Appalachian Figures
Why Baker matters
Edwin T. Baker served eight years in the California Assembly, then two years on the Los Angeles City Council, during a moment when Southern California was growing fast and demanding a bigger voice in state government. In 1923 he pushed measures to shorten the Legislature’s costly mid-session recess, to reapportion seats in favor of the booming Southland, and to institutionalize a California “Blue Book” so citizens could easily see who was running their government.
From Maryland to Georgetown to the border
Baker was born in Oakland, Maryland, on February 11, 1873. He earned a B.S. at Georgetown University in 1897. The Georgetown catalog for 1897–98 confirms his class cohort and credentials, which were repeatedly cited later in his public career.
In 1905 he accepted a federal appointment as collector of customs at Nogales, Arizona. His tenure ended in early 1906 amid scandal reported in border and Los Angeles papers. Contemporary Arizona coverage in the Bisbee Daily Review and The Copper Era, along with Los Angeles reporting, documented his removal and his public insistence that political enemies were behind the charges. Those reports establish both the timing and the federal nature of his service.
Moving to Los Angeles and entering state politics
After relocating to Los Angeles, Baker turned to civic work and tax advocacy, then won election to the State Assembly from the 75th District. Official state rosters place him in the Assembly across the 42nd through 45th sessions, from January 8, 1917 to January 5, 1925.
The Assembly’s own 1917 index shows Baker as an active author and participant of record. He appears repeatedly in the “Bills—Assembly” index for that session, which is the contemporaneous ledger of who sponsored and amended what on the floor. Researchers can verify his name in the index across multiple page entries.
The 1923 program: no more long recess, more seats for the South, and a permanent Blue Book
In January 1923 Baker introduced a constitutional amendment to eliminate the 30-day mid-session recess. He argued it cost money and did little to improve bills. He also promoted a major reapportionment to reflect Southern California’s population surge. That same season he pressed for a state “Blue Book” that would list officials and basic government information in one reference volume for the public. Contemporary coverage summarized his aims, and the Assembly’s Final History for the 1923 session tracks the bills from introduction through disposition.
By 1924 the Blue Book project had tangible results. The Secretary of State issued a full California Blue Book in April 1924. The digitized volume shows the new statewide roster system that Baker had championed.
City Hall service
Baker shifted to municipal office in 1923 and sat on the Los Angeles City Council from July 1, 1923 to June 30, 1925. Municipal reference works compiled by the Los Angeles Public Library’s Municipal Reference Library and related city compilations place him on the council during those years, which correspond to the first half of George E. Cryer’s mayoralty and a period of rapid public-works expansion.
Later years and death
After public service Baker returned to private work as a tax counselor. When California adopted a sales tax in 1933, Governor James Rolph appointed him to the Sales Tax Division of the State Board of Equalization, where he served until his death in Los Angeles on July 22, 1936. Contemporary obituaries and later reference summaries record his funeral and burial at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Sources and Further Reading
Wikimedia Commons, Edwin T. Baker photo files: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Edwin_T._Baker
Wikipedia, “Edwin T. Baker”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_T._Baker
JoinCalifornia, “Edwin T. Baker”: https://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/9540
State record of Assembly membership, 1849–2017 PDF: https://archive.senate.ca.gov/sites/archive.senate.ca.gov/files/rep/assembly_service_and_officers_1849-2017.pdf
California Assembly Journals 1917, General Index to Bills, Resolutions and Amendments (confirms authorship and actions): https://clerk.assembly.ca.gov/sites/clerk.assembly.ca.gov/files/archive/DailyJournal/1917/Volumes/Gen_Index_17_jnl_reg_ses.pdf
California Assembly Journals 1917, Index to Assembly Journal: https://clerk.assembly.ca.gov/sites/clerk.assembly.ca.gov/files/archive/DailyJournal/1917/Volumes/Index_17_jnl_reg_ses.pdf
California State Assembly and Senate, Final History – 1923 Session: https://clerk.assembly.ca.gov/historical-information/archive-list/california-state-assembly-and-senate-final-history-1923-session
California Assembly Journals 1923, Title pages showing the split session and recess: https://clerk.assembly.ca.gov/sites/clerk.assembly.ca.gov/files/archive/DailyJournal/1923/Title%20pages/Title_23_jnl_reg_ses.PDF
California Blue Book, Legislative Manual or State Roster, April 1924 (full digitization): https://archive.org/details/californiabluebo0000unse_s3v1
Georgetown University, Catalogue of the Officers and Students, 1897–98: https://repository.digital.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/1100287
Los Angeles Public Library Municipal Reference Library, Chronological Record of Los Angeles City Officials, 1850–1938 (bibliographic entry): https://books.google.com/books/about/Chronological_Record_of_Los_Angeles_City.html?id=1IkvswEACAAJ
City of Los Angeles, Office of the City Clerk, Los Angeles City Officials from 1850 to the Present (project overview and database intro): https://ens.lacity.org/clk/rmdroot/clkrmdroot318673966_10262011.pdf
Bisbee Daily Review, “Wife Out Driving Husband a Suicide,” Dec 28, 1905: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024827/1905-12-28/ed-1/seq-3/
Bisbee Daily Review, “Deposed, He Asks for Investigation,” Feb 10, 1906: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024827/1906-02-10/ed-1/seq-3/
Bisbee Daily Review, “Statement Made by Collector Baker,” Feb 14, 1906: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024827/1906-02-14/ed-1/seq-3/
The Copper Era, “Collector Baker Is Discharged by Wire,” Feb 15, 1906: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn94050513/1906-02-15/ed-1/seq-4/
California State Board of Equalization, History & Milestones (sales tax effective Aug 1, 1933): https://www.boe.ca.gov/info/milestones.htm
California State Board of Equalization, Publication 216: The First 100 Years: https://www.boe.ca.gov/info/pub216/