10 cm of textual records; three photographic records
History / Biography
William (Bill) Thomas Baker ran Baker’s Red Indian Service Station at the corner of Daniel and Elgin Streets in Arnprior from 1929 to October 1936. The station was part of the Red Indian chain, supplied by Frontenac Oil Refineries Ltd. of Montreal.
Acquisition Source
In 1987, the Pinhey’s Point Foundation acquired the Armstrong Collection of family material which included records of the Red Indian Service Station in Arnprior. Bill Baker married Mabel Armstrong around 1930. She was the daughter of George Armstrong (1863-1938), South March postmaster, dairy farmer and general merchant.
In September 2000, Mrs. Barbara Dewar of the Pinhey’s Point Foundation transferred the records to the Arnprior & District Archives.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of business records dating from 1930 to 1934 and a few personal items including two b&w photographs of W.T. Baker and a negative showing the service station pumps and entrance. A representative sample of invoices and receipts from the service station’s operations over the years were taken from the records originally transferred from the Pinhey Foundation.
The collection consists of administrative files, personal items and business account books. A large advertisement for the McColl-Frontenac chain of service stations appears on page 7 of the August 2nd, 1929.
File List:
1) W. T. Baker - Personal:
- two photographs of [W.T. Baker] and one negative of Red Indian Service Station.
- 1923 Confirmation Certificate from Emmanuel Anglican Church, Arnprior
- Lower School Examination Reports 1924, 1925, 1928.
- Receipt from Dr. Box 1932
- 1932-1933 Arnprior Curling Club membership card
- personal correspondence
2) Correspondence 1931- 1936:
- mostly from McColl-Frontenac Oil Co. Ltd., Eastern Division
3) Maps & Product Posters & Flyers:
- Red Indian Pathfinder Road Map 1936 of Ontario, Quebec & Maritimes
- Quebec Ministry of Roads 1933 Tourist Map
- Ontario Department of Northern Development 1935, 1936
Map of Northern Ontario
- Frontenac Gas sign, and Today’s Price (33 cents per gal.), Red Indian Motor Oil card, Firestone tire Sizes and Inflation guide for 1929 - 1935 cars, 2 copies Red Indian Motor Oil Marathon Blue Gasoline Poster, Jay Lubricant, McAleer’s Polishes, Purgo Radiator Cleaner, Lyon Metal Covers, Eco Service Station Equipment Brochure, Riverdale Tire Corp.
4) Insurance Policies:
- Policies and correspondence with various companies including Neil Campbell from 1930 - 1936
5) Receipts & Tire Guarantees:
- A representative sample of receipts from 1930 - 1936. Local Arnprior businesses that Baker dealt with include: Taylor Bros. Ltd., Galetta Electric Power & Milling Co. Ltd., G. W. Boyce Furniture Dealer and Undertaker, Fairbank’s Standard Scales (Arnprior Public Market), Drysdale’s Coal Co., J. S. Moir Hardware, J. H. McKerracher & Son Hardware
- Copies of 1935 Applications for Tire Guarantees
6) Correspondence & Circulars to: All Red Indian Service Stations 1930 - 1936:
- Approximately 75 examples of correspondence to all station operators from McColl-Frontenac. This file contains many examples of directives from head office on how the station was to be run including “Lubrication Pointers”, comment cards for customers, uniform order forms, etc.
7) Miscellaneous Business Records:
- Includes inspection certificates, a completed 1935 Census of Merchandising and Service Establishments and a 4 page Inventory of stock and furnishings (n.d.) signed by W.T. Baker and G. P. Gamble.