David Jewett Baker Jr. (November 20, 1834 – March 13, 1899), the son of David J. Baker, was a justice of the

Supreme Court of Illinois The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the State of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five ...

. Born in

Kaskaskia, Illinois Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois. Having been inhabited by indigenous peoples, it was settled by France as part of the Illinois Country. It was named for the Kaskaskia people. Its population peaked at about 7,000 in the 18th ...

, Baker received his bachelor's degree from Shurtleff College in 1856. Baker was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1856 and moved to

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( ) is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County. The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built here in 1862 by Union General Ulysse ...

to practice law. Baker served as city attorney and then as mayor of Cairo, Illinois in 1864 and 1865. From 1868 to 1878, Baker served as an Illinois state court judge. In 1878 and 1879 and from 1888 to 1893, Baker served on the

Illinois Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the State of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five ...

and was chief justice. Baker died suddenly in his law office. In 1895 Justice Baker issued the decision in ''Zirngibl et al. v. Calumet & C. Canal & Dock Co. et al.'' that allowed the grave of Andreas von Zirngibl, located on the property of the dock company, to remain intact; the grave is now surrounded by an operating scrap yard.Matt Hucke and Ursula Bielski, ''Graveyards of Chicago'', 2013

Notes

1834 births 1899 deaths People from Cairo, Illinois People from Kaskaskia, Illinois Shurtleff College alumni Mayors of places in Illinois Illinois state court judges Illinois lawyers Chief Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court Illinois Republicans 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers Justices of the Illinois Supreme Court {{US-state-judge-stub