Hub Baker champion of Stockyards preservation
Hub Baker, champion of Stockyards preservation, has died
One of the leading voices for preservation of the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, Herbert Ewen Bettis Baker, known by most as “Hub” Baker, has died.
Baker was 78 and battled leukemia the last two months of his life, according to a post from his son, Joe Hub Baker.
“Nobody knew he has had a private bout with Leukemia over the last two months. He would never let you know,” the younger Baker wrote. “He was the most loving person I have ever known. He loved to a fault, forgave to a fault and yes, had fun to a fault (but we never cared what those nerds had to say).”
Baker produced over 2,000 rodeos during his nearly 30-year tenure at Cowtown Coliseum. He also founded the Stockyards Championship Rodeo and was one of the original investors in Billy Bob’s Texas, the iconic country music venue.
He has served on numerous boards including the Texas Trail Hall of Fame, Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.
Fort Worth City Council acknowledged Baker’s passing during a May 21 meeting.
Mayor Mattie Parker described Hub as “quite a character,” and described his larger than life impact on Fort Worth’s Western scene.
“It’s in large thanks to people like Hub that we now entertain over 9 million people in the Fort Worth Stockyards,” she said from the dais.
The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame inductee has a long list of professional accolades, but his character is just as impressive as his accomplishments, Billy Bob’s Texas co-owner Pam Minick said.
“He had the biggest heart of anyone I know. I mean, he genuinely loved people. He loved making sure that people smile. He thought so much of everyone,” she said. “He was very passionate about Western history and heritage. He was a cowboy through and through.”
Friend, colleague and musician Red Steagall agreed, saying that Baker was like a brother.
“He was somebody that I looked up to. He was somebody that I enjoyed being with. I talked to him when we were working together,” Steagall said. “He’s very, very strongly dedicated to his family. And, if he told ya that a rooster could pull a freight train, you better find a small harness.”
Baker served as the general manager for the Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering and Western Swing Festival for 31 years. Even when they disagreed, Steagall said he was always interested in what Baker had to say.
“He was a decent, kind human being. He was very opinionated, but his obligation to himself was to be opinionated and convicted about his beliefs,” Steagall continued. “I just loved him so much as a friend, as a brother, as a person. He added greatly to my life for the past 40 years. And, I’ll forever be grateful to him.”
Baker will be remembered for championing the cowboy way of life, but more importantly, as a family man, Minick said.
“It didn’t matter if he was in the middle of the biggest deal of his life. He took time for his family, for his two daughters and his son, his grandchildren, his wife,” she said.
“I think the greatest thing that I can say about him is that he was an amazing family man. And I think that’s, when you’re remembered, that’s even more important than any other legacy that you can leave. The relationship that he had with his children and grandchildren is one to be admired.”
This story will be updated with more details when the official obituary becomes available.
Marcheta Fornoff covers arts and culture for the Fort Worth Report. Reach her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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