Lafayette and Luther Baker

[historybuff22]

(02-21-2013 08:09 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  Good stuff Rick. Being a Michigander, the Lansing connection is especially interesting. Are there still members of the Baker family still in Michigan?

The Baker family was highly involved in the Lansing, Michigan area. Between 1843 and 1870 I found 34 property transactions by Lafayette, his brothers Milo and Alonzo, and Luther Baker. At the turn of the 19th/20th century, a son of Luther founded Michigan Millers Insurance. As far as the Baker sir name, there are none left in the Lansing area that a direct descendants.

Perhaps folks here in the form can help me figure out a strange situation about Luther. In 1865 Luther bought a 5.6 acre farm outside the city Limits of Lansing. He paid $8,000 for it. This purchase price did not include any crops or livestock. Other farms in the area sold for $750 or less at the time. Two years later, Luther decided he could not make a living as a farmer. He sold the same 5.6 acre farm for $500. What was going on here to explain why Luther paid such a high price for the farm?