WILL C. BALDWIN Harrison County has profited by the stable citizenship and unfaltering industry of the BALDWIN family since 1857. Practically all bearing the name have been interested in agriculture, but their services have been extended also to business, finance, politics, education, religion and society. Will C. BALDWIN, a resident of Martinsville, president of the Farmers' Insurance Company, and widely known as a farmer, is the representative of the third generation of BALDWINS in Harrison County. He was born in his present locality in Dallas Township, October 4, 1860, and his old home is still in the family, it having been entered from the United States Government by his father in 1857.

Ezra [P.] BALDWIN, the grandfather of Will C. BALDWIN, entered the land upon which Martinsville is not situated and made that his home until he passed away in 1884. He was a New York man, born in that state in 1800, and was there given good educational advantages, eventually adopting the profession of law, at Detroit, and in other cities of Michigan. At one time he was a member of the Michigan Legistlature, and prior to the organization of the republican party gave his supprt to the whigs. Mr. BALDWIN came West to secure homes for his children from the public domain, and what little he had to do with affairs in Harrison County was as a farmer. Mr. BALDWIN was a good business man and died leaving a landed estate. He married Mary McCLUNG, an Irish girl, born in County Armagh, Ireland, who came to the United States in 1819, when she was twenty years of age, and she passed away in 1886. Their children were as follows: Ezra T., the father of Will C. BALDWIN; Edward, who was a resident of Texas when the Civil war came on, served in that struggle as captain of a company of Texas troops in the Confederate service, returned successfully to his home and took up the practice of law, and spent his later years in Harrison County, Missouri, where he died; Sarah, who gave many years of her life to school teaching, married George RAINES, and died near Mount Ayr, Iowa; and Alexander, who died unmarried.

Ezra T. BALDWIN, father of Will C. BALDWIN, was born at Birmingham, Michigan, March 24, 1837, and spent his boyhood in that city at Detroit, where his father practices law. He was given the privileges of a liberal education, and his assisted him greatly in after years, when it enabled him to purpass the business qualifications of the average of his fellowmen in Missouri. He was early able to see the future of Missouri lands, and acquired a great amount of other land adjacent to his original entry, mentioned before, becoming one of the leading farmers of his part of Harrison County, and at his death deeding his property to his children in common, in which form it still stands. Mr. BALDWIN was residing in this county when the great struggle between the North and South swept across the country, and he gave his support to the Union, not only morally, but as a soldier. For several years of the war he held the rank of lieutenant, and his service was principally in Missouri, but although evidence has it that he was at all times a brave and faithful soldier, in later years he would say little about his service, and he seldom took part in the meetings or activities of the Grand Army of the Republic. In political matters he was a republican, and was an active man in that sphere, attending numerous conventions and state meetings, particularly in early days. In 1872 he was elected to the office of county treasurer of Harrison County, but with the expiration of his four-year term his public services ceased. As a business man, Mr. BALDWIN was one of the main factors in the organiation of the Bank of Martinsville, and at the time of his death was its chief executive. Fraternally, his connection was with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, assisted to organize the lodge at Martinsville, and filed its chief chair for a long period. A man of determination and initiative, he always had his plans ready and complete and followed them to the letter, while he left behind him a record worthy to be studied by posterity, for his great success was built up on nothing more than his disposition to achieve.

Mr. BALDWIN was united in marriage with Miss Margaret CLARK, a daughter of Thomas CLARK, who lived and died in Ohio, and who was engaged in agricultural pursits. Mrs. BALDWIN passed away in 1878, at the age of forty-two years, having been the mother of four children, as follows: Will C., of this review; Elmer, who is a successful farmer and owns a property in the vicinity of Martinsville; Miss Lucile, who is engaged in teaching public school in Harrison County; and Miss Hattie May.

William C. BALDWIN had access to the Stanberry Normal after the public schools, and after his graduation therefrom, in 1884, entered upon his career as a public school teacher. This he followed for some eight years, doing work at Martinsville and became popularly know, but during this time did not discard the vocation of farmer, an occupation in which he had been reared. At the time of his marriage he located at his present home, where he has continued to reside to the present time and to be successfully engaged in farming and stock raising, pursuits for which he had demonstrated great adaptability.

Mr. BALDWIN was married May 20, 1886, to Miss Hattie ROBINS, a daughter of John ROBINS, an old pioneer of Linn County, Iowa, where Mrs. BALDWIN was born in 1868. There were four children in the ROBINS family, namely: Mrs. BALDWIN; Will; Libbie, the wife of Bert FLETCHER; and Ella, the wife of L. ROBERTS. Mr. and Mrs. BALDWIN have one child: Marie, who is the wife of Will ROSS, the latter the active farmer of the Will C. BALDWIN homestead.

Mr. BALDWIN is a republican in politics, but has held no public office. He is a valued and popular member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he is past grand. His religious connection is with the Martinsville Presbyterian Church, and for several years has served as elder. The Farmers Insurance Company of Harrison County, of which Mr. BALDWIN is president, was organized in 1897, at which time he became a member of the board of directors. He was made president of this institution in 1912, and has represented it in the conventions of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Association of Missouri on various annual occasions. He has written business for this company for the west half of Harrison County since the time of its organization.

NOTE: Ezra P. BALDWIN was born in New York State on December 22, 1800, and died October 4, 1883. Mary (McCLUNG) BALDWIN was born June 22, 1806, and died December 22, 1883. Ezra and Mary were interred at Kidwell Cemetery, Martinsville, Harrison County, Missouri.

Ezra T. BALDWIN was born March 13, 1837, and died February 10, 1912, Margaret B. (CLARK) BALDWIN was born February 20, 1836, and died August 20, 1882. Ezra and Margaret were interred at Kidwell Cemetery, Martinsville, Missouri.

Alexander McClung BALDWIN was born August 17, 1846, and died March 14, 1885, with interment at Kidwell Cemetery, Martinsville, Missouri. He shares a gravestone with his parents Ezra P. and Mary (McCLUNG) BALDWIN.

Lucile BALDWIN was born October 9, 1879, and died June 10, 1961, with interment at Kidwell Cemetery, Martinsville, Missouri. Lucille shares the same stone with her sister Hattie Mat BALDWIN, born November 30, 1873, and died November 10, 1959.

Elmer C. BALDWIN was born March 24, 1868, and died August 5, 1933, with interment at Kidwell Cemetery, Martinsville, Missouri.

Will C. BALDWIN died June 21, 1948. Hattie R. (ROBINS) BALDWIN was born November 27, 1886, and died June 26, 1951. They were interred at Kidwell Cemetery, Martinsville, Missouri.

Marie Robin (BALDWIN) ROSS was born June 20, 1889, and died May 7, 1983. William Delbert ROSS was born January 12, 1885, and died January 14, 1964. Their son William S. ROSS was born and died June 24, 1922. They were interred at Kidwell Cemetery, Martinsville, Missouri.

SOURCES:
WILLIAMS, Walter, editor. A History of Northwest Missouri, Pp. 1542-44. Volume III. Lewis Publ. Co. Chicago. 1915.

WPA Graves Survey

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2009

Biographical Sketches Pages Index: A - F,   G - L,   M - R,  S - Z