Collection is open for research.
Gift of Harry C. Blair, January 1965 (Lib. Acc. 9895).
Edward Dickinson Baker was born in London, England, on February 24, 1811. He immigrated to the United States in 1815. He moved to Illinois in 1825 and studied law. He was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1837 and was a member of the state Senate from 1840-1844. Later he was elected as a Whig to the 29th Congress and served from March 4, 1845, until his resignation on December 24, 1846. He was commissioned colonel of the Fourth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, on July 4, 1846, and served until he was honorably mustered out on May 29, 1847. He moved to San Francisco, California, in 1851 and resumed the practice of law. He moved to Oregon in 1860 and was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate to fill a vacancy in the term beginning March 4, 1859. During the Civil War, he raised a regiment in New York City and Philadelphia. He was killed in the Battle of Balls Bluff, Virginia, on October 21, 1861.
Harry C. Blair collection on Edward D. Baker, Coll 296, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Collection materials were originally in four notebooks. These were disassembled after donation to the Oregon Historical Society. Prior to 2012, the materials in the collection were designated as Albums 215a, 215b, 215c, and 215d.
Materials from four disbound notebooks, which include one color and 68 black and white photographs, and 80 pages of typed notes, original and photocopied correspondence, and some prints, circa 1845-1952. These materials were compiled by author Harry C. Blair regarding the life, family and career of Colonel Edward C. Baker, including his friendship with Abraham Lincoln.
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.