William Benjamin Baker

William Benjamin Baker
Born	Template:Birth date near Aberdeen, Maryland, U.S.
Died	May 17, 1911(1911-05-17) (aged 70) Aberdeen, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Politician, businessman
Years active	1872–1911
Known for	Pioneer of rural mail delivery in America; U.S. Representative for Maryland's 2nd district (1895–1901)

William Benjamin Baker (July 22, 1840 – May 17, 1911) served as a U.S. Representative for Maryland's second Congressional district from 1895 until 1901. He is widely acknowledged as the pioneer of rural mail delivery in America.

Early life

William was born close to Aberdeen, Maryland, to parents Elizabeth (née Greenland) and George W. Baker, and was one among fifteen siblings. His father managed a canning enterprise in Aberdeen. Baker received education through public schools supplemented by private lessons and lived on the family estate until he was 32 years old. His family included prominent political figures such as his nephew Frank E. Baker, who served as a state delegate, and his uncle John H. Baker, a preacher and state delegate.

Career

In 1872, William Baker partnered with his brother Charles W. to open a canning factory in Aberdeen, which they operated until it was destroyed by fire in 1876. Subsequently, he founded another cannery on an Aberdeen farm and established a separate facility in Odessa, Delaware. He played a vital role in founding the First National Bank of Aberdeen, serving as its inaugural president from 1891 to 1911, and also held leadership at the Harford County Telephone Company. Additionally, he contributed to the establishment and management of the First National Bank of Havre de Grace.

Baker participated as a delegate in multiple state and congressional conventions. Although he was unsuccessful in his 1875 campaign for the Maryland House of Delegates, he secured election in 1881 but was defeated when seeking re-election in 1883. He narrowly missed winning a Maryland Senate seat in 1889 but eventually won election to the Senate in 1893, serving from 1894 through 1895.

A member of the Republican Party, Baker represented Maryland’s Second Congressional District—which encompassed Harford, Baltimore, and Carroll Counties—in the Fifty-fourth through Fifty-sixth Congress sessions from 1895 to 1901.

He is credited with initiating rural mail delivery services nationwide. Despite opposition concerning the appointment of rural merchants as postmasters, Baker advocated for and established the first rural mail route in Carroll County, setting a precedent for national implementation.

Choosing not to run again in 1900, he returned to focus on his canning enterprises. In 1905, Baker regained a seat in the Maryland Senate and served until 1908 but lost re-election in 1909. He attempted a Congressional comeback in 1910 but was defeated by Joshua Frederick Cockey Talbott.

Personal life

Baker married Olivia Wells from Aberdeen in 1868; she passed away after sixteen months of marriage. In 1872, he wed Mary C. Hollis of Bush Chapel, with whom he had three children: Jessie M., Nettie F. (later Mrs. Phineas Morris), and Hollis R. Baker.

Revered as "the Grand Old Man of Harford" due to his extensive political involvement, Baker suffered a stroke in March 1911. After experiencing a fall days before, he died on May 17, 1911, in Aberdeen and was laid to rest in the family cemetery there.

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