She Kept Running The Wrong Way Down The Aisle
Mary Landon Baker was an American heiress and socialite with a penchant for running the wrong way down the aisle. Her serial marriage postponements, failed engagements, and never-ending roster of beaux kept the tabloids full of juicy gossip.
1. She Was Born Into Privilege
Mary Landon Baker entered the world on August 15, 1901, in Lake Forest, Illinois. She was born into a life of affluence and social prominence, setting the stage for a precipitous fall from grace.
2. Her Father Was A Prominent Chicago Financier
Baker’s father, Alfred L Baker, had transitioned from a legal career to become a massively successful (read: rich) financier in Chicago. Nevertheless, he maintained a positive reputation as a dedicated and civic-minded figure in the city's burgeoning financial scene.
3. Her Maternal Line Had Deep Chicago Roots
Baker’s mother, also named Mary, was another prominent member of Chicago society. She hailed from the Corwith family; a lineage with deep roots in Chicago's prestigious railroad and architecture circles. However, Baker had to share the spotlight—and her parents’ wealth.
4. She Had An Older Sister
Baker grew up with an older sister, Isabelle. Unlike Baker herself, however, in 1926, Isabelle would manage to make it down the aisle all the way to the altar. Twice.
5. Her Sister Remarried
After her first marriage, Baker’s sister became Mrs Robert M Curtis. Then, in 1934, Isabelle married again and became Mrs Isabelle Baker Curtis Welch. The only upside for Baker in all of this was the fact that her sister’s marriages left more money for her.
6. She Inherited A Massive Fortune
Baker didn’t spend much time envying her sister before a terrible tragedy changed her life forever. When their father passed on in 1927, Baker inherited a fortune so large that she would never have to work—or get married. Of course, she would end up doing neither, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have hobbies.
7. She Wrote A Book
Before she started abandoning men at the altar, Baker had another favorite pastime. Turns out, she was something of the artistic type and published an entire book full of short, witty poems and one-liners before she was even 20.
There was, however, one epigram she couldn’t seem to say; “I do.”
8. She Was A Ballroom Dancer
Perhaps the reason Baker was so good at waltzing out on marriages and engagements was because of her background as an “exhibition ballroom dancer”. However, she also danced her way right into the arms of the perfect bachelor.
9. She Had A Childhood Sweetheart
From the time that she was a young girl, Mary Landon Baker had a marital prospect that most young socialites would have given up their diamonds for. As she grew older, one newspaper reported on the relationship between Baker and one Allister McCormick, referring to them as “childhood sweethearts”.
10. She Loved All The Same Things
The media reported that Baker and McCormick were practically inseparable. The two shared a love for the theater, playing tennis, and going on lengthy car rides. Given the drama that ensued, however, it’s clear that somewhere along the line, something went horribly wrong.
11. She Found The Perfect Bachelor
Baker could hardly have cooked up a more perfect bachelor than McCormick if she had a kitchen full of hunky ingredients. Born in 1891, Allister McCormick was 10 years her senior and the youngest of his parents’ three boys. But he was certainly not the runt of the litter.
12. Her Beau Was A Hero
McCormick was nothing short of a hero—with the adventures and triumphs to prove it. During WWI, he had abandoned his upper-crust Chicago circles for the harrowing frontlines in Europe, having served as a “dashing aviator”. Oddly enough, it was Baker who would be the flight risk.
13. She Was Practically Marrying Into Royalty
McCormick wasn’t just a hero—he was a rich one. He came from the uber-wealthy McCormick family, founders of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company, who moved through Chicago like royalty. His family consisted of “diplomats, philanthropists, and married-in aristocrats”.
Baker would have been crazy to walk out on that! Well…
14. She Finally Announced Her Engagement
Despite all of the media speculation around Baker and McCormick, they managed to keep a lid on their plans. That is, until early 1921 when the couple made an official announcement that they were, in fact, engaged to be married.
15. Her Engagement Made Headlines
The announcement of the engagement itself attracted significant media attention—and immense pressure on the young couple. Town & Country, in their report on the Chicago society event, the Rex ball, wrote, “Dancing together most of the evening were Miss Mary Landon Baker and Allister McCormick, whose engagement, about which everyone has been speculating a long time, was announced a day or two later”.
16. She Was The Talk Of The Town
Even the mainstream newspapers picked up on the pending nuptials. The Chicago Daily Tribune, for example, reported on the announcement in early February, calling Baker and McCormick “popular members of the younger set” and “exceptionally clever dancers”.
17. She Wanted To Get Married Right Away
With so much excitement swirling around their engagement, Baker and McCormick thought it best not to keep everyone in suspense. They intended to keep their engagement short and hastened to make plans for a spring wedding.
18. She Ordered A Custom Couture Dress From Paris
Given their social status and the upswell of interest in their relationship, Baker knew that she had to pick the perfect dress. Ultimately, she turned to the fashion capital of the world, Paris, where the couturier House of Worth designed a silk velvet dress specifically for her.
If this dress could talk, it would have quite the story to tell.
19. Her Dress Told A Story
Timothy Long, a curator at the Chicago History Museum and a custodian of Baker’s infamous dress spoke for the couture gown—and the moment things went wrong. “The dress plays an important part in the story because it wasn’t until she put it on that she got cold feet,” he said.
Perhaps, if she had paired it with a cape, she wouldn’t have given McCormick the cold shoulder.
20. She Couldn’t Decide On The Right Look
Long, continuing to speak about the significance of the dress in Baker’s life, recounted that the numerous alterations she had made to it, saying “she tried to update her look each time she thought about going to the chapel”. That dress, sadly, would never see an altar.
21. Her Big Day Finally Came
Baker’s and McCormick’s engagement lasted a little longer than expected. Almost a year to be exact. However, on January 2, 1922, the couple finally prepared to say their “I dos”. They—and just about everyone who was anyone in Gold Coast society—assembled at the Fourth Presbyterian Church ready, ready for a wedding.
22. She Did Not Walk Down The Aisle
One can only imagine the hum of excitement emanating from the pews of the church in expectation of seeing Baker walk down the aisle in her couture dress. However, instead of the bridal march and a glowing bride, the guests were in for a surprise.
It was Dr John Timothy Stone who entered the church and made his way to the altar.
23. She Had A “Sudden Indisposition”
Once Stone, who was presumably meant to officiate the proceedings, reached the altar, he made a pronouncement that left everyone confused—and more than a little intrigued. “Owing to the sudden indisposition of Miss Baker,” Stone said, “the marriage is postponed. There will be no ceremony today”.
24. She Suffered A “Nervous Collapse”
For months, speculation swirled in the upper-crust circles from Chicago to New York and back over what could possibly have happened to Miss Baker. Finally, a first report came out in April that attributed the canceled nuptials to a “nervous collapse”. The report, however, reassured readers that it was a “delay”.
25. She Fueled Speculation
Despite the report, no one could quite believe that Mary Landon Baker had simply collapsed from nerves. Some things just didn’t add up. After all, from the sounds of it, her wedding came straight out of the pages of a storybook.
26. She Had A Sapphire Engagement Ring
McCormick had, apparently, proposed to Baker in style. In addition to all of his love, he had given her a sapphire engagement ring. So, she couldn’t have doubted his love for her.
27. She Walked Out On A Mountain Of Gifts
McCormick hadn’t been the only one lavishing Mary Landon Baker with gifts in preparation for the big day. The high-society guests reportedly showered the couple with a “mountain of wedding gifts”. The total value of their haul was allegedly north of $100,000.
28. Her Wedding Was A Massive Society Event
Baker’s last-minute decision to call off the wedding became such a newsworthy event in part because all of the Gold Coast society turned up for it. The guest list read like a society registry, making Baker’s decision to disappoint them all even more curious.
29. She Became The “Shy Bride”
Without any plausible explanation for her inexplicable decision, the media simply had to settle on the only narrative that made sense to them. As if in unison, reporters began calling Mary Landon Baker the “shy bride”.
30. Her Story Went International
Whether she was “shy” or nervous or simply not in love with McCormick, the story caught on like wildfire through an old growth forest. Before long, newspapers outside of Chicago began reporting on the affair. In fact, Baker was about to take her romantic vacillation internationally.
31. Her Father Backed Up Her Story
As the vaunted New York Times picked up the story, Baker and her family doubled down on their official line. Baker’s father reassured the international newspaper that the postponement of his daughter’s wedding was simply the product of an undisclosed “ailment”. The McCormick family backed up the story.
32. She Was Too Sick To See Her Fiancé
Perhaps in an effort to avoid further embarrassment—or, maybe, because it was true—McCormick’s father backed up Baker’s father’s version of events. He confirmed that Allister was in “good health” but, curiously, added that he had seen Baker since before the wedding day as she was still “too ill”.
The rumor mill got to work with that fodder.
33. She Wasn’t The Only One To Blame
Picking up on the comments from the fathers of the bride and groom, the New York Evening Telegram told a story of their own. According to the Telegram, Mary Landon Baker wasn’t solely responsible for the botched wedding. They alleged that McCormick, too, had fallen mysteriously ill.
34. She Still Wanted To Get Married (Supposedly)
Following all of the speculation, rumors began swirling that Baker hadn’t just walked out on the wedding, but on McCormick and their engagement. It took the New York Times to set the record straight. In another article on the matter, they confirmed “members of both families” denied “rumors of a broken engagement”.
35. She Fainted In Her Gown
To further dispel any gossip, Baker’s father once again took to the media to explain his daughter’s delicate situation. “She was prepared for the ceremony to the point of having dressed in her wedding gown,” he claimed, “when she broke down and took to her bed”.
She might actually have been in serious trouble.
36. Her Doctor’s Prescribed A Complete Change
After months of speculation, rumors, and vicious whispers in the most elite drawing rooms, people were finally starting to believe Baker’s “nervous collapse” excuse. Allegedly, a doctor prescribed her “a complete rest and change”. She might have interpreted that as a change in fiancé.
37. Her Fiancé Went On Their Honeymoon—Without Her
Shortly after Baker had abandoned him at the altar, McCormick did something that raised even more eyebrows. He embarked on a “honeymoon cruise” with none other than his erstwhile best man, Henry Channon. But even he couldn’t outrun the scandal.
38. She Made Headlines In London
In London, McCormick tried to put on a brave face. But news of his failed wedding beat him across the wires to the Continent. By the time he arrived, the British press were already calling him the “Almost Groom”. But he came with news of his own.
39. She Wished Her Fiancé A Bon Voyage
AS the British press and high-society squawked about Baker’s and McCormick’s failed wedding, McCormick remained calm. “Her farewell was a devoted wish for a safe voyage,” he assured the prying press. He confirmed that Baker’s illness was simply the result of “an overabundance of social activity”.
40. She Planned A Second Wedding
McCormick quickly silenced any speculation that Baker had left him for good. He claimed that, in an “intimate phone call”, Baker was pleased “with the arrangements for our wedding the latter part of March”. Certainly, she couldn’t abandon him twice.
41. She Set Sail To Meet Her Fiancé
Baker and McCormick went about making the arrangements for this second attempt at a wedding. To avoid aggravating Baker’s nerves, they planned for a quieter, but equally sophisticated, English wedding. Baker, supposedly, would set sail from Santa Barbara to meet her would-be husband at the altar.
At least, that was the plan.
42. She Might Have Had Another Lover
McCormick was going about preparing for the wedding in London when a reporter made a scandalous accusation. “Did you hear,” the reporter asked, “that Miss Baker’s interest in an actor was responsible for the postponement?”
43. Her Fiancé Kept His Cool
Ever the cool cucumber, McCormick simply replied to the reporter, “News to me”. With that, the rumor sunk down to the bottom of the newspapers. But, there might have been something to it.
44. She Fueled Speculation Back Home
In early April, a reporter with the Newspaper Enterprise Association which was based in Chicago, tried to dispel the rumors about a Baker affair with an actor altogether. As a Chicago local, he cast doubt on the whole speculative story and reminded everyone what really mattered.
45. She Had Everyone Watching—And Waiting
“Two continents are watching,” the Chicago-based reporter wrote, “to see whether the world’s most patient bridegroom will be rewarded next month”. But, as everyone waited on bated breath to see if Baker would finally make it down the aisle, the unthinkable happened.
46. She Was A Comic Character
Shortly before the second wedding, a cartoon came out that depicted Baker’s and McCormick’s “matrimonial roller coaster”. But the cartoon had a hidden message in it. It included a not-so thinly veiled reference to the actor, and close friend of Baker and McCormick, Barry Baxter.
47. She May Have Sent A Secret Telegram
What had seemed like salacious gossip just weeks earlier became a matter of serious speculation: was Mary Landon Baker, in fact, in love with Baxter? This time, the rumors came with (alleged) evidence of a telegram. Supposedly, Baker had sent a message to Baxter, saying, “When I put on my wedding dress I found that I could not go through with it”.
Apparently, neither could Baxter.
48. Her Alleged Lover Suffered A Mysterious End
An unexpected and inexplicable turn of events made the whole Baker/Baxter affair even more complicated. Baxter, still a healthy, vigorous, and attractive young man, collapsed onstage during a performance. There could, in the eyes of high-society, be only one explanation.
49. She Broke Baxter’s Heart
Those in the know speculated that Baxter had learned, sometime before his performance, of the terrible news that the love of his life had set sail for London to (finally) marry McCormick. The news, they claimed, had broken his heart—quite actually.
50. She Was Finally Free To Marry
Once again, it took a rational mind to dispel the salacious hysteria surrounding Baker’s love life. Baxter’s doctor confirmed that the young actor had not, in fact, succumbed to a broken heart. Instead, he revealed that the real culprit had been a bad case of pneumonia.
So, Baker was finally free to marry McCormick without scandal…right?
51. She Skipped Out On Her Wedding—Again
Baker did, in fact, arrive in Europe. But, instead of going to London for her wedding, she went gallivanting around France with her family and friends. She again delayed the pending nuptials, this time deciding on a date of August 17…which came and went, not surprisingly, without any vows exchanged.
52. She Finally Got Married?
Following the August 17 non-wedding date, Baker was surprisingly absent from the public scene. So absent, in fact, that the Journal Gazette ran a news story two days later, speculating that Baker had finally married McCormick. Of course, she hadn’t. But she still intended to.
One week later, Mary Landon Baker reappeared in Scotland. This time, she made a statement via telephone that she fully intended to marry McCormick “within a matter of days”. Or…did she?
53. She Set A New Ignominious Record
Days turned into weeks and the tabloids finally had to print the real story: Baker had, once again, postponed the wedding. Their exasperation with her indecision was clear in reports that claimed that Baker has “set a new record for marriage postponements”. And she wasn’t done yet.
54. She Set Another Date—And Skipped It
By this point, it’s unclear if Baker actually intended to marry McCormick or not, but it didn’t stop her from continuing to set dates. She announced a date once again of October 20—but then quickly left London for Switzerland. As October 20 came and went, everyone just looked on in bemusement. Including her own family.
55. She Went Back Home As A Bachelorette
By the time Baker returned to Chicago, even her father had had enough. He made an “on-record comment” to the newspapers, lamenting, “My daughter is returning as she departed—unmarried”. And for good measure, he threw in, “And with no matrimonial plans of which I am aware”.
At least someone was getting married.
56. Her Fiancé Moved On
Baker’s father wasn’t the only one sick and tired of the flighty bride’s indecision. By early 1923, McCormick had finally found another woman—one who would make it all the way to the altar. Baker, however, was not to be outdone.
57. She Found A New Man
Curiously, just as McCormick was saying his “I dos” with another woman, new reports emerged of Baker’s love life. The tabloids claimed that she had already found herself a new beau, by the name of Morris Volck. As the son of a diplomat, he was a fine catch.
There was just one question: would he catch her for good?
58. She Refused To Ever Get Married
The tabloids, and perhaps even Morris Volck himself may have thought that Mary Landon Baker was into him—but she quickly dispelled all and any speculation about her love life. “I am not going to get married at all,” she claimed. “Not to Allister or anybody. Never. I’m going to be an old maid”. Her behavior, however, suggested otherwise.
59. She Was The “Queen Of Cafés”
Following her split from McCormick, Baker turned into a social butterfly. The tabloids reported that she was the “queen of the smart night clubs and cafes” and could hardly keep the fawning boys off of her. But it doesn't sound like she wanted to.
60. She Came Back With An Accent And An Admirer
By February of 1923, Mary Landon Baker set off once again for London. This time, she actually made it there. When she returned to Chicago, the newspapers were reporting that she had adopted an English accent that was “thick as fog”.
But that wasn’t all she brought back.
61. She Turned On The Media
Baker took on a more adversarial stance with the media when she picked up with her new boyfriend, Geoffrey Algernon Cunard. He was flush with cash from his family’s freight business, but the media reduced him to “candidate for the enviable role of perennial waiter-at-the-church”.
Eventually, everyone lost hope that Baker would ever find a man to convince her to settle down. She spent the rest of the 1920s burning through lovers faster than a German blitzkrieg across the battlefield. And with just about as much damage.
62. She Got Engaged Again!
In 1926, Mary Landon Baker briefly restored hope in her love life when she announced that she was engaged to Bojidar Pouritch, a Yugoslavian diplomat. The New York Times, turning soft on Baker, reported that the engagement caused “the greatest excitement since [WWI]”.
Needless to say, the engagement ended in defeat.
63. She Was Just Having Too Much Fun
By the end of the 1920s, it became apparent to all that Baker would never, in fact, get married. When reporters asked her father why she refused to walk down the aisle—despite having a string of eligible bachelors to choose from—his response was simultaneously grim and gleeful. Alfred Baker said his daughter was “simply having too delectable a time playing the field to settle down”.
Of course, she would settle down—in her grave. Alone.
64. She Had More Proposals Than Years
Mary Landon Baker enjoyed the rest of her life as a wealthy, single socialite. But it wasn’t that no one had ever wanted to marry her. When she passed at the age of 61, she had, purportedly, received more marriage proposals than she had years of life: 65 in all.
65. She Simply Never Fell In Love
Baker might not actually have been that averse to marriage. In her later years, she confided in a journalist the reason why she had never said those two words, “I do”. “I did not marry,” Baker said, “because I did not meet the right man at the right time at the right place”.
She confessed simply, “I have never been in love”.