BAKER, Darius, Justice of the District Court for the First Judicial District of Rhode Island, and Judge of the Probate Court of Newport, was born in Yarmouth, Mass., January 18, 1845, son of Braddock and Caroline (Crowell) Baker. He is descended on both sides from Plymouth Bay Colony ancestry. Six of his ancestors came over in the Mayflower in 0f 1620 with Stephen Hopkins and his daughter Constance; John   Howland; Elizabeth Tilley, who afterwards married John Howland and John and Bridget (Van der Velde) Tilley, parents of Elizabeth. Among his ancestors are also Governor Thomas Prence, for eighteen years governor of Plymouth Colony; Yelverton Crowell, the first settler of the south side of the town of Yarmouth, about 1640; Francis Baker, who came over in 1635 in the ship Planter from Great St Albans, England; and Captain John Gorham, who married a daughter of John Howland,  John. Gorham was captain of a company at the famous swamp fight with the Indians at Narragansett, and is the ancestor of a numerous and distinguished posterity, including John Gorham Palfrey the historian, Hon. Charles Francis Adams, William Everett and others. The subject of this sketch acquired his early education in the public schools of Yarmouth, and at the Providence Conference Seminary, East Greenwich, R. I. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1870, salutatorian of his class, and the next two years he was a teacher at Chamberlain Institute, Randolph, N. Y.  From 1872 to 1874 he was tutor in Latin at Wesleyan University, at the same time pursuing his legal studies, having decided to adopt the law as a profession. He was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1874, and to the Rhode Island Bar in 1875, and in the same year established himself in Newport, where he has since remained in successful practice- He served as Trial Justice of the city from 1875 to 1886, has been Judge of the Probate Court of Newport from 1877 to the present time, and in 1886 was elected Justice of the District Court for the First Judicial District, which office he still holds. He served as a member of the School Committee from 1877 to 1883, and for the last two years of his term as chairman of that body, and has been elected by the alumni, for two terms of five years each, a Trustee of Wesleyan University.  Judge Baker has taken an active interest in the charitable work of Newport, being president of the Charity Organization Society and a member of various other charitable organizations, and serving as a trustee of the Newport Hospital for the past ten years. He is also a member of the Newport Business Men’s Association. In politics he is a Republican, but has taken no active part in public life other than as stated. During the war of the Rebellion, at the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the Fifth Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, and served nine months, mostly in North Carolina, participating in engagements at Kinston, Whitehall and Goldsboro. He was married October 30, 1878, to Miss Annie Barker, daughter of W. J. Barker, Ph. D., of Leipsic, Germany; she died October 7, 1886, leaving two children: Hugh Barkly and George Yelverton Baker. On October 8, 1891, he married Miss Bertha A. Neales, daughter of Arch-deacon Thomas Neales of Woodstock, New Brunswick ; they have two children : Dorothy Neales and Alfred Colebrooke Baker. Source: Rhode Island Men in Progress - Submitted by Marie Miller BARKER, Colonel Alvix Arnold, Newport, was born in Middletown, R. I., November 29, 1858, son of Ezra J. and Lydia Eunice Barker. He was born and grew up on a farm, receiving his education in the public schools, until at the age of fifteen, in 1873, he moved to Newport where he prepared himself for a business life.   In 1878 he launched out for himself in the grocery, grain and hay business, which he has successfully continued to the present time.   He was a member of the Newport City Council in 1892, representing the second ward as second councilman, but declined a re-election, preferring to give his time to his private business.  He joined the Newport Artillery, Rhode Island Militia, July 27, 1875, and was elected First Lieutenant and Quartermaster April 25, 1882, serving three years in this capacity.   April 28, 1885, he was elected Major, and held this position three years.   He was appointed. May 29, 1888, aide-de-camp on Governor Royal C. Taft’s personal staff, with the rank of Colonel. He was elected Lieutenant-Colonel of the Newport Artillery August 30, 1892, and Colonel commanding April 24,1894, which position and rank he now holds.   The Newport Artillery is the oldest active military organization in the United States.   It was organized during the troublous time occasioned by the declaration of war between England and Spain in 1739, and received its charter from the colonial government under King George II. February 1, 1741. It has taken part in all the wars of the country from the date of its charter, and has done escort duty at the inaugural of every Rhode Island governor from 1796 to the present time. Colonel Barker is a member of Coronet Council No. 63 Royal Arcanum, having joined October 17, 1884. In politics he is a Republican. He was married, November 2, 1882, to Miss Augusta Neilson Peckham of Middletown, R. I, by whom he has four children: Ezra J. Barker 2nd, I.ydia Elizabeth, Myitalie and Alva A. Barker. Source: Rhode Island Men in Progress - Submitted by Marie Miller

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