Son of Joshua Wells Baker and Agnes Miller Inghram. 1m to Susan J. Sewell in 1848. 2m to Annis Secor/Segur on 12 May 1862 in Lyon County, KS.

Brother Morris R Baker 37196152
Brother Joshua W. Baker 43898491
Brother William Wallace Baker 109100770
Brother Peregrine Grimes Baker 92844603
Sister Sarah Chapman Baker Mosier 43971694
Sister Margaret Chapman Baker Sewell 158086066
Sister Eliza A. Baker Huffaker 40378182

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Information sent to me to clarify the below articles:

"A. I. Baker's story is part of the Santa Fe Trail history in my area, Lyon Co., KS. He was a former judge, not active in that office at the time of his death.

Versions of his death story differ, but he was badly wounded by Bill Anderson and cohorts, and trapped in the cellar of his burning store at the Rock Creek crossing, which he had named Agnes City after his mother. His body was found with just the torso, apparently protected by something that fell on him; the rest was ashes. A pistol was found in a position that indicated he had shot himself in the head rather than burn to death.

With a number of family members in the area, it is probable that his remains were formally interred, but I know of no reference to it at this point. There were 2 cemeteries near at the time, both on the Santa Fe Trail: west to Council Grove where the family was centered, and east to the Withington Family Cemetery at Allen. Withington's is on a hill next to the Trail and the graves were mostly unmarked, and I don't know about Council Grove.

What is certain is that he is not buried at Agnes City Cemetery. With his prominent role in early county politics, Baker got his township named for his mother—Agnes City Township—as well as his trading post & post office named Agnes City on the Trail at Rock Creek. His life and town dreams were all destroyed in the fire July 3, 1862, and nothing was rebuilt there. Then the entire west side of Lyon County was reduced by two miles in 1863. The Rock Creek crossing was now in Morris Co., but the NW sector of Lyon County still retains the name, Agnes City Township. The Agnes City farm community, school and cemetery developed later, and have no connection to events at the Rock Creek crossing on the Santa Fe Trail. The earliest death date known at this cemetery is 1871.

It perhaps should be noted that the version of events currently attached to this record is valuable, but is only one of many versions of the events, and some of its details differ from the others that I know of. This story was a huge scandal at the time and was told and retold before being written as memoirs.

A. I. Baker married Annis Secor (or Segur) on May 14, 1862 in Morris Co. You could add the text of their record which is on Ancestry.com:

Arthur I. Baker and Annis M. Secor
State of Kansas
Morris County
I, J. Spencer, a minister of the Gospel in the Methodist Episcopal Church South, do hereby certify that on the 14th day of May, A. D. 1862, I solemnized a marriage between Arthur I. Baker and Annis M. Secor, within Morris County, and State aforesaid.
Given under my hand this third day of July, A. D. 1862.
J. Spencer Pastor.
------------
Thanks, SS, 49965042
Director, North Lyon Co. Museum"

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The Emporia Weekly News Democrat, 21 Jul 1860, Saturday

The following transfers of real estate have been recorded in the office of Register of Deeds for this county for the week ending July 20th:
.....A. I. Baker and E. M. Sewell to Wm. Duguid, 6 acres of n. e. qr. sec. 9, and n. e. qr. of sec. 18 (?), town. 18, range 10, and house and lot in Americus, $800.

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The Topeka Tribune, 05 Jul 1862 Saturday

We have just been informed that Judge I. A. Baker was killed, on last Thursday, at his residence on 142 creek, by a party of marauders calling themselves Quantrell's band. Also, that this party had been plundering along the Santa Fe road and at Council Grove. Night before last they encamped near Wilmington. We give the story for what it is worth.

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The Leavenworth Times, 08 Jul 1862, Thursday

The Topeka Tribune says Judge A. I. Baker has been killed at his home. If the report is true the deed has probably been done by Anderson's horse-thieves.

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The Leavenworth Times, 09 Jul 1862, Friday

THE COUNCIL GROVE MURDER

About three months ago Judge A. I. Baker killed Anderson, a man who had a very bad reputation in the neighborhood, and who had threatened Baker's life. On last Sunday night a son of Anderson arrived at Baker's house--about eight miles east of Council Grove--with five accomplices from Missouri. The villains first killed Judge Baker and then burned his house. They then started back for Missouri and took breakfast at Harris' on 110 Creek. Harris knew their character and objected to entertaining them, but they drew their revolvers on him and compelled him to do their bidding. It is also reported that these ruffians took all of Judge Baker's stock.

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The Kansas State Journal, 10 Jul 1862, Wednesday

We gave a few weeks since the account of the killing, near Council Grove, of an old man named Anderson, by Judge A. I. Baker. We now have to record a still more terrible tragedy at the same place. Anderson, it will be remembered, had been charged with horse-stealing, and Baker drew the papers for his arrest. Soon Anderson attacked Baker with murderous intent when the latter shot and instantly killed him. Bill Anderson, a son of the man killed, had also been arrested but was admitted to bail. A Mexican, belonging to the same party was about the same time hung from a mob for horse-stealing. The Andersons then left the neighborhood, swearing to return and have revenge. From that moment, it now seems, Baker was a doomed man. From an Extra issued from the Emporia NEWS office, we learn "that on last Thursday evening, the 3d of July, at about 8 or 9 o'clock, Bill Anderson, Jim Anderson, Lee Griffith (another of the gang which had left), accompanied by two others, one of them supposed to be Quantrell himself, arrived at the residence of Judge Baker on the Santa Fe road, when one of their company proceeded to his house and reported himself as a lone traveler, and told Baker he wished to procure some whisky. Baker went to his store, a short distance from his residence, to get the whisky, and when in the act of going into the cellar the other four members of the gang rushed in and discharged several pistols at him, two of them taking effect in his body. Baker reeled upon the steps, drew his revolver, and fired into the crowd, hitting Jim Anderson in the thigh, but not seriously wounding him. Baker fell into the cellar in an expiring condition. A young man named Segur, a brother-in-law of Baker's, was shot, and thrown into the cellar with him. The cutthroats supposed this latter gentleman to be Elisha Goddard, of Americus, against whom they have a grudge for taking a prominent part in the hanging of their comrade, the Mexican, and against whom they have sworn vengeance. They then closed the door and piled boxes and barrels upon it and set them on fire. In this position the two dying men lay until the roof of the building fell in. Baker, who was in the agonies of a horrible death, reached over his hand and bade Segur farewell, saying, "I am going." Young Segur, although mortally wounded, recollected a back window in the cellar, and through this he mustered strength to escape from the horrible fate of burning to death. He lived about twenty-four hours after his escape.--Judge Bader's (sic) head, arms and legs were literally burned to ashes. A portion of the body was saved from burning by some object which had fallen upon it during the conflagration. The devils then set fire to the remainder of his property, consisting of a large stone dwelling, several out-houses, a carriage, etc. They also stole two fine horses." The murderers then proceeded to Missouri, taking several horses on the route. At One Hundred and Ten they compelled Mr. Harris to get breakfast for them.

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The Leavenworth Bulletin, 19 Sep 1862, Friday

FROM NEW MEXICO.
On the Way to Santa Fe--From Leavenworth to Larned.
[Correspondence of The Evening Bulletin.]
Santa Fe, N.M., Aug. 31, 1862.

.... At Camp Creek, beyond the Twin Mounds, we heard the first startling intelligence of the Baker tragedy, and the terror that so appalling a crime must excite, was in every village we passed on our way to Rock Creek, where we camped Sunday noon after the murder.--We stood over the smoking ruins of the place and said, "One week ago to-day this man was in life and prosperous--with a young, affectionate wife and a happy home. To-day his buildings are leveled to the ground, and the foot of the stranger stirs up yet the smell of fire from their ruins; and his charred bones and white ashes repose in a hasty grave." His murderers of course escape....

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The Council Grove Republican, 20 Mar 1891, Friday

HISTORY OF MORRIS COUNTY
By John Maloy.

Chapter XI.

The War Excitement—Bill Anderson and His Bushwackers—Murder of Baker and Secor—Baker's History—His Capture by Union Troops While on His Way to Join Price—His Widow's Subsequent Fate.

The war excitement was unabated at the commencement of the year 1862. The comparative quietude of the winter only kept people in suspense while they waited the coming of weather adapted to campaign movements. We have not heretofore done more than to refer to the war, nor shall we hereafter, until we arrive in that stage of the progress of our history when we can devote a chapter to Morris county as she and her people figured in the war.

It was during the summer of 1862 that Bill Anderson's band of bushwackers made their first raid into the county, and murdered two of our best citizens, Judge A. I. Baker and his brother-in-law, Charles Secor, at Baker's farm on Rock creek, now owned by the heirs of the late James W. Kelley. As various accounts of this affair have been published, both at the time of its occurrence and since, not of which are correct in detail, we now propose to publish a full and truthful statement of all the facts and circumstances of the murder of these men, in order that the whole matter will be truthfully perpetuated in the light of history.

Judge A. I. Baker was one of the first settlers in the territory of Kansas, having moved here from Iowa with the Sac and Fox Indians as early as the year 1846, and settled upon the Marais des Cygne river, in Miami county. He moved into what is now Morris county in 1854, some months before the territory of Kansas was organized, holding to the doctrine that the people had a right to locate upon the public domain, whenever such occupancy did not interfere with the rights of others. As stated in a former chapter, Baker was the Free State candidate for representative in the first legislature. He was bold and outspoken upon this question when it was dangerous to utter such sentiments in some portions of Kansas. He was true to his party through all the early troubles in Kansas. At the breaking out of the rebellion he was publishing the Council Grove Press, and we find that in almost every issue he denounced the South for her treason and pleaded for a union with all the states.

There was at this time an episode in the history of Judge Baker, and in order that his motives may not be understood, we give a detail of the circumstances attending his leaving Kansas, his capture by the Union forces, his subsequent imprisonment, trial and other facts connected therewith. He lost his wife by death in the spring of 1861, which so weighed upon his mind as to disqualify him for business. In the month of November of that year he told some of his most intimate friends that he intended upon leaving the State for a few months. In company with a few of his relatives he started south to seek relief from the sorrow and anguish of mind caused by the death of his wife. We, of course, cannot know what his motives were. His party, in passing near a troop of Union soldiers in southwest Missouri, were fired upon, and John Ratcliffe, one of Baker's companions, killed. Baker was captured, returned to Fort Scott and confined there three or four months, tried by a court martial and acquitted, as there was no proof of disloyalty. Baker returned to his home on Rock Creek, in this county, then a part of Lyon county, in March or April, 1862, and on the 14th of May following was married to Miss Annis Secor, whose parents were living on Baker's farm. The Andersons had settled in Lyon county, close by, in 1857, were from Missouri, and were neighbors of Judge Baker. The Anderson family consisted of the father, two sons, Bill and Jim, and two daughters. The boys were regarded as bad characters, they having wantonly murdered two or three Indians, and for some reason were not held to answer for their crimes before the law. They were, in fact, notwithstanding the general laxity of those days, considered outlaws, and the whole community was kept in a state of terror through their intimidation and threats. About this time the Anderson boys had associated with them two others, Lee Griffin, and one Reed, who afterward became one of the husbands of the notorious Belle Starr, who was killed in the Indian territory a couple of years since. They made Council Grove their headquarters. A number of our citizens had horses stolen. Among others, Secor, Baker's father-in-law, lost two horses. Baker, in company with one or two others, started in pursuit of the lost horses, and overtook the party west of Council Grove on the Santa Fe trail, and returned the horses to Secor, and at once made affidavit and had a warrant issued for the arrest of the Anderson boys. This so exasperated the father that he resolved to take Baker's life, in order to prevent him from appearing as a witness against his sons. The old man Anderson went to Baker's own house, and with a drawn gun called Baker out of his room to shoot him, but Baker being apprised of Anderson's design met him and in self defence (sic), shot Anderson dead in his (Baker's) own house. The following night Bill Anderson and his party went to Baker's house and called him out, but he knew the character of the party and took precaution to arm himself and secure the company of a friend, and thus prevented them from carrying out their plans. These four men went to the brush, and were seen at different times by some of our citizens. But after a week or two, concluding they would not be likely to find Baker unprepared, they departed for Missouri, where they could ply their vocation as brigands of the brush with more safety and profit. Baker often said to his friends that he would sooner or later die at the hands of Bill Anderson or his party, and he always went prepared for the worst, and for more than a month nothing more was heard from these desperadoes. But the fatal day came at last. These same four men, with one other, a stranger, returned to Rock Creek on the 2nd of July, but learning that Baker was not at home did not permit anyone to know of their presence in the neighborhood, but they kept posted, through the stranger, as to Baker's movements. The county at that time was sparsely settled, and these men knew their hiding places. On the evening of the 3d of July Baker returned with his wife from Emporia. Having watched Baker's movements, they sent the stranger to him with the story that he had a wagon train in charge which would be up in a few minutes, and that he desired to purchase some supplies for his men. Baker kept a supply store, which was about a hundred feet from his dwelling, and near the Santa Fe trail, which was the public road. This manner of purchasing goods by the "boss" of a train was an every day occurrence, and the Anderson party knew this ruse would not create any suspicion. Baker buckled on a pair of revolvers, and in company with his wife's brother, George Secor, went with the stranger to the store. It was now in the dusk of evening. When the "wagon boss" came for his goods they were all put up ready for delivery. Baker was behind the counter, and young Secor between the door and the counter. At this juncture four men rushed to the door from the woods about two rods distant and fired two shots, one of which struck Baker and one Secor. They ran into the cellar through the door which was at the end of the counter. The murderers attempted to follow them into the cellar, but Baker fired back through the door and wounded Jim Anderson in the leg. The murderers, fearing they had not done their work thoroughly, fired the store building and waited until it was nearly consumed to see that Baker did not escape. After the building was fired Baker told his brother-in-law that he was mortally wounded, and advised him to affect his escape through the cellar window. Young Secor did as he was told, though not without a terrible struggle. He imparted this information of the affair the next day before he died, for he was also mortally wounded. The murderers, doubtless, were still waiting for Baker, in order to prevent his escape, but they did not allow young Secor to see them, probably from the fear that he would recognize some of them. It was evident that they did not meditate the murder of young Secor, but shot him lest he might shoot them. As before stated, Secor died next day. Baker's body was burned up in his store. The family, terror stricken, had fled to the woods when the shooting first commenced at the store, and did not return to the house until the next day. The flames from the burning store caused, in the absence of any one to extinguish them, the destruction of the dwelling also.

The Anderson party returned to Missouri, where for two years they continued their depredations and played their several parts in the scenes of robbery, cruelty and murder. The four principal actors in this bloody tragedy were destined to die violent deaths, as we all know. A man, strongly suspected, if not absolutely known, to be the "wagon boss," or stranger, who inveigled Baker into the trap laid for him, resided in Morris county for something like a couple years since the war. He was a settler on the Kaw lands, and moved away about fifteen years ago, when he was approached for information connected with the killing of Baker which could be used as evidence in prosecuting a claim at Washington on behalf of Baker's heirs. Baker's friends had no disposition to harm him, but he became uneasy and fled.

The writer saw Baker the morning of his capture in Missouri by a detachment of the Sixth Kansas cavalry. Baker was accompanied by the man Ratcliffe, who was killed, and by Bill Anderson and Bert Griffin, who escaped, together with Richard Pinson, at whose father's house they stayed over night in Jasper county, Missouri. Pinson was a furloughed Confederate soldier, and the party were going with him to Gen. Price's army, then encamped at Osceola, Mo. Bill Anderson and Bert Griffin, escaping, went to the company to which Pinson belonged, but staid only a few days. The capture of Baker and killing of Ratcliffe occurred in the western part of Jasper county, Mo. Baker claimed to be on his way to join the southern army, and exhibited a paper which he claimed was a commission as colonel in the Confederate army. He seemed to be laboring under some kind of abnormal excitement, and we were at a loss to understand the man.

Lieut. Col. Jewell, then the husband of Mrs. G. A. Irvin, the present wife of G. A. Irvin, the late pastor of the Council Grove Presbyterian church, commanded the detachment of the Sixth Kansas that captured Baker and killed Ratcliffe.

Baker's wife, Mrs. Annis Baker, remained here and made her home in the family of Judge T. S. Huffaker. In the spring of 1872, she became the wife of J. B. Somers, then County Attorney of Morris county. In about one month after their marriage they met a tragic end by drowning while attempting, in the company of Miss Susie Huffaker and Phil Roberts, to cross the Neosho river at the old stone mission ford, at a time when the rains had, in an unprecedentedly short period of time almost filled the river to its banks, and all four were instantly swept down the current and drowned.