Murray Morrison Baker (1872–1964) was the first executive vice president of

Holt Manufacturing Company The Holt Manufacturing Company began with the 1883 founding of Stockton Wheel Service in Stockton, California, United States. Benjamin Holt, later credited with patenting the first workable crawler ("caterpillar") tractor design, incorporated ...

that became

Caterpillar Tractor Company Caterpillar Inc., also known as Cat, is an American construction, mining and other engineering equipment manufacturer. The company is the world's largest manufacturer of construction equipment. In 2018, Caterpillar was ranked number 73 on the ' ...

Personal life

Baker owned a home at 1222 W. Moss in the West Bluff neighborhood of Peoria, Illinois. He married Mary Lyman of La Grange, Illinois in 1904; she died in 1957.

Career

Baker was a farm implements dealer. He worked with Deere and Co. in St. Louis in 1890. In 1908, the Colean Co., a steam-powered tractor firm went bankrupt and its plant went up for sale. Baker alerted Pliny Holt of Holt Manufacturing Company to the opportunity. Baker joined the Holt Manufacturing Company in 1909 and became vice president and general manager. Baker helped the company secure military contracts during World War I, which helped the company grow four-fold. In 1917, he was involved in building a seven-mile stretch of

Illinois Route 116 Illinois Route 116 (IL 116) is a cross-state rural state highway that runs from U.S. Route 34 (US 34) by Gladstone east to the intersection of US 45 (North Front Street) and Old US 45, on the north side of Ashkum. Route description Th ...

in East Peoria. During World War II, he advocated for a new bridge over the Illinois River between Peoria and East Peoria. Baker worked at Caterpillar until 1927. Baker also influenced R.G. LeTourneau to bring his business to Peoria in 1935, at the Avery Manufacturing Co. site on NE Adams Street which is present-day Komatsu plant. Baker served on the Caterpillar Board for over 40 years, from 1925 to 1957.

Philanthropy

Baker contributed funds to

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,200 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in fiv ...

, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Proctor Hospital, and Methodist Hospital.

Death

Baker died at the age of 92.

Legacy

The

Murray Baker Bridge The Murray Baker Bridge is a landmark cantilever bridge that carries Interstate 74 (I-74) and Illinois Route 29 (IL 29) over the Illinois River from downtown Peoria to East Peoria in central Illinois. According to the Illinois ...

, which carries

Interstate 74 Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange with I-75 in ...

over the

Illinois River The Illinois River () is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River at approximately in length. Located in the U.S. state of Illinois, the river has a drainage basin of . The Illinois River begins with the confluence of the Des Plaines ...

, was named for Baker in 1956. The bridge was dedicated on Dec. 12, 1958. Baker Hall, former home of the Foster College of Business Administration at

, was named for Baker and demolished in 2017.

References

1872 births 1964 deaths American chief executives of manufacturing companies Caterpillar Inc. people People from Peoria, Illinois Holt Manufacturing Company {{1870s-US-business-bio-stub