Lewis Baker (November 11, 1832 – April 30, 1899) was the Democratic President of the West Virginia Senate from Ohio County and served from 1871 to 1872. Lewis Baker was born in

Belmont County, Ohio Belmont County is a County (United States), county located in the eastern end of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 66,497. Its county seat is St. Clairsville, Ohio, St. Clairsville, while its larges ...

, in 1832. In the 1850 US Federal Census, he is listed as an apprentice printer in Perry Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He was admitted to practice law in Ohio. He declined the Democratic Party nomination to congress in his twenty fifth year. Just before the 1860 census, he married Ruth Amanda Fordyce, daughter of John Fordyce and Ruth Greg. Ruth was born August 12, 1842, in Ohio. In 1860, Lewis and Ruth were living in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

in Guernsey County, Ohio. Lewis' occupation was listed as editor and publisher. By 1870, Lewis and Ruth were living in Ohio County, West Virginia with their children John, Mary, Harry, Anna, and Jennie. Harry was born in West Virginia in 1865, dating the family's move. Lewis' occupation was listed as journalist. On June 20, 1863,

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

became the 35th state in the Union. The Wheeling Custom House served as the first state house. Lewis Baker served as a state senator from 1871 to 1872. He was elected president of the Senate on January 17, 1871. On February 1, 1885, Lewis purchased the '' St. Paul Globe'' and moved his family to Minnesota. In 1893 Baker was appointed the United States Minister to

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

and

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

. He sailed from New York aboard the ship ''Costa Rico'' on April 29, 1893, with his daughters Anne and Virginia. They arrived in

Managua Managua () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the List of largest cities in Central America, largest cities in Central America. Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1, ...

on May 12, 1893, in the midst of a revolution. Baker died in 1899 of anemia"Lewis Baker is Dead", ''Racine Daily Journal'', Monday, May 01, 1899, Racine, Wisconsin, United States Of America and was buried with his wife in Greenwood Cemetery in

Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling is a city in Ohio County, West Virginia, Ohio and Marshall County, West Virginia, Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The county seat of Ohio County, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mo ...

References

--------------- * * * * , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Lewis 1832 births 1899 deaths Ambassadors of the United States to Costa Rica Ambassadors of the United States to El Salvador Ambassadors of the United States to Nicaragua 19th-century American diplomats Burials at Greenwood Cemetery (Wheeling, West Virginia) Journalists from West Virginia People from Ohio County, West Virginia People from Tuscarawas County, Ohio Presidents of the West Virginia Senate Democratic Party West Virginia state senators Ohio lawyers 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) People from Belmont County, Ohio 19th-century American journalists American male journalists 19th-century American male writers Journalists from Ohio People from Cambridge, Ohio 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the West Virginia Legislature