Floyd Perry Baker
Born: Fort Ann, Washington County, New York, November 16, 1820. Married: Eliza F. Wilson, in Amsterdam, New York, on February 14, 1844; they had one son. She died in Racine, Racine County, Wisconsin, on June 3, 1849. Married: Orinda Searle, Racine, Racine County, Wisconsin, on March 7, 1850. Appointed first secretary of the Kansas State Historical Society, December 13, 1875. Died: Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas, May 27, 1909.
Floyd Perry Baker was born to Reuben and Lois (Baxter) Baker in Fort Ann, Washington County, New York, on November 16, 1820, one of 11 children. He went to live on a neighboring farm as work hand and attended limited school about three months per year. He followed his father’s path at the age of 18, becoming a schoolteacher.
He spent six months as schoolmaster in Hamburg, Erie County, New York. He moved to Hillsdale, Michigan, in 1839, establishing a blacksmith shop, along with farming, and school teaching. The following year he returned to live in Troy, New York, and became agent of packet boats on the Champlain canal, overseeing freight ships, with a wintertime overland stage from New York to Montreal, Canada, in 1840.
Baker married Eliza F. Wilson in Amsterdam, New York, on February 14, 1844. Their only child, Floyd P. Baker, Jr., was born Troy, Rensselaer County, New York, on July 10, 1847. Floyd was hired to oversee protection of two miles of the Hudson Railroad. That contract, which spanned 1847 to 1848, failed, destroying Baker’s reputation and leaving him bankrupt. It would be the first of several partnerships to end abruptly, bitterly, and with questions that spurred Baker’s quick departure. The Bakers soon moved to Racine, Wisconsin, to begin again. He studied law in 1848, was admitted to the Wisconsin bar, and worked as an insurance agent. Eliza (Wilson) Baker died in Racine on June 3, 1849. The circumstance surrounding her death were questioned by Baker’s detractors.
Baker's second marriage was to Orinda Searle in Racine, Racine County, Wisconsin, on March 7, 1850. With his new wife and young son, Baker eyed new prospects on the West Coast. They traveled by steamship south to Louisiana on the Mississippi River. When they arrived in New Orleans, Floyd Baker, Jr. died on June 5, 1853. Their journey continued via the Panama Canal to San Francisco, California, and traveled by sea to the Sandwich Islands, present-day Hawaii, arriving later in June. He was hired as attorney and clerk of the district court for King Kamehameha III in Hilo on the Big Island. One of the Bakers’ sons was born on the island during their three-year stay.
The Bakers returned to Racine, Wisconsin, but stayed only briefly. Andrew County, Missouri, was the family’s next destination, arriving to pursue farming and land speculation in 1855. They took advantage of new land opportunities across the border, moving to Nemaha County, Kansas Territory, in 1860. There Baker resumed work in education and was appointed superintendent of county schools. In the 1860 election he was chosen to serve Marshall, Nemaha, and Washington counties in the Kansas house. He served one term. Soon after he was appointed postmaster in Centralia, Nemaha County, Kansas.
Baker was chosen chairman at the organization meeting of the Kansas State Agriculture Society, held in Topeka, in 1862. He purchased the Kansas State Record with a partner in Topeka in 1863. His first message to readers being, “I shall give my view of State and National affairs, and at all times speak out boldly and freely on all questions that agitate the community.” His form of agitation caused dissension with other editors of his day. Baker continued ownership in the newspaper until 1871, when he sold his newspaper interest. The Bakers announced a move to Denison, Texas, where he launched the Denison Journal. Baker also served as postmaster. A partnership with local businessmen introduced a newspaper lottery game, which drew much criticism. The Bakers returned to Topeka in spring 1875 and he purchased the Topeka Commonwealth.
A member of the Kansas Editors’ and Publisher’s Association, Baker was one of several at the state conference in 1875 who were appointed to an organizational committee to form a state historical society. The committee met in Topeka in December that year to establish the Kansas State Historical Society, Baker was selected its first secretary. He resigned from those duties the following February to return to his other business interests. Baker introduced a lottery game in his Commonwealth, similar to the one he had attempted in Denison. His detractors soon claimed the franchise to be fraudulent.
President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed Baker as Additional U.S. Commissioner at the 1878 Paris Universal Exposition. He was there for the opening ceremonies and presented a vision of U.S. forestry to the world. Newspaper editors could be contentious, a few found themselves in outright combat. Such was the case between editors of the Topeka Daily Capital and the Topeka Commonwealth. When Joseph Kosciusko Hudson of the Capital challenged Baker in a duel, in 1883, Baker accepted. Early opposition began over prohibition with Hudson opposing and Baker supporting; disagreements escalated over the years. Colleagues requested interference from Governor George Glick, who refused to intervene in the conflict. Given the choice of weapons, Baker opted for navy revolvers, 30 paces, at 3 p.m. the following day opposite the Topeka waterworks. The two men missed their targets with the first bullet, but one bullet severed the tail of referee Sam Radges’ dog. Realizing the somber state of this conflict, their anger subsided. “We have been old friends too long to permit any differences to cause us to seek each other’s life, Floyd. I’m glad I didn’t hit you,” Hudson said. “I’m glad my aim wasn’t better, Joe,” Baker said.
Continuing his involvement with the Historical Society's board of directors, Baker served as president from 1883 to 1884. In his roles with the Kansas editorial association and as president of the Society, he asked for members to fight a legislative initiative that would have threatened the Society. At the time legislators were questioning redundancy in services with the Society and the State Library. That overlap was later resolved to provide more clear definitions for each of the agency services. Baker was active in many community and fraternal societies, becoming a grand master of the Order of the Odd Fellows, and a member of Freemasonry. Baker died in Topeka on May 27, 1909. In his death he was lauded by Kansas newspaper organizations for his years of contributions to the industry.
Entry: Baker, Floyd Perry
Author: Kansas Historical Society
Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.
Date Created: February 2025
Date Modified: August 2025
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.
