Jesse Matlack Baker (March 1, 1854 - July 30, 1913) was an American politician from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

who served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for Delaware County from 1889 to 1892 and the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 9th district from 1893 to 1897.

Early life and education

Baker was born in

Parkesburg, Pennsylvania Parkesburg is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was counted as 3,866 at the 2020 census. The ZIP code is 19365. History Parkesburg was first known as the Fountain Inn, a tavern built ca. 1734. The inn ceas ...

to Jesse and Phebe (Bishop) Matlack. He attended public schools and entered the Pennsylvania Military Academy in

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester i ...

. In 1871, he became a cadet at

West Point Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

and was honorably discharged in 1873. He studied law under V. Gilpin Robinson and was accepted to the Delaware County bar in 1881.

Military career

Baker served as Captain of Company H, 6th regiment,

Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 pe ...

from 1877 to 1898. He was a Major in the U.S. Army and served in the

Spanish American War Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

in 1898.

Political career

Baker served as district attorney for Delaware County from 1882 to 1888. He was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for Delaware County and served from 1888 to 1892. Baker was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 9th district in 1892. He served as chairman of the Military Committee and as a member of Elections, Corporations, Judiciary General and Special, Insurance, Mines and Mining and Legislative Apportionment.

Personal life

Baker died at his home in

Media, Pennsylvania Media is a borough in and the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It is located about west of Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation with 1.6 million residents as 2020. It is part of the Delaware Valley metropolita ...

on July 30, 1913 after a bout of

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanied ...

. He is interred at the

Media Cemetery Media Cemetery is a historic cemetery established in 1857 in Upper Providence Township, Pennsylvania. It is located at 40 Kirk Lane and is 21 acres in size. In 1928, the cemetery merged with the adjacent West Media Cemetery and became a non-profi ...

in Upper Providence Township, Pennsylvania.

References

External links

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Jesse Matlack 1854 births 1913 deaths 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American politicians American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Burials at Media Cemetery County district attorneys in Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania lawyers Pennsylvania National Guard personnel Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators Politicians from Chester County, Pennsylvania United States Army officers United States Military Academy alumni Widener University alumni