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Phillip Baker II

Contributed By Dan C. Baker · Mar 14, 2013, 2:55 PM · 0 Comments

Phillip Baker was born Oct. 11, 1821, in Edding Greene, East Durham [Dereham], Norfolk, England. He and his mother Ann Bone joined the Mormon Church and he was baptized on Christmas day of 1848 or 1849. His father was very unhappy about his conversion and expelled him from his home. Phillip was 27 or 28 years of age at this time. Family tradition has it that Phillip's sister Ann was very unhappy over the way her father was treating Phillip. She went outside and sat on the cold ground even though she was not feeling well. She caught a cold and died from this exposure. they thought she had "consumption." However, according to the family group record, she died in 1840, which was quite a while before Phillip was baptized, so there is a discrepancy there. Phillip emigrated to America in 1851, sailing on the old-time sailing vessel named GolcondaBthe same ship on which his future bride would come over two years later. He landed at New Orleans, then traveled up the river to St. Louis, and from there traveled overland to Council Bluffs. He was taken on by Orson Pratt to drive his team across the plains. After arriving in Utah, Phillip stayed one month in Salt Lake City and then went on to California. He helped to plant and raise the first wheat crop in the San Bernardino Valley. He also lived for a time in Bakersfield, California, which town was evidently named after him. While in California, he panned a bag of gold worth $500. * * * * * * * * * Phillip returned to Utah in 1857 or 58, and settled in Beaver, where he met and married the pretty Harriet Ann Phillipo Thompson. Phillip was 23 years older than Harriet Ann! They were later sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City by Amasa Lyman. Phillip was ordained a High Priest in 1873 and was set apart as a counselor to Bishop Shepherd in Beaver, which position he held until the Beaver Stake was reorganized, at which time he was ordained a High Councilman under the hands of Apostle Erastus Snow. * * * * * * * * * Phillip Baker was an Indian War Veteran, and he became very friendly with some of the Indians in the Beaver area. On one occasion, he helped with the burial of an Indian. They went up east of Beaver on a hillside, dug the grave, wrapped the Indian in his blanket and placed his gun and his belongings in with him. Phillip would often loan his horse and saddle to the Indians, and he also often fed them. They would come to his house and ask for "Baker." Phillip was a good farmer in Beaver. He had fine horses, many cows, pigs, chickens, and he raised all of his own hay, grain, and potatoes. In 1851, he hauled poles from a canyon for building purposes, and it came to be called Baker Canyon, after him. Phillip passed away at the age of 79, leaving Harriet Ann with eight children. Typed by Edith Baker, Mar. 1990 Sources: 1) History of Phillip Baker by Zelnora Nielson, a daughter of Phillip and Harriet Baker. 2) History written by Harriet Marintha Pendleton in May, 1942. Typed by Johanna Baker in 1961. 3) Letter obtained by Marintha Pendleton from the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Nov. 1959. It is a letter written by Phillip Baker prior to his departure from Council Bluffs to Salt Lake Valley. 4) History written by a sister of Marintha Edwards Pendleton.