Representative Henry Moore Baker

Henry Moore Baker (January 11, 1841 – May 30, 1912) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who served in both chambers of the New Hampshire legislature and as a Representative from New Hampshire in the United States Congress from 1893 to 1897. Over the course of his public career he was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, the New Hampshire Senate, and the United States House of Representatives, where he represented the interests of his constituents and contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office.

Baker was born on January 11, 1841, in Bow, Merrimack County, New Hampshire. He attended the public schools of his native town and later pursued further studies at the New Hampshire Conference Seminary in Tilton. Demonstrating early academic promise, he went on to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, from which he graduated in 1863. His education at Dartmouth provided the classical and legal foundation that would support his subsequent career in law and public service.

After completing his undergraduate studies, Baker studied law and was admitted to the bar, beginning the practice of law in Concord, New Hampshire. He established himself as a capable attorney and soon combined his legal work with service in public office. His legal training and experience informed his approach to legislative matters and helped shape his reputation as a careful and informed public servant.

Baker’s political career in New Hampshire included service in both the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. As a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, and later as a member of the New Hampshire Senate, he participated in shaping state legislation during a period of economic and political change in the late nineteenth century. His work in the state legislature helped to build the experience and recognition that would lead to his election to national office.

A member of the Republican Party, Baker was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Representative from New Hampshire and served two consecutive terms in Congress from 1893 to 1897. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history marked by debates over economic policy, monetary standards, and industrial growth. As a member of the House of Representatives, Henry Moore Baker participated in the democratic process, engaged in legislative deliberations, and represented the interests of his New Hampshire constituents at the national level. During these two terms in office, he contributed to the legislative process in keeping with the priorities of his party and his state.

After leaving Congress in 1897, Baker returned to New Hampshire and resumed the practice of law. He remained a respected figure in state political and legal circles, drawing on his combined experience in state and national government. In his later years he continued to be identified with the Republican Party and with the civic life of his home state.

Henry Moore Baker died on May 30, 1912. His career reflected the trajectory of a nineteenth-century New England lawyer-politician who advanced from local education and legal practice to service in the state legislature and ultimately to the United States House of Representatives, where he represented New Hampshire during a formative era in American political and economic development.