LEO BAKER AUTO SALES
Cleo Baker, proprietor
118 West George
Many of us remember this as the blacksmith shop. Owned by Lester Meyer in 1937. Walking by you would hear the swinging of the hammer on the anvil. Or maybe you went there to the business to have something repaired. I remember going with my dad when a child in the late 1960’s-1970’s. For many of us, it was one of our memories of Arcanum. I don’t know when Mr. Meyer stopped blacksmithing, perhaps you remember?
In conversation with Tim Becker, who lives in the house, he mentioned about the back building being a car garage. So here’s the history from William Gunder’s notes.
(note: although the garage was sold to Harris, Mr. Baker continued to sell cars from this location until April 6, 1917 when he moved to the Arcanum garage, owned by Raile and Morrison.)
Cleo Baker, agent for Overland 83, $750.00, 5 passenger touring roadster. (AT 11/26/1915)
Cleo Baker, The Jeffery Four Sedan $1,165. (AT 2/18/1916) Cleo Baker Garage has second hand cars. (AT 3/24/1916). Cleo Baker, Jeffery Four, 7 passenger automobile $1,035. (AT 4/28/1916) Cleo Baker Garage (1916 Darke Co. Dir.) Cleo Baker, local distributor for Jeffery Six. (AT 3/23/1917)
Moved to: Arcanum Garage, behind D&U Depot, shortly after moving to 12 E. George with the garage.
Tim Becker has the house history so we are waiting for a copy for the AWTHS archives. If anyone has old photos or more history of the garage, blacksmith or home we would love to hear it or see the photos.
From the Arcanum Business book by Anita Short, it was noted that Mr. Meyer invented a self-propelled tobacco cutting machine.
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