From the Morgue: Southeast Missouri man becomes governor

Those of you familiar with Sam A. Baker State Park in Wayne County know it offers a variety of activities, such as fishing, swimming, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding and camping.

But did you know the park, established in 1926, was named for Missouri’s 36th governor: Samuel Aaron Baker? His inauguration a century ago — Jan. 12, 1925 — was widely covered by the Southeast Missourian. Not only was he the first governor of the state to hail from Southeast Missouri, but he also studied at the State Teachers College in Cape Girardeau. While living here as a student, he was an active member of First Presbyterian Church.

Several local residents attended the Jefferson City festivities 100 years ago, including Mr. and Mrs. Walter D. Black, former mayor H.H. Haas, college president Joseph A. Serena, former Southeast Missourian editor A.H. Hinchey and Missourian publishers Fred and George Naeter.

Walter Black, proprietor of the Idan-Ha Hotel, attended the ceremonies as a colonel on the new governor’s staff. As such, he appeared “in the splendor of the uniform of a state colonel. The uniform is dark blue with heavy gold striping on the arms of the coat and down the legs of the trousers. Heavy gold epaulets adorn the shoulders while gold braid encircles the cap, on the front of which is a bronze state insignia. A heavy saber is also carried.”

Here is a story about the inauguration, as well as an article detailing Baker’s connections to Southeast Missouri and Cape Girardeau.

Published Monday, Jan. 12, 1925, in the Southeast Missourian:

Baker overcame big obstacles, worked on section in boyhood

The steps that Sam A. Baker, just now taking up the duties of governor of Missouri, clambered up in his rise to success have been told before, but are worth of repetition because they show that if a man has in himself the will to do and to accomplish, he can fight his way to the top in spite of many obstacles.

The governor was born in Patterson, Wayne County, Missouri, a town of 150 inhabitants, 10 miles from a railroad. His father died before the son was born, and the mother had a bitter struggle to make both ends meet, being forced to teach school at DesArc, Missouri, at the same time that she was making a home for herself and her son.

Knows the meaning of manual labor

The boy Sam was the average youth of the day and place, as far as his pleasures were concerned. He dreamed in his boyhood of being a professional baseball player and even went so far as to attempt to get a try-out in league circles. Third base was his position, and he liked it well. He also was a wrestler of merit and participated in many matches and even into the days of his young manhood.

When Sam was going to country school in his early ‘teens, he would spend the winter cutting cordwood for his own place and for nearby farms. His mother had married again and the boy found the stepfather (Marvin P. Page) willing to take the place of the father who had died before Sam’s birth. The two became inseparable friends.

When young Baker was 15, after his 6-month term of school had closed, he obtained a steady job loading lumber. He got up at 4 o’clock in the morning and was at work by 6. He toiled 12 hours a day and received as remuneration exactly $1.25 in “punch-outs.” These “punch-outs” were given in lieu of money, were acceptable in trade at the local stores, and, as young Baker never went anywhere else, his “punch-outs” did him as much good as a $1 bill and a silver quarter would have done.

When the boy was 16, he went to work for the Iron Mountain Railroad as a section hand and got $1.10 daily, not as much as he received before but in regular money not “punch-outs”. He stayed at the job more than a year, and by some method saved $100 out of it. He decided to invest this in attending the State Teachers College at Cape Girardeau. He spent $10 of the money for a pocketbook and a trunk, and made the remaining $90 last him through 30 weeks of school.

Rose steadily as a teacher

He returned home with exactly 2 cents in his pocket, and had the relief of his life when the station agent greet him with the query: “Want a job?”

Young baker said he did and got it, again as a section hand for the railroad. Later he became a lumber grader (in the planing mill of Evans & Russell) for $1.25 a day. Out of the two jobs he saved $75, went back to Cape Girardeau and lived a year on the money. The summer was spent at the pleasant task of loading gravel at $3 a day, the fall found him back at Cape Girardeau once more and the following year saw him graduated and the proud possessor of an elementary teacher’s certificate.

That was the starting point of Sam Baker on a teaching career that was to last many years. His first position was in charge of a one-room county school – the Bethel School in Wayne County – and it paid him exactly $35 a month. From that point he rose to become superintendent of schools for the entire state of Missouri, achieving in the intervening years the rank of principal of the Joplin and Jefferson City high schools, superintendent of schools at Richmond, and, later, superintendent of schools at Jefferson City.

Mr. Baker was elected state superintendent of schools in 1918 and served four years. He was defeated for the office in 1922, the year of the Democratic landslide, but lost out by only 6,045 votes, whereas the low man on the Republican ticket was snowed under by an 82,934 majority.

Easily pleased at dinner time

Gov. and Mrs. Baker emphasize the fact that their family is just “an ordinary Missouri one,” and their tastes are not a whit different from those of thousands of other Missourians, whether they be mountaineers in the Ozarks or residents of Kansas City or St. Louis.

The new governor has no particular likes and dislikes at the dinner table, Mrs. Baker says. If there are two kinds of meat of which he is particularly fond, they might be said to be ham and chicken. His breakfast consists generally of toast and bacon – with perhaps an egg – and coffee. For lunch he takes a bowl of milk and crackers, never anything else. At night comes the real meal of the day, but Mr. Baker never expresses any preference as to what it shall include.

“Whatever I put before him he seems to like,” Mrs. Baker says. “He is the easiest man on earth to please in that way. I sometimes think he doesn’t even notice what it is.”

Mr. Baker generally smokes a cigar after each meal, but that is the extent of his use of tobacco.

The tastes of the Bakers are simple. Their main recreation consists of the “family concerts” they have occasionally at night – “when we are away,” Mrs. Baker explains. She plays the piano then, Mary Elizabeth plays the violin, and Mr. Baker sings.

“We’re probably in tune and out of tune half and half the time, but we all enjoy it so much that we don’t let any mistakes we may make worry us,” Mrs. Baker says.

Published Monday, Jan. 12, 1925, in the Southeast Missourian:

Sam Baker assumes duties as governor after taking oath

JEFFERSON CITY (United Press) – Using a Bible presented to him on his 24th birthday by his mother, Sam A. Baker, former section hand and teacher, today was inaugurated as the 37th governor of Missouri.

Baker’s daughter, Mary Elizabeth, held the Bible while Chief Justice W.W. Graves of the State Supreme Court administered the oath.

The hall of the House of Representatives started filling at 11 o’clock when the doors were opened for the ceremonies. Prominent Republicans from all sections of the state were here to hail the next state executive.

Hiram Lloyd, retiring lieutenant governor, presided.

‘Hail to the Chief’

Baker was conducted to the speaker’s chair by the retiring governor, Arthur M. Hyde. As the two approached the rostrum a trumpeter sounded “attention” and then the 203rd Coast Artillery Band of Joplin played “Hail to the Chief”.

The Rev. L.E. Roemer, president of Lindenwood College, St. Louis, pronounced the invocation.

After the oath of office, Justice Graves then swore in the other elective officers. Then Baker gave his inaugural address.

Baker, a native of Southeast Missouri, is the fourth Republican to be elected to the governorship of the state. Although the 37th governor, he is the 36th man to hold office as John Miller of Cooper County held the office twice between 1825 and 1832.

Jefferson City this morning was filled with leading Republicans from over the state in preparation for welcoming the new state executive.

Politicians, office seekers and ordinary citizens started arriving late Sunday to witness the new governor – former superintendent of public instruction – take over the reins of state management handed down by Gov. Arthur M. Hyde.

Special trains

A special train arrived last night from Kansas City bearing the prominent Republicans from that section of the state. Another special train arrived here this morning from St. Louis, while a third train bearing the Republicans from the Springfield and Joplin district arrived before noon.

Immediately after Baker took the oath of office, Justice Graves swore in the minor state officials including Robert W. Otto of Washington, attorney general; Charles U. Becker, Bolivar, secretary of state; L.B. Thompson, New Bloomfield, state auditor; C. Eugene Stephens, Maplewood, state treasurer.

Then Baker was introduced by the outgoing governor and the new executive made his inaugural address.

At 2:30 this afternoon, Phil A. Bennett of Springfield was sworn in as lieutenant governor. Justice Atwood gave the oath of office and the ceremony was in the senate chamber.

The new governor was born in Southeast Missouri. As a boy he worked his way through the Teachers College at Cape Girardeau, and later entered the teaching profession.

Sam A. Baker served as Missouri’s governor from 1925 to 1929. He died at his home in Jefferson City Sept. 16, 1933, at the age of 59. He had been bedfast for more than four years at the time of his death.

He was survived by his widow, the former Nelle Tuckley; his daughter, Mary Elizabeth; three half brothers and a sister.

He was buried in Riverview Cemetery in Jefferson City.