Robert Hall Baker

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American businessman and politician

title: "Robert Hall Baker" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["people-from-lake-geneva,-wisconsin", "beloit-college-alumni", "businesspeople-from-racine,-wisconsin", "mayors-of-racine,-wisconsin", "republican-party-of-wisconsin-chairs", "wisconsin-city-council-members", "republican-party-wisconsin-state-senators", "1839-births", "1882-deaths", "19th-century-american-businesspeople", "burials-at-mound-cemetery-(racine,-wisconsin)", "19th-century-members-of-the-wisconsin-legislature", "19th-century-mayors-of-places-in-wisconsin"] description: "American businessman and politician" topic_path: "society/education" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hall_Baker" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American businessman and politician ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Robert Hall Baker
image	RobertHallBaker.jpg
state	Wisconsin
state_senate	Wisconsin
district	5th
term_start	January 4, 1875
term_end	January 1, 1877
predecessor	Charles Herrick
successor	Isaac W. Van Schaick
term_start1	January 6, 1873
term_end1	September 1873
predecessor1	Philo Belden
successor1	Charles Herrick
office2	Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin
term_start2	October 1879
term_end2	September 1881
predecessor2	Horace Rublee
successor2	Edward Sanderson
order3	21st
title3	Mayor of Racine, Wisconsin
term_start3	April 1874
term_end3	April 1875
predecessor3	Reuben G. Doud
successor3	Reuben G. Doud
office4	Member of the City Council of Racine, Wisconsin
term_start4	April 1871
term_end4	April 1872
term_start5	April 1868
term_end5	April 1869
term_start6	April 1865
term_end6	April 1866
birth_date
birth_place	Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.
restingplace	Mound Cemetery, Racine
party	Republican
spouse
children	{{unbulleted list
father	Charles Minton Baker
occupation	Manufacturing businessman
::

| honorific-prefix = | name = Robert Hall Baker | honorific-suffix = | image = RobertHallBaker.jpg |state = Wisconsin |state_senate = Wisconsin |district = 5th | term_start = January 4, 1875 | term_end = January 1, 1877 | predecessor = Charles Herrick | successor = Isaac W. Van Schaick | term_start1 = January 6, 1873 | term_end1 = September 1873 | predecessor1 = Philo Belden | successor1 = Charles Herrick |office2 = Chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin | term_start2 = October 1879 | term_end2 = September 1881 | predecessor2 = Horace Rublee | successor2 = Edward Sanderson |order3 = 21st |title3 = Mayor of Racine, Wisconsin | term_start3 = April 1874 | term_end3 = April 1875 | predecessor3 = Reuben G. Doud | successor3 = Reuben G. Doud |office4 = Member of the City Council of Racine, Wisconsin | term_start4 = April 1871 | term_end4 = April 1872 | term_start5 = April 1868 | term_end5 = April 1869 | term_start6 = April 1865 | term_end6 = April 1866 |birth_date = |birth_place = Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. |restingplace = Mound Cemetery, Racine |party = Republican |spouse = |children = {{unbulleted list | Mary Louise (Richards) | | George Carswell Baker | | Edward Larrabee Baker | | Robert Hall Baker Jr. | | Charles Henry Baker | |father = Charles Minton Baker |occupation = Manufacturing businessman Robert Hall Baker Sr. (June 27, 1839October 5, 1882) was an American businessman and Republican politician from Racine, Wisconsin. He was the 21st mayor of Racine, Wisconsin, and represented Racine County for three years in the Wisconsin Senate (1873, 1875, 1876). He also served as chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin in 1880 and 1881. In business, he was one of the four principal owners of the J. I. Case Company, an important business in the growth and development of the city of Racine.

Biography

Born in Geneva, Walworth County, Wisconsin Territory, to Martha Washington Larrabee and Charles Minton Baker. His father was a lawyer, judge, and politician. Baker attended Beloit College and assisted his father's law practice in Lake Geneva before moving to Racine.

Robert married Emily M. Carswell in 1859 and they had five children. They resided in Racine at the corner of 6th and Main Street, now the site of the U.S. Post Office.

In 1856, he entered business in Racine hardware supply, then worked for one year with Thomas Falvey, a reaper manufacturer. He then went to work for the J. I. Case Company in 1860 as a collecting agent.

In January 1863, Baker purchased a one quarter stake in the J. I. Case Company, becoming one of the four major shareholders in the company, the others being Massena B. Erskine, Stephen Bull, and Jerome Case himself.

In Racine, Baker was elected to the City Council in 1865, and was elected school commissioner in 1867. He two more terms on the City Council in 1868 and 1871, and was elected mayor in 1874. He won election to the Wisconsin Senate in 1872, defeating Democrat Nicholas D. Fratt. In 1873, he was the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, losing to Charles D. Parker. In 1874 he was elected to return to the Senate, defeating incumbent Liberal Republican Charles Herrick. Baker was chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin during the presidential campaign of James Garfield, and was appointed government director of the Union Pacific Railroad by Garfield after he became president. He held this office until his death in 1882.

He was a director of the Racine Hardware Manufacturing Company, a director of the Manufacturers National Bank of Racine and the National Iron Company of De Pere, Wisconsin, and president of the Hampton Coal Mining Company.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Senate (1872)

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor (1873)

Wisconsin Senate (1874)

References

"Robert Hall Baker". Racine History.
(1906). "Commemorative Biographical Record of Prominent and Representative Men of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin". J. H. Beers and Co..
"The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (1873)". Atwood and Culver, Printers and Stereotypers, 1873.
"The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (1874)". Atwood and Culver, Printers and Stereotypers, 1874.
"The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (1875)". Atwood and Culver, Printers and Stereotypers, 1875.

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