C. H. Baker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
C. H. Baker was a chain of shoe stores that operated in Greater Los Angeles[1] and elsewhere on the West Coast from 1904 through about 1991.
The stores were founded by Charles Harris Baker[2] (b. Dec. 23, 1869, Martin County, Indiana, moved to Los Angeles in 1880 and Pasadena in 1889, died in an auto accident August 22, 1939, Pasadena, California)[3] In about 1898, Baker started as an employee in Hamilton's shoe store in Los Angeles at a salary of $12 per week. He began his shoe business around 1900,[4] initially or at some point as a partnership, Hamilton & Baker.
C. H. Baker stores
In 1904, the partnership with Hamilton was dissolved, and C. H. Baker took over the business, then located at 239 S. Spring St.,[5] the central shopping district of Los Angeles at that time.
By 1928, C. H. Baker had 13 stores: 4 in central Los Angeles, one in Hollywood and Pasadena, 4 in San Francisco, and 3 in Portland, Oregon. Their stores were located in most major malls in Southern California until about 1991.
In 1939, Harris died in a car crash, and his son John Harris Baker managed the chain, which at that time had stores in 10 communities.[3]