Hannah Caroline Baker

Data source: Joyce (Moore) Hodges, Bonner Springs, KS, Baker family website, re: http://jehodges.tripod.com/Baker.html .

She was the wife of William Baker and 1/2 Cherokee. Her mother, Mary "Polly" Wilson was full-blood Cherokee. Hannah married William Baker Jan. 28, 1801 in Jefferson Co. TN after she and William left what would become Rutherford Co. NC. I appears each time a treaty with the Cherokee was broken they would move further west. They came to what would become New Market, Madison Co., AL in 1807. Several Cherokee families named Wilson were neighbors and each was awarded a 640 "reserve" via the treaties of 1817 and 1819. All of these families were burned out, threatened and run-off their property prior to the Trail of Tears - including Conaluski (spelled Kanalusgiv in Cherokee) whom we believe was related to Hannah. His property dispute went to the US Supreme Court.

Hannah taught her children the Cherokee language. Her oldest son, Henry Calvin, served in the US Army as a translator on the Trail of Tears (source: 3rd great-grandson, Brian Baker).

In a book by Judge Thomas Jones Taylor (1829-1894) entitled, "A History of Madison County and Incidentally of North Alabama 1732-1840, first published in 1840, Hannah is described;

"About the head of Hurricane Wm [William] Baker purchased several hundred acres of land which formed the nucleus of the large plantation afterwards owned by him. In a few years a large settlement grew up around him, and during election times candidates frequently resorted thither to frolics and merry-makings so much in vogue at that time, and also seek the influence of the old gentleman and aunt Hannah Baker, his wife, a lady endowed with an unusual portion of good, strong common sense and a judgment on which it is said many of her voting neighbors were wont to rely in determining for whom their ballots should be cast."* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Sep 23 2021, 19:40:32 UTC