Baker is an unincorporated community in Benson County. We drove through on the way to Knox and got quite a kick out of the signs at the edge of town.
Photos by Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright Sonic Tremor Media LLC
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Ghosts of North Dakota 
I attended school in baker from 1941 til 1950 My family had a farm 2.5 west of baker where my brother butch lives and farms Lots of memories of Baker . One thing Baker school was Famous for was their School band in the early 1950s There were a total of less than 50 kids in 1 through 12 grade and over forty played in the band My youngest brother Ron was in first grade and played th bass horn .My two brothers Dan and Butch also played in the band and my sister Bonita . the band had full uniforms that the parents went out and raised money for . for a while when the band started the Janitor played the bass fiddle and the bar owner played the trumpet. Alfred Borah was the band leader . Baker Electric was also started there the first if not one of the first Rural electric started . in the USA. Now Norhen Plains electric.
Richard Peterson named Baker as the Dance Capitol of benson county in the 50’s there would be a dance ( in the summer time ) at least once sometimes twice a month . there was a community hall built in the Wpa days there . The bands would play and at midnite there would be a break when lunch would be served ( sandwich donut or cookie and coffee ) by many time the mothers of the 4H club kids . Then the band would start up and play till one or so and the final song would be There’s No Place Like Home . I can remember one dance night when a Husband and wife were playing for the dance The husband played the accrordion and the wife the piano. Well the piano lady’s sister decided to, sit on the piano bench also and they played sort of a duet . The Wife the (the Main piano player ) moves the back part of her lap over quickly causing the sister to go bouncing on the floor.Any one reads this write a little and so will i
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Baker Electric got its start in 1937, making it the first coop in ND for sure, but there are a few other coops in other states that got their start in 1936. They had the opportunity to purchase the electric distribution system in Cando from the Central Electric & Telephone Company but the folks in Cando made the purchase contingent on Baker Electric relocating its headquarters there from Baker.
It was in the mid-1990s when it merged with its neighbor to the south (Tri-County Electric) to form Northern Plains Electric.
I was planning on stopping in Baker next Monday to see if the brick building that housed the coop headquarters was still standing…
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so what’s your problem It was the first in ND .
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I love this story<3 Uncle Gene!!
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Very interesting peice of Baker history, thanks for sharing! …love the sign
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I attended school at Baker from 1948 to 1956. we lived 3 mi south and a quarter mi west. I never played in the Baker Band. my older brother did. I played basketball for the Baker Bombers from the time I was big enough to handle a ball for as long as we had a team. those were fun times. they had the best penny candy at the Baker store. sometimes you could get two for a penny.we went down there alot during the noon hour, if we had a penny or a nickel.
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The “Depressed Buck Hunter Xing” sign was put up to depict my husband. This sign has brought him good luck since the neighbor put it up about 7 years ago.
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Incredibly gorgeous skies. I’m curious….are coyotes abundant out there?
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Wow I started on the Soo Line Railroad now the Candain Pacific Railway and I use to patrol track through there from Devils Lake to Harlow. I remember the gas station was open back then in 1996.
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I love this story…..Alfred Borah, Sr. (the band leader) was my grandfather. Isadora is my mother. I lived in Baker but was so young at the time, I have no memory of there. I do have family pictures, however, that I know were taken there. Some of Mother’s photo albums note the names Gene Reieson and Bonita. I know this reply is a couple of years late and there may not be any responses but…..just hoping.
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30 years ago when I was biking down to that store they used to still have the auditorium. The basketball hoops were still up and the floor was still pretty good for the windows being busted out and the elements getting in. It was torn down shortly after I graduated though, people get bored and gotta tinker. They always had bottled pop in an old cooler and single ice cream bars you could buy. Store I think still was there and you could get a few items here or there, mostly non-perishables. After the railroad was taken out and the elevator closed not much else was going on in that place. Sad to see it go.
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Peggy I was your sponser at your baptism at ST Petri church I believe Marlys hJohnson was the other sponsor remember your grandpa well as well as Brother Borah and your mom aand dad Your Dad jim and i were good friends lots of memories there Your grandpa also was suprindent in Esmond where My wife and I have lived since 1959 . My sister Bonnie and your mom were good friend s reember your mom riding out ot our farm an a motorcycle Bonnie pased away In April 30 2014 .
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ther eis another wb site Arena that claims that a bker ND was once in southeast nd named after a man named baker that no lomger exoist ?
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My Grandmother Josephine Bingham had a restaurant there in Baker way back when. She closed it down to cook for the threshing crews because it was just too much for her to keep up with cooking for both. She said the town became too small for her to start one up again after she was done cooking for the threshing crews.
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My Dad went to Baker to school in the late 1930’s then in to the 1940’s. I don’t remember ever hearing of the nickname of the Baker Bombers. was it always the Bombers??
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Peggy I was your sponsor at your Babptism at St Petri Lutheran church was friends with your dad
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Peggy I was your sponsor at your Babptism at St Petri Lutheran church was friends with your dad
Your dad was must of been Darold Church Remember him well he was an Auctioneer turned Methodist Preacher . My wife and I took over the Standard Oil bulk agency in Esmond . We were taught in the Farmers Union youth organization that Standard Oil and Peavey Grain Companies were next to the devil himself
My Dad and I went up to Baker one night to tne Farmer Union annual meeting bein my dad had shares in them from his farming days . I was talking to your Grandpa Clarence and he told your Grandma Gene here has the Sandard oil agency in Esmond Your Grandma answered “I know and he does not belong in here , So your Grandpa and Grandma came to a church supper in Esmond and I said to your Grandpa Gee you look good Clarence you must have Farmers union Life insurance
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Your dad Darold Church was coach for the Baker Bombers one time
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My dad was born in Baker in 1928! He married my mom who was from Devils Lake and we made Yankton, SD our home. He was a radio personality on WNAX from 1955 until his death in 1990. Long live Baker!
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My father grew up about a mile from Baker. the Joe Wolfe Family. Talked about Baker a great deal when I was growing up. We made a trip to see it ourselves about 2 years ago and also Rugby where my grandparents are laid to rest. He also said a great place to grow up.
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I remember going to the Baker Trading Post in the early sixties. My Grandparents would go in on Saturday mornings to sell cream and buy a few necessities to get us through the week. I always go a quarter to buy penny candy. That was a lot of candy. My uncle and I would take the grain truck to the elevator every once in a while and sell the grain. Good memories of Baker.
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