This continues a series adapted from the book, “A Port Oneida Collection,” Volume 1 of the twopart set, “Oral History, Photographs, and Maps from the Sleeping Bear Region,” produced by Tom Van Zoeren in partnership with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear. Here we begin a look at the Baker Farm at the north end of Port Oneida Road.
Fred Baker grew up in farm country far to the south of Port Oneida, in Illinois. When he came of age he found his way to a job in a Chicago meat-packing plant, where he became friends with Frank Dago (Dechow), of Port Oneida. Knowing that Fred yearned to get back to farming, Mr. Dago convinced him to come see his home area in northern Michigan.
Many years later Fred recounted how Mr. Dago “had taken me all around the Bohemian Settlement, where he knew I was interested in farming.” Eventually they made their way up along Lake Michigan to where a farmer named Minor Kelderhouse had “such a beautiful field of wheat. ‘Now, if this place was for sale,’ I said, ‘I’d be interested!’” Mr. Kelderhouse’s farm had been started by his parents, Charles and Frances Mary Kelderhouse. (Charles was the eldest son of Thomas P. Kelderhouse, the owner of the Port Oneida dock and town.)
