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onrad Baker, Governor of
Indiana from 1867 to 1873 was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, February
12, 1817. He was educated at the Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg, and read
law at the office of Stevens & Smyser, and was admitted to the bar in
the spring of 1839, at Gettysburg, where he had a lucrative practice for
two years. He came to Indiana in 1841, and settled at Evansville, where he
practiced his profession until after the commencement of the rebellion. He
was elected to the lower house of the general assembly of Indiana in 1845,
and served one session, elected judge of the district composed of the counties
of Vanderburg and Warrick, in 1852, in which capacity he served abut one
year, when he resigned. In 1856, he was nominated for lieutenant governor
by the Republican Party without his knowledge, on the ticket with Oliver
P. Morton. They were defeated by Willard and Hammond. In 1861, Mr. Baker
was commissioned colonel of the First Cavalry Regiment of Indiana Volunteers,
which he organized, and with which he served until September 1864, in which
year he was elected lieutenant governor. In 1865, Governor Morton convened
the general assembly in special session, and immediately after delivering
his message, started for Europe in quest of health, leaving Col. Baker in
charge of the executive department of the state government. Governor Morton
was absent five months, during which time the duties of the executive office
were performed by Lieut. Gov. Baker. In February 1867, Governor Morton was
elected to the Senate of the United States, in consequence of which the duties
of governor devolved upon Mr. Baker. He was unanimously nominated by the
Republican convention of 1868, for governor, and was elected over Thomas
A. Hendricks, by a majority of 961 votes. He served as governor with ability
and dignity, until the inauguration of Mr. Hendricks in 1873, since which
time he has been engaged in the practice of law in Indianapolis, being a
member of one of the strongest and most widely known firms in the state.
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