James Heaton Baker was a man of remarkable service to both his state and his country. Born on May 6, 1829, in Monroe, Ohio, Baker came from a proud lineage—both of his grandfathers had fought in the Revolutionary War. A newspaperman by trade and a statesman by calling, he made his mark early as editor, orator, and public servant.

In 1857, Baker moved west to the young frontier town of Mankato, Minnesota, only five years after its founding. His keen intellect and sense of duty led him into public life, and he served as Minnesota’s Secretary of State from 1859 to 1861. When the Civil War began, he left political office to take up arms in defense of the Union.

Baker commanded the 10th Minnesota Infantry and served under General Henry Sibley during the Dakota Uprising of 1862. He was present at the execution of the 38 Dakota men in Mankato, an event that remains one of the most significant and somber moments in Minnesota history. Later in the war, Baker served under General Schofield in St. Louis, Missouri, and was brevetted Brigadier General on March 13, 1865, for faithful and meritorious service.

After the war, Baker continued to serve the nation in civilian roles, including United States Commissioner of Pensions (1871–1875) and U.S. Surveyor General for Minnesota (1875–1879). He returned to Mankato and, in 1879, purchased and merged two local newspapers to form the Mankato Free Press, which continues publication today.

Baker also authored The Lives of the Governors of Minnesota from 1858 to 1905, chronicling the lives of every governor he had personally known. His contributions to both Minnesota’s civil and political history endure more than a century later.

Obituary

From the Mankato Free Press, May 1913

Gen. James H. Baker Dies at Age of 84

General James H. Baker, one of Mankato’s most distinguished citizens, passed away on May 25, 1913, at the age of 84. Born in Monroe, Ohio, on May 6, 1829, General Baker’s life was one of service and distinction.

Coming to Minnesota in 1857, he soon took an active role in public affairs and was elected Secretary of State of Minnesota. When the Civil War broke out, he relinquished his office to enlist, serving as Colonel of the 10th Minnesota Infantry. He participated in the campaigns of the Dakota Uprising under General Sibley and later served under General Schofield in St. Louis. For his faithful and meritorious service, he was brevetted Brigadier General in 1865.

After the war, he was appointed United States Commissioner of Pensions and later Surveyor General of Minnesota. He was well known as a man of intellect and public spirit, serving also as editor and proprietor of the Mankato Free Press.

General Baker was twice married. His first wife, Rose Lucia Thurston, whom he wed in 1851, preceded him in death in 1873. In 1879 he married Zula Bartlett, a respected educator and descendant of Josiah Bartlett, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Together they resided at their home near what is now Baker Park in Mankato.

General Baker’s funeral was held in Mankato, and he was laid to rest in Glenwood Cemetery, beneath the monument he himself designed in 1905—a graceful sarcophagus-style stone that endures as a tribute to his long and honorable life.