IN Spencer County is an old cemetery by the name of Baker's Creek, It would seem this was started by the members of the Baker's Creek Baptist church to be a place to bury their dead. David Luce, who Luce Township is named after and who was our first Deacon, is the first to use the cemetery. According to an article by
Mrs. Lawrence L. Lant, titled Baker's Creek Cemetery To Be Re- dedicated
The origin of the cemetery is not known exactly but according to the old minutes of the Baker's Creek church, the first burial was that of a child of the Luce family. No stone can now be found for this child. The oldest stone, however, that was found, was that of a twelve-year old child, Elizabeth Schuyler, who died in March 1817.
("The Weekly Democrat June 9, 1855 - Article titled "A visit to Luce Township")
We took the Evansville Road and a delightful road it is, smooth and dry, fully equal to a plank road, persons traveling this road cannot but admire the beauty of the land, and the desirable location for farmers. The valley which is passed in traveling this road is one which might be taken for the garden of Eden, without making any very great mistake.
The tears that have fallen on this ground over the years have made this a sacred spot in our county. When looking at the newspaper accounts of that day we can see that many of those who lie buried here was not due to old age, but Pneumonia, Spiral Meningitis, Scarlet Fever, Typhoid Fever, Malaria, Consumption, Catarrh, and other sickness which our ancestors faced, were the ones who brought the young and old alike to lie beneath these trees.
This cemetery is a part of our history for it was started by those who were members and our first church built out of logs was on this site. When going to the cemetery today (2005) we are sadden to see that of the possible 217 markers that should be there, I count only 35 to 40 stone that can be read with many broken stones lying in a stack and on the ground. The sad thing about this is that it was not some war being fought on its ground, but neglect and vandalism form the generations of people that followed them.
Information From: In our church minutes dated October 21, 1905 it states
Trustees to learn how to transfer deed to Bakers Creek Cemetery to Trustee of Luce Township.
In the minutes of May 20, 1922 it states
Committee on the Old Bakers Creek cemetery reported that the Cemetery had been deeded to trustees of Luce Township and 3 Directors appointed:
The cemetery is a part of not only our church history but our state as well for the south was the door mat to the settling of the north. Thankfully through the efforts of the Spencer Country Historical Society we can go and read from paper what we cannot now find on stone and that is the names of the people bury at Baker Creek Cemetery.
Baker Creek is on South County Road 800W, North of County Road 50S
Arnold, M. A. pic b. Jan. 1, 1829 d. Oct. 7, 1859 w/o A Arnold Bacon, C. DeWitt pic b. 1825 d. Mar. 4, 1866 aged 41 yrs Bell, Anna pic b. 1805 d. Oct. 10, 1855 Borer, John pic b. Dec. 19, 1802 d. Dec. 12, 1847 Borer, Josiah B pic b. unknown d. unknown aged 7 yrs, no dates, shares with Sarah Borer, Sarah C pic b. unknown d. unknown aged 2 yrs, shares stone with John Borer, William H. pic b. Jan 23 1826, died Feb 16 1849 FAG memorial is wrong Bourse, Lucy pic b. 1882 d. Oct. 10, 1899 aged 71 y 2m 10d Brant, Ann pic b. May 10, 1797 d. Nov. 27, 1837 w/o Jacob aged 40yrs Brant, Jacob, II pic b. 1800 d. Nov. 7, 1833 h/o Ann Bresler, Frank A pic b. Jul. 4, 1897 d. Dec. 3, 1915 US Navy Denison, Enos Madison pic b. 1853 d. Feb. 17, 1859 s/o P & L A , aged 6y 8m Dodds, Sarah pic b. 1813 d. Feb. 11, 1841 consort of Y C Dodds, 28y 4m 27d Durfee, Elisher pic b. Apr. 20, 1817 d. Feb. 29, 1856 consort of N Durfee Durfee, Rocwell pic b. Nov. 1, 1838 d. Jul. 9, 1857 Eskridge, Hetta Ann no pic b. Nov. 19, 1868 d. Sep. 18, 1869 infant dau of Newport & Eliza Jane Eskridge, Newport no pic b. Mar. 19, 1835 d. Jan. 4, 1876 s/o Nathaniel & Rebecca, h/o Eliza Everton, Mahetare pic b. Mar. 17, 1792 d. Apr. 18, 1841 w/o Thomas, nee Luce, d/o David & Lizzie Everton, Thomas pic b. Nov. 5, 1782 d. Feb. 18, 1841 War of 1812, PVT, h/o Mehetare Luce Grimm, John W. pic b. Dec. 20, 1855 d. Sep. 19, 1860 s/o John and Nancy Hagan, Louisa pic b. 1825 d. Jan. 15, 1855 w/o John aged 30 Hill, Frances M. pic b. 1815 d. Jul. 17, 1851 w/o Dab Hill aged 36y 7d Hill, Nancy pic b. Mar. 18, 1826 d. Mar. 21, 1860 w/o Johnson Hill, Hornback, Allen B no pic b. Oct. 29, 1822 d. Apr. 28, 1876 Hornbeck, Abraham yes b. unknown d. Nov. 16, 1804 PVT 5 VA REGF REV WAR, h/o Hannah Cleaver Jones, Mary E. pic b. Dec. 31, 1852 d. Dec. 3, 1859 d/o Wm & Alsa aged 5y 11m 9d Jones, Mary J pic b. 1847 d. Jul. 26, 1851 d/o J H & MM Jones, aged 3y & 13d Jones, Matilda M. pic b. 1827 d. Jul. 26, 1851 w/o James H, aged 24y 2m 13d Langley, David D. pic b. Jul. 10, 1854 d. Jun. 2, 1855 s/o E & E Luce, Abner pic b. Mar. 15, 1737 d. Sep. 30, 1818 s/o Eleazer & Abish nee Hallock, h/o Mehitable Luce, David, Jr pic b. 1807 d. Jan. 1, 1832 aged 25y Luce, David T. pic b. Nov. 10, 1768 d. Apr. 18, 1838 war of 1812, h/o Elizabeth Carter, s/o Abner & Mehitable Luce, Elizabeth no pic b. 1770 d. Jul. 23, 1831 nee Carter, w/o David T Luce, Jonathan N. yes b. Oct. 5, 1814 d. Jul. 2, 1849 s/o David & Elizabeth Luce, Martha T. yes b. 1810 d. Aug., 1821 aged 11 Luce, Mehitable no pic b. Oct. 27, 1742 d. Aug. 10, 1825 w/o Abner, b NY Lugg, Jonathan N. pic b. Oct. 15, 1811 d. Jul. 2, 1819 Meador, Sarah pic b. Mar. 29, 1852 d. Aug. 25, 1854 Metcalf, Rose Ann pic b. 1824 d. Dec. 14, 1842 w/o W H Metcalf, aged 18y 10m 8d Middleton, John pic b. Aug., 1791 d. Jun. 27, 1847 b. Scotland, age 56 y, with infant daughter Sarah Jane Neal, Benjamin b. Nov. 4, 1856 d. Feb. 16, 1905 Overall, Sarah pic b. 1833 d. Dec. 12, 1852 d/o Posey & Elizabeth, aged 19 Overlin, Enos pic b. unknown d. unknown Civil War CO B 42nd INF Musician Overlin, William pic b. Dec. 12, 1765 d. Feb. 21, 1837 Overlin, William pic b. unknown d. 1862 Civil War Vet 1st Lt CO F 58th IN Infantry s/o William Parker, Thomas pic b. 1816 d. Aug. 21, 1849 h/o Mary Middleton, aged 33y Pitt, Sarah pic b. Jul., 1803 d. Dec. 18, 1852 w/o Rodney, aged 52y 5m 6d Pry, Daniel C. pic b. Sep. 30, 1830 d. unknown broken stone Pry, Jesse pic b. Aug. 27, 1767 d. Jul. 27, 1847 Continental Lines REV war Richardson, Clara pic b. Feb. 12, 1859 d. unknown Richardson, Ebenezer pic b. Feb. 16, 1785 d. Jul. 1, 1854 h/o hannah VanMeter Richardson, Edward H. pic b. 1825 d. Feb. 20, 1847 aged 22y Richardson, Hannah pic b. Jun. 21, 1786 d. Dec. 26, 1872 nee VanMeter, w/o Ebenezer, d/o Jacob & Catherine Richardson, Howard H. pic b. 1825 d. Feb. 20, 1847 aged 22y Richardson, John pic b. 1791 d. Jun. 27, 1847 aged 56, with infant dau Sarah Jane Richardson, Mariah pic b. Aug. 23, 1818 d. Nov. 15, 1844 Richardson, Sarah Jane pic b. Jun., 1847 d. Jun. 27, 1847 infant, buried with father Robertson, Jane pic b. May 26, 1819 d. Sep. 22, 1853 w/o Wm P Robertson Rogers, Elizabeth pic b. 1797 d. Sep., 1822 d/o David & Elizabeth Luce Shryock, John pic b. Dec. 25, 1827 d. unknown b. Maryland, s/o Christian & Eva Maria, h/o Ann Nancy Hohnson Songer, William A. pic b. Apr. 26, 1858 d. ???. 26, 1859 s/o W & M E Stepro, Cynthia pic b. 1890 d. 1922 nee Horn Thrailkill, Mary nee Middleton pic b. 1825 d. Nov. 20, 1877 w/o Thomas Parker and Aron Thrailkill, aged 52y 7m 17d Thrailkill, Sarah pic b. unknown d. Feb. 7, 1848 w/o A Thrailkill Whitlow, Eleanor pic b. 1762 d. Jul., 1839 w/o J Whitlow,aged 77y Wilkinson, Missouri pic b. 1816 d. Dec. 20, 1845 w/o Ford Wilkinson, aged 29y 9m 18d Williams, John pic b. 1749 d. Jun. 2, 1812 h/o Rebecca & Lucinda, aged 63y 1d Williams, Lucinda pic b. 1805 d. May 30, 1842 w/o John WIlliams, aged 37y Williams, Rebecca pic b. 1782 d. Dec. 11, 1835 w/o John Williams, aged 53y Wilson, Eliza Jane pic b. 1827 d. Jun. 1, 1845 w/o John , aged 18y 4m 13d, with infant daughter Julia Franklin Wilson, Julia Franklin pic b. Dec. 25, 1844 d. Dec. 27, 1844 aged 2 days, buried with mother, Eliza Jane Woodruff, Amos Ogden no pic b. Feb. 20, 1806 d. Aug. 14, 1845 h/o Sarah Jane Horton Woodruff, Sarah Jane no pic b. Feb. 18, 1807 d. Sep. 6, 1889 w/o Amos Ogden Woodruff, nee Horton Young, Catherine pic yes b. Sep. 23, 1803 d. Jul. 5, 1865 Young, Mary S. pic yes b. 1815 d. Nov. 11, 1838 consort of George Young, aged 23y 4m 23d