Baker County was created in 1825 from territory that was once part of Early County. Baker was later to be divided to allot land to Dougherty, Mitchell and Miller counties. Its namesake is Colonel John Baker, a noted patriot of the Revolutionary period who had served in the 1775 Provincial Congress in Savannah. The county seat, Newton, is named to honor Sergeant John Newton who led a raid on Savannah to rescue Patriot prisoners of war in 1779.