James & Addie Baker House
On July 1, 1874, James and Addie Baker purchased Lots 4, 5, and 6 in Block 16 of Staples and Mays Addition to Stillwater. Two years later, in 1876, they built this home at 218 West Maple Street on those lots. The 1880 U. S. Census lists the household: James Baker, age 44, a lumberman from Maine; his wife, Addie, age 37, also from Maine; a son, James, age 4, born in Minnesota; a baby daughter, Edith, age 2 months; a nephew, Edwin McComb, age 19; and a Swedish servant woman, Hattie Johnson, age 20. _x000D_ _x000D_ There is little information about James P. Baker, but we do know that his wife, Addie Louise Baker, was the daughter of Henry A. and Sarah Jackman. The Jackman family came to Stillwater in 1849, and purchased a farm in Oak Park in 1851. Henry Jackman held a number of civic positions during his lifetime here, including service as a member of the state legislature._x000D_ _x000D_ Sometime in the 1890s, the Baker family left the house and settled in the town of Shell Lake, Wisconsin, where the 1900 Census records James, age 64, and his son, James, age 24, both of them with the occupation of butcher. The family must have had some affluence for they still have a servant, Mattie Peterson, age 25._x000D_ _x000D_ Addie (Jackman) Baker died in Shell Lake November 24, 1907 at age 64._x000D_ _x000D_ In March of 1909, Claus J. La Vine and his wife, Bertha, purchased the house at 218 West Maple Street, selling their previous home at 812 North William Street. Claus was born in the province of Smaland, Sweden, September 9, 1854. He came from Sweden directly to Stillwater in 1883. In his early years in Stillwater, he was associated with the Stillwater Manufacturing Company, but in 1899, he organized the St. Croix Box Manufacturing Company in South Stillwater (Bayport.) Both companies took advantage of the ready supply of lumber in Stillwater during the height of the lumbering industry. His obituary in the Stillwater Daily Gazette of December 29, 1920, eulogized him as being modest, unassuming, unselfish, kind and sympathetic, leaving behind the record of a life well spent. _x000D_ _x000D_ The 1910 U. S. Census enumerated the family as Claus, age 55, a box manufacturer and his wife, Bertha, age 55, who had been married to Claus for twenty nine years. Anna, their daughter, was age 27 and worked out of the house as a dressmaker; their son, Knute, was 26 and worked with his father in the business. Olivia was their 23-year-old daughter, with no occupation listed, and the youngest son, Arthur, age 21, was a college student._x000D_ _x000D_ By 1920, the year of Clauss death, only Anna, the daughter, now age 37, remained in the house along with a ten-year-old girl, Katherine Krupping whose relationship cant be read._x000D_ _x000D_ The 1930 Census listed only two residents of the house: the widow, Bertha, and the daughter, Anna, for whom no occupation is listed. The value of the house was given as $5,000. On February 18, 1936, Bertha La Vine died, leaving the homestead to her daughter, Anna. _x000D_ _x000D_ The following year, 1937, Anna La Vine paid contractor Axel Brosell $1,500 to remodel the house at 218 West Maple Street into a duplex. For the next 15 years or so, the house functioned as a duplex with Anna occupying one unit in the house. In May of 1956, Anna sold the house to William and Harriet Engler. There is no Minnesota Death Certificate on file for Anna La Vine. _x000D_ _x000D_ In recent years, there have been modifications to this attractive house. In 1997, there was a fire in the home that required substantial repair work. In 2002, the owner tore down the old garage, and according to the city permit, built a new $60,000 garage attached to the rear of the house. The current owners have converted the space over the garage to an apartment dwelling._x000D_ _x000D_ In style, the house is a classic Stillwater Italianate, with its hipped roof and the chimney in the center, the brackets under the eaves, and the three bays (windows) in the front. Typically, the porch would have been added somewhere around 1900. The large window on the west side would have been added about the same time.
James & Addie Baker House
On July 1, 1874, James and Addie Baker purchased Lots 4, 5, and 6 in Block 16 of Staples and Mays Addition to Stillwater. Two years later, in 1876, they built this home at 218 West Maple Street on those lots. The 1880 U. S. Census lists the household: James Baker, age 44, a lumberman from Maine; his wife, Addie, age 37, also from Maine; a son, James, age 4, born in Minnesota; a baby daughter, Edith, age 2 months; a nephew, Edwin McComb, age 19; and a Swedish servant woman, Hattie Johnson, age 20. _x000D_ _x000D_ There is little information about James P. Baker, but we do know that his wife, Addie Louise Baker, was the daughter of Henry A. and Sarah Jackman. The Jackman family came to Stillwater in 1849, and purchased a farm in Oak Park in 1851. Henry Jackman held a number of civic positions during his lifetime here, including service as a member of the state legislature._x000D_ _x000D_ Sometime in the 1890s, the Baker family left the house and settled in the town of Shell Lake, Wisconsin, where the 1900 Census records James, age 64, and his son, James, age 24, both of them with the occupation of butcher. The family must have had some affluence for they still have a servant, Mattie Peterson, age 25._x000D_ _x000D_ Addie (Jackman) Baker died in Shell Lake November 24, 1907 at age 64._x000D_ _x000D_ In March of 1909, Claus J. La Vine and his wife, Bertha, purchased the house at 218 West Maple Street, selling their previous home at 812 North William Street. Claus was born in the province of Smaland, Sweden, September 9, 1854. He came from Sweden directly to Stillwater in 1883. In his early years in Stillwater, he was associated with the Stillwater Manufacturing Company, but in 1899, he organized the St. Croix Box Manufacturing Company in South Stillwater (Bayport.) Both companies took advantage of the ready supply of lumber in Stillwater during the height of the lumbering industry. His obituary in the Stillwater Daily Gazette of December 29, 1920, eulogized him as being modest, unassuming, unselfish, kind and sympathetic, leaving behind the record of a life well spent. _x000D_ _x000D_ The 1910 U. S. Census enumerated the family as Claus, age 55, a box manufacturer and his wife, Bertha, age 55, who had been married to Claus for twenty nine years. Anna, their daughter, was age 27 and worked out of the house as a dressmaker; their son, Knute, was 26 and worked with his father in the business. Olivia was their 23-year-old daughter, with no occupation listed, and the youngest son, Arthur, age 21, was a college student._x000D_ _x000D_ By 1920, the year of Clauss death, only Anna, the daughter, now age 37, remained in the house along with a ten-year-old girl, Katherine Krupping whose relationship cant be read._x000D_ _x000D_ The 1930 Census listed only two residents of the house: the widow, Bertha, and the daughter, Anna, for whom no occupation is listed. The value of the house was given as $5,000. On February 18, 1936, Bertha La Vine died, leaving the homestead to her daughter, Anna. _x000D_ _x000D_ The following year, 1937, Anna La Vine paid contractor Axel Brosell $1,500 to remodel the house at 218 West Maple Street into a duplex. For the next 15 years or so, the house functioned as a duplex with Anna occupying one unit in the house. In May of 1956, Anna sold the house to William and Harriet Engler. There is no Minnesota Death Certificate on file for Anna La Vine. _x000D_ _x000D_ In recent years, there have been modifications to this attractive house. In 1997, there was a fire in the home that required substantial repair work. In 2002, the owner tore down the old garage, and according to the city permit, built a new $60,000 garage attached to the rear of the house. The current owners have converted the space over the garage to an apartment dwelling._x000D_ _x000D_ In style, the house is a classic Stillwater Italianate, with its hipped roof and the chimney in the center, the brackets under the eaves, and the three bays (windows) in the front. Typically, the porch would have been added somewhere around 1900. The large window on the west side would have been added about the same time.
Posted Date
Sep 27, 2021
Source Name
Heirloom Homes and Landmark
