The bulk of the Baird-Baker Papers consists of correspondence, especially the business correspondence of Baker. The collection also includes several small files of business papers, such as attorney's tax receipts, deeds, and mortgages; a file of personal finances; and a miscellaneous file including such items as business cards.
The general correspondence (1850-1892), nearly all of it incoming, deals mainly with Baker's activities as a land agent, selling property and paying land taxes for various clients. A large proportion is from both of the insurance agencies for which Baker acted as agent. Correspondence to Baird, which falls for the most part between 1864 and the early 1870's, deals with his transactions as a land agent. There is very little personal correspondence. In addition to general correspondence, there are several small files of specific correspondence from Ramsay Crooks, Edward Decker, B.S. Doty, T.G. Dousman, Joseph Harris, and Col. Daniel Ruggles. The nature of this correspondence is similar to that of the general correspondence. Also included here are letters and notes regarding the estates of David Agry and D.J. Follett. Finally, there are six letterpress books of Baird's outgoing correspondence (1845-1850, 1857-1865), all of which are badly faded. Each section of the correspondence file is arranged chronologically. A “Selected List of Prominent Correspondents” is an appendix to this finding aid.
The business papers consist of a variety of materials. The first section contains tax receipts of people for whom Baker and Baird acted as land agents. Also in this section are a few receipts for taxes paid for civic improvements. The second section contains reports on the financial condition of the Kellogg National Bank. The third consists of various deeds, including quit-claim, county tax, and sheriff's foreclosure deeds. The fourth section consists of miscellaneous financial records pertaining to both Baird's and Baker's business concerns. Included is a volume labeled “Schedule of Bonds, Notes and Mortgages Due and Owing to H.S. Baird” (1870-1875). Also included in the collection prior to microfilming were a large number of cancelled checks and bank drafts drawn on various Green Bay banks (1863-1915); the bulk of cancelled checks and drafts were not filmed. The fifth section contains financial transactions pertaining to the insurance business. The sixth section consists of various transactions of Kellogg National Bank, including a small amount of correspondence with other banks. The seventh section consists of legal papers, including agreements on terms of mortgages, various drafts, several briefs of bankruptcy cases, notes on estates, and various other materials. The eighth contains World War I Liberty Loan receipts and payment books from the Kellogg National Bank. (The World War I Liberty Loan receipts, as well as those cancelled checks listed in the file of financial records, dated after the deaths of both Baird and Baker, were probably the property of H.B. Baker, James S. Baker's son and cashier of the bank.) The ninth section consists of both property and chattel mortgages. The tenth contains materials dealing with real estate, including financial records, land auction notices, and claims pertaining to the Land Bounty Act of 1855. While most of the business papers pertain to Baker, there are a few Baird papers included in most sections. The 10 sections are arranged alphabetically, and the material filed under each is in chronological order.
The personal financial records (1857-1895) contain household bills, rent receipts, and items of similar nature of both the Baird and Baker families. They are chronologically arranged. Also in this file is a personal account book (1856-1874) belonging to Baird.
Finally, there is a small miscellaneous file containing business cards, notes written by Baker, a lumber exchange bulletin, and notes of a former Archives' processor(?).
