a native of England, whence he emigrated to America previous to the Revolutionary war. Our subject's maternal grandfather, Hugh McGreery, was a native of Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. William P. Baken, Sr., were the parents of seven children, of whom two survive. Their son William P. is the third in order of birth. He attended successively the grammar and high schools of Salt Lake City and then worked in mines in Utah on the engineer's staff until 1886, in which year he removed to Idaho, where he was employed as a mining engineer until 1890, when he arrived in the Black Hills. He served as engineer at the tin mines of Hill City until 1893, when he removed to Keystone, where he held the position of engineer of mines for three years. For the next three years he was engaged in the drug business and in 1900 was elected clerk of court of Pennington county for two years. He resumed the drug business on the expiration of his term and was a member of the Baken-Davis Drug Company in Keystone until 1906, when he sold his share in the business. He was subsequently appointed game warden and deputy sheriff and in 1912 his excellent record in this connection was instrumental in winning him the election to the office of sheriff. In 1914 he was reelected to that position and is now serving his second term. He has proved very efficient in controlling the lawless element that is found in every community, and his record has gained him the approval of all good citizens. On the 8th of January, 1906, Mr. Baken was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Oswald, a daughter of Charles and Augusta (Long) Oswald, of Rapid City. Mr. Baken is a Mason, an Elk and a Knight of Pythias. He enjoys shooting and fishing and spends not a little of his leisure time in that way. He still owns property in Keystone and is well-to-do. He has the respect of his fellow townsmen and his admirable traits of character have won him many warm personal friends.