The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-31
BAKER BROS.
Use whose firm style hea

BAKER BROS.
The house whose firm style heads these
paragraphs is deserving of detailed men,
ton, because of number OF facts. In
the first place but one other mercantile
house in the city has been so long in exist
ence here without change in finn style !;
in the second place it's operations are of
such character and extent as to naturally
place it among the foremost interests OF
the city. The house was organized in the
spring of 1866, the co-partners then being
w. B., G.. p. and G. S. Baker, all Winches-
ter men ; in the last named city was then
and is now, a wholesale, forwarding and
commission house, under the style Of Ba-
ker q Goa house that is one of the old
est and most extensive of its kind in the
State /; it is composed of members Of the
same family which organized the house
here, $50 that we do not oYer-estimate the
character of the two firms leach being en-
tirely Independent of and distinct from each
other) when we say that the Baker Bros.
(of Winchester and of Staunton) now and
for years past constitute important factors
in the business world Of Virginia. The
great grandfather of these gentlemen To-
Gated in Winchester as long ago as 1856.
When Baker Bros. determined upon
engaging in business here, no suitable
quarters up town could be had. The man
agement of the G.. Il O. Railway kindly Of
fered them the use of a portion OF the
freight depot, imagining that the premi-
ses We're amply large to meet the necesSi-
ties of both the road and the house The
Messrs Baker thought differently, and
having determined upon pushing, their
trade to the utmost, while being much
obliged to the Road for its kindly offer,
they secured what promised to prove suit
able warehouses upon MiddlebroOk street.
Other merchants laughed at them for their
temerity in ''gOing into the country, " as
it were at this time there was only one
other business building upon the street
the frame structure now occupied by Hen
kle & Brown as a machinery and lmple-
ment house. The block which Baker Bros.
occupied and subsequently purchased prov
ed the forerunner Of the handsome row of
business blocks that now face the q. 81 0.
Ry., and here the firm have since remain
ed. These premises, ample as they then
were, did not long suffice, and the firm was
compelled to enlarge the buildings, which
are now four stories high, beside which
other premises for storage are required.
Some three or four years after the house
was established Mr.. w. B. Baker retired
and since has been entirely devoted to his
duties as President Of the Shenandoah
Valley National Bank, as financier of Ba
ker & Co.. of Winchester, and as senior of
the firm of w. B. Baker & Co., who oper-
ate one of the most extensive steam -four
ing mills in the State. From the time of
his retirement until two years ago. Messrs
G. P. and q. s. Baker continued the bust
ness then Mr.. III. B. Brown was admit
ted to co-partnership, and these three
gentlemen constitute the present firm of
Baker Bros.
'1One of the leading specialties of Baker
Bros. business is the purchase and ship
ment of wheat When we recently visit
ed the house, intent upon items, one OF
the co-partners informed us that it was
quite out of his power to even closely ap-
proximate IN an estimate of their wheat
purchases. He did not wish to exaggerate
and he certainly did not care to belittle
facts-he could say this much. however,
that from the Goth Of November to the
goth of December, the firm had purchased
somewhere between 40 and so car loads of
wheat ;quite a quantity of oats and corn
had also been handled, but Just how much
he could not say. This wheat, we were
informed was, after being converted into
-four, largely shipped to South America !;
it seems that flour from Augusta county
wheat has scarcely an equal for that mar
ket. We were also told that the quality
UudlUlUy
season was most excellent, with prices
fairly favorable to producers.
Another leading speciality in the trade of
the house is fertilizers. Baker Bros. place
their own brands of fertilizers upon the
market, their trade being among the
largest i'll this section, and reaching
out into wide scope of country, a consid-
cradle demand coming from West Virgin
| ia. For these fertilizers Baker Bros. have
deservedly gained reputation Of the best
class They have seen to it that their rep
reservations should be verified by facts ;
! in catering to the needs Of farmers either
at home OF abroad, they have at all times
aimed to give them the best at the lowest
possible rates, and this policy has been
| heartily endorsed by the patrons OF the
| house.
| Baker Bros are also jobbers' of gro
ceries, hardware, iron, steel, &c. They
are also agents here for the famous "Old
| Dominion nails. Their warehouse con-
| tains large stocks in these lines of goods,
and, possessing all needed facilities for
meeting the wants of retail merchants, it
is not at all strange that the house annu-
ally transacts an important business in
| these departments The entire trade of
| The house is carried forward without blust-
| er or parade The co-partners are BUSH
ness men who appreciate and pursue bust
ness-like methods, and the success of the
house has been fairly and honorably won.
AT the time the house began bus
mess here the farmers were in the
habit of shipping their surplus products ;
now this is all changed, and thanks to Ba-
ker Bros. and their fellow merchants, a
centralized and systematized trade has ta-
ken the place of casual shipments F; large
capital is employed by these firms. and
] Staunton, as we'll as all the adjacent coun-
try Is the gamer.