Baker County, created in 1825 from territory that was once part of Early County and then later divided to allot land to Dougherty, Mitchell and Miller counties, takes its name from Colonel John Baker. Baker, a noted patriot of the Revolutionary period, served in the 1775 Provincial Congress in Savannah. Baker's county seat, Newton, honors Sergeant John Newton who led a 1779 raid on Savannah to rescue Patriot prisoners of war.