1897 | Born in Paterson, New Jersey, December 13. Brothers: Joseph J. (1894-1967) Samuel H. (1907-1966) Fred (1911- ) Sisters: Rae (1891-) Dorothy (n.d.) | |
1911 | | Born in Evanston, Illinois, June 27. Daughter of Dr. Charles R. and Frances Macklin Baker. [Brother, Frank, 1909-] |
1916 | Graduated from Paterson High School. Went to work for the Erie Railroad in the Demurrage Department in NYC. | |
1917 | Went to work for Public Service Corporation of New Jersey in Hackensack. | |
1918 | Enlisted in the Army | |
1922 | Left the Army in July. Took the examination for the Park Service and passed. Took position of assistant to the Superintendent at Grand Canyon National Park. | |
1925 | Married Elizabeth Compton, September. [From Cincinnati, Ohio.] | |
1928 | Divorced Elizabeth Compton. | |
1931 | Left the Park Service in May to manage the Big Bear Lake Lodge in the San Bernardino Mountains. | |
1932 | Became the ramrod at the Smoke Tree Ranch near Palm Springs. Married Margaret Elizabeth Baker, March 26, in Yuma Arizona. Moved to Santa Fe to work for the Indian Service, assistant to the Superintendent of the Northern Pueblos Agency, Chester E. Farris. Donated a 162 basket collection to Laboratory of Anthropology. | Moved to Palm Springs, Araby Tract with her mother, Frances Barron. Married Mike Harrison. Devised the “Harrison Peculiar System” to index Mike’s library. |
1933 | Sent to Fort Wingate Indian School as assistant to the temporary superintendent. | |
1934 | Transferred to San Francisco, California as assistant to the regional coordinator, Roy Nash. | |
1935 | Sent to Ukiah, California, as agent in charge of Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma counties. Collett investigation begins. | Began an apprenticeship in hand bookbinding with Hazel Dreis in March in San Luis Obispo County. Helped bind the remaining copies of Taos Pueblo by Mary Austin with photographs by Ansel Adams. |
1936 | | Completed apprenticeship in August. Won one first place, one second place and two third place ribbons for bookbinding at the LA County Fair. |
1939 | Sent to Sacramento, California. Rented a house at 3183 Carly Way. | Set up hand book bindery in the basement. |
1942 | | Major in Women’s Ambulance and Transport Corps |
1947 | Left the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Went to Bureau of Reclamation as a right-of-way agent for the Central Valley Canal. | |
1952 | Purchased their first home at 4216 T Street in Sacramento. | |
1959 | Purchased land in Fair Oaks, California for a new house. | Wrote the specifications, drew the plans, designed the bookcases and cabinets, and supervised the construction of “a library with living quarters.” |
1960 | Retired in May. Moved into new home, 7440 Alexander Court on July 6. | |
1962 | | Gave Michael The North American Indian by Edward S. Curtis. |
1966 | | Planned and supervised the construction of an expansion room to the library. |
1967 | Helped establish Little Big Horn Associates. | |
1969 | Began meeting with UC Davis representatives, including Chancellor James Meyer, regarding the bequest of the library on August 4. How to build a poor man’s library published by the Book Club of California. | Gave a presentation to the Sacramento Book Collectors Club, “Life with a bibliomaniac.” |
1980 | | Died in Fair Oaks, California, June 25. Bequeathed binding equipment and her half of the Center to the University of California, Davis. |
1995 | Appointed Honorary President of Western History Association. | |
1997 | Received Hubert Howe Bancroft Award for a lifetime of finding and protecting irreplaceable treasures of the western U.S. | |
2005 | Died in Fair Oaks, California, April 5. | |