DUANE
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Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about James Addison Baker, out of Walker County. Now, some men leave a mark on a place. And some men leave a mark that lasts so long, their great-grandchildren are still walking into the office.
James Addison Baker was that second kind of man. He came into the world on March 3, 1821, born to Jane Saxton and Elijah Adam Baker, near Huntsville, Alabama. He read the law, got admitted to the Bar in 1843, and wed Caroline Hightower in 1849.
Then, in 1852, tragedy. Caroline died. And Baker, grieving and perhaps needing the pull of something familiar, moved that very year to join her family members in Huntsville, Texas, where he established a law practice.
He didn't stay still long. The next year, he wed Rowena Crawford. The two of them worked together to advance education in Huntsville, which tells you something about what kind of people they were.
Baker was also an active Mason and Presbyterian, and he didn't stop there. Politician, jurist, soldier. The man collected callings the way some people collect debts.
But here's where the story gets its real long shadow. In 1872, James Addison Baker joined an existing law firm. That firm, over time, became known as Baker Botts.
Today, Baker Botts is one of the nation's leading legal firms. And it is still led by his descendants. Some legacies you can see from a long way off.
Baker Botts is one of them.
What the marker says
James Addison Baker was born to Jane Saxton and Elijah Adam Baker on March 3, 1821 near Huntsville, Alabama. He was admitted to the Bar in 1843 and wed Caroline Hightower in 1849. She died in 1852, and he moved that year to join her family members in Huntsville, Texas, where he established a law practice. The next year, he wed Rowena Crawford. The two worked together to advance Huntsville education. An active Mason and Presbyterian, Baker also became a successful politician, jurist and soldier. In 1872, he joined an existing law firm that, over time, became known as Baker Botts, today one of the Nation's leading legal firms, still led by his descendants.