Basil Tharp Baker (1871 - 1941)

Born 20 Jan 1871 in Columbia, Arkansas, United States

Husband of Mary Elizabeth (Kinsworthy) Baker — married 14 Oct 1897 (to 9 Jul 1917) in Pulaski, Arkansas, United States

Husband of Audly (Matthewson) Baker — married 25 Dec 1918 in Lawrence, Arkansas, United States

Died 20 Sep 1941 at age 70 in Little Rock, Pulaski, Arkansas, United States

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Biography

Basil Baker is Notable.

Basil Tharp Baker was a justice of the Supreme Court of Arkansas from 1934 to 1941.

Basil Tharp Baker was born on January 20, 1871 in Columbia County, Arkansas. His father was Joshua Delton Baker and his mother Bethiah Tharp (Jameson) Baker.^[1][2] In 1880, he lived in Calhoun, Columbia County.^[3] He attended rural schools before completing his high school education at J. H. Davis's Select Male School in Magnolia, Arkansas. After graduating high school, he attended Ouachita Baptist College (now Ouachita Baptist University) at Arkadelphia, Clark County, Arkansas, where he graduated in 1895.^[1][2]

He moved to Craighead County, where he taught school while teaching himself law.^[1] He married Mary "Mollie" Elizabeth Kinsworthy on October 14, 1897 in Pulaski County, Arkansas.^[1][4] He was admitted to the bar in 1898.^[1] He lived in Jonesboro, Craighead County.^[5]

In 1903, he became the city attorney for Jonesboro.^[1][2] In 1910, he lived on Jefferson Avenue in the same city. He and his wife had two children.^[6]

His wife, Mary, died on July 9, 1917 in Jonesboro.^[7] In 1918, became attorney for Citw Water and Light (CWL), a local improvement district. His time as attorney for the utility was spent helping the company fight off a takeover by Arkansas Power and Light (APL). During this period, he also ran for the state Senate, but was unsuccessful.^[1] He married Audly States, maiden name Matthewson, on December 25, 1918 in Lawrence County, Arkansas.^[8][9][10]

In 1930, he still lived in Jonesboro and was practicing law in a private law firm.^[11] He ran a law office with partners Thaddeus H. Caraway and John Frank Gautney.^[1]

In 1934, he ran against William F. Kirby in the Arkansas Supreme Court race. Kirby died that same year before the race began, and Baker was appointed to fill out the rest of his term. When elections were held, he was elected in an uncontested race.^[1][2]

In 1940, he lived in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas.^[12] Baker became ill with heart disease while serving as justice of the Supreme Court. He planned to retire at the end of his term, but died in office. He died on September 20, 1941 in Little Rock.^[1][13] He was buried at Oaklawn Cemetery in Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas.^[14]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9} Dougan, Michael B., Jonesboro, Arkansas. Encyclopedia of Arkansas, last edited on 15 Feb 2022. "Basil Baker (1871–1941)." Accessed 3 May 2023.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Wikipedia Contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, last edited on 7 Jan 2023. "Basil Baker." Accessed 3 May 2023.
3. ↑ 1880 United States Federal Census: Year: 1880; Census Place: Calhoun, Columbia, Arkansas; Roll: 41; Page: 167C; Enumeration District: 039 Ancestry Record 6742 #3185762
4. ↑ Pulaski County, Arkansas, Marriages 1838-1999: Pulaski County Clerk; Little Rock, Arkansas; Marriage Records Ancestry Record 61797 #84500
5. ↑ 1900 United States Federal Census: Year: 1900; Census Place: Jonesboro, Craighead, Arkansas; Roll: 55; Page: 27; Enumeration District: 0015 Ancestry Record 7602 #53281073
6. ↑ 1910 United States Federal Census: Year: 1910; Census Place: Jonesboro Ward 3, Craighead, Arkansas; Roll: T624_47; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0023; FHL microfilm: 1374060 Ancestry Record 7884 #183731461
7. ↑ Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969: Arkansas Department of Vital Records; Little Rock, Arkansas; Death Certificates; Year: 1920; Roll: 2 Ancestry Record 61777 #91151
8. ↑ Arkansas, U.S., County Marriages Index, 1837-1957: Ancestry.com. Arkansas, U.S., County Marriages Index, 1837-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: "Arkansas County Marriages, 1838–1957." Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009, 2011. "Arkansas County Marriages, 1838–1957," database, FamilySearch; from Arkansas Courts of Common Pleas and County Clerks. Digital images of originals housed at various county courthouses in the State of Arkansas. Marriage records. Ancestry Record 2548 #593954
9. ↑ Arkansas, Marriage Certificates, 1917-1969: Arkansas Department of Vital Records; Little Rock, Arkansas; Marriage Certificates; Year: 1918; Film: #4 Ancestry Record 61775 #57008
10. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census: Year: 1920; Census Place: Jonesboro Ward 3, Craighead, Arkansas; Roll: T625_58; Page: 21A; Enumeration District: 40 Ancestry Record 6061 #38385455
11. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census: Year: 1930; Census Place: Jonesboro, Craighead, Arkansas; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0018; FHL microfilm: 2339805 Ancestry Record 6224 #101336579
12. ↑ 1940 United States Federal Census: Year: 1940; Census Place: Little Rock, Pulaski, Arkansas; Roll: m-t0627-00166; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 60-6A Ancestry Record 2442 #101287023
13. ↑ Arkansas, Death Certificates, 1914-1969: Arkansas Department of Vital Records; Little Rock, Arkansas; Death Certificates; Year: 1941; Roll: 4 Ancestry Record 61777 #476315
14. ↑ Burial: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107441798/basil-tharp-baker: accessed 03 May 2023), memorial page for Basil Tharp Baker (29 Jan 1871–20 Sep 1941), Find A Grave: Memorial #107441798, citing Oaklawn Cemetery, Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas, USA; Maintained by Arkieologist (contributor 47246586).