The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 768 

EARL BAKER.

The last decade or two has constituted a period of marvelous development and
prosperity in the northwest. The once and lands of the Yakima valley have been
converted into valuable ranch properties which are devoted exclusively to the
raising of fruit. It has been a matter of marvel that the soil in this district
is so splendidly adapted to the raising of all kinds of fruit and handsome
competences and large fortunes have been made in this way. Mr. Baker is among
those who are now devoting their energies to the cultivation and development of
apple orchards. He was born in Stromsburg, Nebraska, July 4, 1884, a son of J.
E. and Ella (Stump) Baker. The father was born in the state of New York and in
November, 1890, he brought his family to Washington. settling in Tacoma. In May,
1897, he removed with his wife and children to Yakima county and for a year
rented land on Nob Hill. In 1900 he purchased seventy-six acres in the Selah
valley, of which he has since planted twenty acres to fruit trees. He has
converted it into a valuable orchard and upon his ranch he continued to reside
until he retired from active business and took up his abode in Yakima.

Earl Baker, whose name introduces this review, acquired a public school
education and when his textbooks were put aside became the active assistant of
his father, with whom he carried on business until 1905. He then purchased
thirty acres of land on Selah Heights and began the development of this tract.
which at that time was all covered with sagebrush just as it had come from the
hand of nature. He afterward sold ten acres of his purchase and now has a
valuable place of twenty acres, of which eighteen acres is in orchard, ten acres
being in hearing apple trees. Most of the place is seeded to alfalfa and the
ranch is now a very productive one from which he annually ships large crops of
fruit that return to him a gratifying income. In 1912 he built a fine home upon
his place and it is now one of the pleasing features of the valley.

In 1908 Mr. Baker was married to Miss Jennie Bourdon, a daughter of Louis
Bourdon, who is mentioned elsewhere in this work. Their children are Maxine and
Ray.

In his fraternal relations Mr. Baker is an Odd Fellow and his political belief
is that of the republican party. He belongs to the Yakima County Horticultural
Union and he is leading a busy and useful life. He does not dissipate his
energies over a broad field but concentrates his efforts and attention upon the
development of his property along progressive and scientific lines productive of
excellent results.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in January 2008 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.