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G. Carson Baker's Cunningham CatalogThe Baker Family

George Carson Baker


Carson on his motorcycle, with sidecar he designed and built, c. 1914.

Born: May 27, 1881
Married: November 16, 1904, Bertha Eunice Odell (1880)
Children: Margaret Elizabeth (1907) and Dorothy Francis (1911)
Died: November 26, 1950

George Carson Baker (professionally listed as G. Carson, but always referred to as Carson) was born in 1881 to Charles and Martha Baker. He grew up on Elba St. (formerly Mansion St.) in Rochester's 19th Ward.


Carson as a young man.
In 1897 at age 16, Carson started work as a clerk at 118 State St. It would appear that Carson's job was with the H.B. Graves Furniture and home furnishings company. This may have been a sales or administrative position, or perhaps it was Carson's introduction to cabinetmaking. In either case he didn't stay there long. Carson changed occupations in 1899 to woodworking at the factory where his father Charles was already an established carriage painter and wood carver. This marked the beginning of Carson's very successful career with the James Cunningham, Son & Company.

"I always thought that my father started at Cunningham's as a young man because of his father," recalled his daughter, Dorothy in a letter. "In those days trades were learned by serving apprenticeships under the skilled worker. He worked himself up through the years as a designer of the custom built cars. It was not like an assembly line, but only one of a kind [vehicles]," and she noted in parentheses "(for the very rich)."

Carson was soon promoted to senior draftsman (or draughtsman as it was spelled at the time). On November 16, 1904 Carson married Bertha Odell, and hired a carriage for the event for $5. The newlyweds moved into their own house on Garfield St. Their first child Margaret was born in 1907, the same year Cunningham began producing its first automobiles.


Carson's business card; unusual because he was not called by his first name.

In 1909, at age 28, Carson was again promoted, this time to senior body designer. The company went through many leadership changes that year as it was nearing the end of the carriage era. In 1911 his second child Dorothy was born. In 1914, Carson's position enabled him to afford building a new home for his growing family on Woodbine Ave. in the Sibley Tract, a prestigious neighborhood at that time in the 19th Ward. In 1915, carriage production ceased, and with Carson leading the team of designers, the James Cunningham, Son & Company moved into the very exciting era producing luxury automobiles.

Carson's commute to Canal St. was now a little farther than it had been growing up and he took the trolley. He never owned a Cunningham car, but was not without vehicles. His first was a motorcycle, and he designed a side car for it and had it built down at the shop so he could take his family for Sunday drives. His daughter Margaret referred to it as "The Family Car." Dorothy recalled, "It was a day's trip from 346 Woodbine to Durand Eastman Park for a picnic and zoo." Occasionally, Carson did bring home from work a new Cunningham car that needed to be taken out for test drive. Margaret particularly liked those excursions in the great luxury vehicles.

In May of 1931 Carson purchased his own car, a Ford Tudor for $450 from Genesee Motor Vehicles. Dorothy recalled, "The first car I remember was a touring car, that had side curtains with [isinglass] windows that snapped on when it rained. The roof of the car stayed in place and had three windows. I think I was probably in No. 16 School at that time. We went to the Adirondack Mts. on a camping trip and whenever we stopped on a steep grade, a large stone had to be put in back of the front wheel to prevent rolling back." Perhaps that was an issue for most vehicles at that time, not just Fords.

During that time Carson had a workshop in the attic of his home on Woodbine where he crafted many things, including a dining room buffet using wood from an old organ. He loved beautiful wood with grains and had a gift of making beautiful things out of insignificant materials. The buffet had a French polish finish (a technique he also used for many other pieces that he made) and he rubbed it until it was perfect.

In 1935, Carson's sister Alice died at age 60. In 1936, Cunningham ceased its production of auto bodies and Carson's career with Cunningham ended. It was a difficult economic time not just for Cunningham but other businesses as well. Dorothy recalled, "Many of the older men were let go from their jobs of many years. Our father was one of them [as was her father-in-law, from another company]...It was a sad time for many."

From 1936-1938 Carson listed his occupation as designer, and then carpenter. He sold his home on Woodbine to Margaret and her husband Eugene, and there the next generation of his family would reside.

Carson's next chapter in 1939 was as stationary engineer at the Colgate-Rochester Divinity School. He and Bertha first resided in an apartment at the missionary dorms at the school on the hill, and then in the white cottage (known as the Gate House) at the foot of the hill where the school was. He had a 28' x 56' garden with many varieties of plants he grew from seed. His choices included green beans, cucumbers, strawberries, pole lima beans, tomatoes, green onions, Spanish onions, lettuce, and huckleberries (which he was quite proud of, as they made the best pies).

Carson and Bertha were both avid archers and belonged to an archery club at the Rochester Museum. Carson hand-crafted their bows and arrows, and also made the wooden cases to store them (of course!). They were members of Westminster Presbyterian Church, and Carson was a session member. Each granddaughter had the delight of staying with them at the Gate House for two weeks each summer.


Carson posing with his own auto, a Ford Tudor, purchased from the Genesee Motor Vehicle Co. on May 28, 1931 for $450.
His granddaughter Susan recalls him as quiet in manner, a gentleman, and that he always smoked a pipe. She wrote, "I was not born yet when he worked at Cunningham and I was only 13 or 14 when he died. And for some reason the car factory days were not talked about. What was talked about was his skill at cabinet making and his skill for "French polish" finishing of wood. I only knew him as a Grandpa - tall, fairly reserved, and very strict, impeccable in detail — he had a fabulous vegetable garden, was an avid archer, a mason, a man of faith, always dressed well, and he had a car (surprise, surprise — which we did not, so it was a big deal to me). He had the home that I lived in built for him and Grandma when he worked at Cunningham."

Carson died in 1950 at the age of 69. He is buried with Bertha, who died in 1962, at White Haven Memorial Park, in Pittsford, N.Y., in a plot shared with their daughter Margaret and her husband Eugene, and their granddaughter Dorothy and her husband Leslie Keefe.


From Company Histories Online:

"Also under Dryer's control was the firm's body design and engineering department which included chief designer George Carson Baker (G. Carson Baker), and his able assistant, former Pierce-Arrow engineer and designer David Fergusson (1869-1951). Baker, whose father Charles Baker was a longtime Cunningham carriage painter, was put in charge of the firm's drafting department after Martin Gable left in 1897."

"James Cunningham, Son & Co."
Mark Theobald, 2004.


"In 1909 the body design function was taken over by G. Carson Baker, who was responsible for the design and detailing of practically every automobile body produced by Cunningham until the last body was produced in 1936, at which time he left the company. He too performed his duties with a tradition behind him. His father had worked as a wood worker in the Cunningham factory and Baker started as a cabinetmaker with the company before progressing into body design.

The period of Cunningham's most respected stature in the automobile industry can fairly be said to have started with the introduction of the V-8 engine in 1916 and continued until the engine was last produced in 1931.

...much of Cunningham's success during this period must be attributed to the efforts of the body designer, G. Carson Baker..."

"The Cunningham Car-Made in Rochester."
William Morris, 1986.


OBITUARY:
G. C. BAKER
AUTO DESIGNER

George Carson Baker, 488 Highland Ave., who designed many custombuilt autos for wealthy persons all over the world, died yesterday (Nov. 26, 1950) at Highland Hospital after a brief illness.

Mr. Baker worked for many years in the woodworking department of the Cunningham & Son carriage factory, where his father also worked. Beginning as a cabinet maker, he got into the designing end of the work when the firm began turning out custombuilt auto and hearse bodies. He specialized particularly in designing auto bodies for the use of crippled persons.

EMPLOYED AT SCHOOL

He continued with the Cunningham firm until it ceased its custom-body operations about 14 years ago. Since that time he had been a member of the maintenance department at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School.

Mr. Baker became interested in archery about 20 years ago, and was an early member and past president of the Rochester Archers Club. He made his own bows and arrows, sometimes designing and making machinery for this hobby. He was also an enthusiastic gardener, and his fruits and vegetables, particularly his lettuce and huckleberries, attracted wide attention among local gardeners.

HOBBY GROUP MEMBER

Mr. Baker was an associate member of the Hobby Council of the Rochester Museum, and a past master of the Rochester Lodge, F&AM. He was also a former member and elder of the Westminster Presbyterian Church.

He leaves his wife, Bertha E. Baker; two daughters, Mrs. Orville A Parkes of Augusta, Ga., and Mrs. Eugene H. Pollock, and six grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Hedges Memorial Chapel, 271 University Ave. The Rev. Richard S. Blair, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church will officiate. Burial will be in White Haven Memorial Park.