Summersode 13: Postmaster Alert
Postmaster Alert
Frazier B. Baker, Part One
On July 30, 1897, President William McKinley appointed seven Black men to postmaster positions across the state of South Carolina. One town would not react well to the news. One town would see to it that they would run their new Black postmaster out of town, even if it meant killing him.
Frazier B. Baker, a man born into slavery, knew struggle and hate. After all, he had grown up with it his whole life. An active member of the Colored Farmers Alliance, school teacher, and past postmaster in a different community, Baker entered his position as postmaster in Lake City, South Carolina with hope for himself and his family. Instead, it would turn into a nightmare leading to his death and the death of his two-year-old daughter, Julia. His only “crime” that led several white men to lynch Baker was his unwillingness to quit his job as postmaster.
In this latest episode, part one of the story, Zelda and Denise explore the history of reconstruction and how it helped lead to the death of Frazier B. Baker. Then we discuss what happened to the Baker family after horrific murders of Frazier and his toddler, Julia. Next week we will return with part two where we discuss Baker’s family tree and then learn more about his killers as well as those who tried to help the Baker family.
An article detailing the lynching of Frazier B. Baker and his daughter.
Source: The Lancaster (SC) News, 26 Feb 1898
The front side of a Historical Marker at the site where the post office stood in Lake City, South Carolina.
A portrait of the living Bakers not long after arriving in Boston, ca 1899.
From left to right: Sarah, Lincoln, Lavinia, Willie, Cora, and Rosa.
A long article detailing the needs of the Baker family after they reached Boston.
Source: The Boston Globe, 18 Sep 1899
The back side of a Historical Marker at the site where the post office stood in Lake City, South Carolina.
“The Mob at the Lake City Post Office--An Artist’s Portrayal,” reproduced from the Boston Post, 10 August 1899.
The death of Willie was the first death the Baker family faced since Frazier and Julia were killed. His death was barely mentioned, and instead the focus was on the people who brought the family to Boston.
Source: The Boston Globe, 3 Jan 1908
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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Media Recommendations
Documentary, An Outrage
Recommended Reading
A Deed So Accursed: Lynching in Mississippi and South Carolina, 1881–1940 (The American South Series) by Terence Finnegan
South Carolina Negroes, 1877-1900 by George Brown Tindall
At the Hands of Persons Unknown: The Lynching of Black America by Philip Dray
True Stories of Black South Carolina by Damon L. Fordham
Earliest Known African American Figures in Postal History on the National Postal Museum website
SOURCES
Ida B. Wells and the Outrage Over Frazier Baker Murder by Trichita Chestnut
Dr. Fostenia Baker Obituary
The Famous Trial of the Eight Men Indicted for the Lynching of Frazier B. Baker and His Baby…published by Rev. J. L. Dart, A. M.
Frazier Baker Tragedy from blog post by Williamsburg County, South Carolina Genealogy Trails
Wikipedia
We use a multitude of resources when researching a family tree up to an including census records from 1800-1940, marriage records in various states, draft registration cards, newspaper articles, and more. If you would like more specific details on where information was obtained, please email us and we’ll respond in a timely manner.