Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1920-08-20
DeathOf Baker

Hon. Philip P. Baker, one Of the
founders of Wildwood, died Saturday
afternoon, August 18th, 1920, in the
Presbyterian hospital in Philadelphia,
at the age of IA years. The only men
Der of the family present at his bed
side when he passed away was his
daughter, Miss Jennie Baker. The
body was brought to the Wildwood
Crest home on Monday afternoon and
the funeral was held on Tuesday.
The service was conducted by DR..
David H. King, assisted by Rev.
Dougherty, pastor of the Holly Beach
Presbyterian church. Intermeut was
made in the Baptist cemetery at Cape
May Court House alongside the re-
mains of his only son, the late Judge
Curtis T. Baker, who died seven years
ago this summer. Undertaken B. G.
Ingersoll was in charge of the funeral
on Tuesday.
The deceased was in the hospital
about a month, having left Wildwood
or Monday, July 18th, but the COM
munity could hardly realize that his
illness would prove fatal. His ailment
is said to have been the same as his
brother Thompson, a disease of the
kidneys. Mr.. Baker is survived by
his widow n five daughters as fol-
lows: Mrs. Lewis KaIer, Of Vineland;
Mrs. Herbert Moffett, of Collingswood;
Mrs. George B. Robson, of Philsdel-
phia; Mrs. DR.. II. H. Tomlin, of Wild
wood, and Miss Jane Pontius Baker.
Thelonly surviving brother is Latimer
r. Baker, and two or three sisters also
are living.
Philip P. Baker was born on a farm
in 1846 neal L%ewisburg, in the central
part of Pennsy lvania. His father vas
Jacob Baker, who died early in life
and left the care of the farm to the
widow and the Children. Philip P.
Baker was a man of wonderful energy
and great ability, qualities which he
displayed early in life. After leaving
the farm he clerked in a store at Lew
isburg. In February, 1869 the de-
ceased and his brother Latimer went
to Alabama and bought a cotton plan
tation. Through a defective title they
lost the S0O-acre tract and Phillip re-
turned to L%ewisburg, but Latimer re-
manned for a time in the South.
One day an acquaintance who had
read of Vineland, New Jersey, while
in Illinois, and captivated with the
glowing illustrated literature, advised
Latimer to go to Vineland. Latimer
read the literature carefully and de-
cided to start for Vineland. He trav-
eled three days and reached Philadel-
phia at two o'clock IN the morning,
his first visit to that city. Latimer ar
rived in Vineland on August 10, 1863,
and wrote to his brother Philip to
come. They bought a store business
in Vineland and that commenced the
business career of Baker Brothers. In
six years they are said to have made
$50, 600, and built the Baker House
hotel in Vineland. About 80 years
ago Philip Organized the Tradesmens
Bank in Vineland and was its first
president, continuing in that office un-
til his death.
The first sesshore experience of the
Baker Brothers was at Sea Isle City
with Mr.. Lands who founded that
resort in 1875. They bought fourteen
lots there. Shortly after this, in 1882,
a number of Vineland people, includ-
ing DR.. A. q. Andrew, John L. Burk,
Thomas Montgome cry and others,
formed the Holly Beach Improvement
Company and bought a strip of land
OF Five Mile Beach, now embraced in
the second and third wards of Wild
wood. The two Baker brothers, being
successful business men and popular
among the people of Vineland and
vicinity, were urged to become men,
bers of this company.
Philip made the first trip to the
beach, spending four days there with a
number of the members of the com-
pany. They came by train to Rio