Los Angeles County
Biographies
ALEXANDER BUCHANAN BARRET
BARRET, ALEXANDER BUCHANAN, Merchant and Capitalist, Los Angeles, California, was born in Henderson, Kentucky, February 1, 1863, the son of William T. Barret and Bettie (Towles) Barret. He married Bessie McJohnston of Owensboro, Kentucky, at Los Angeles, California, March 14, 1900.
Mr. Barret attended the public schools at Henderson and private schools in Virginia until seventeen years of age, when, owing to financial reverses in his family, he started to make his own livelihood. Soon afterward he obtained employment in a wholesale grocery and has been engaged in this business almost continuously since, working from the bottom to his present position of Vice President and Manager of the firm Stetson-Barret Company.
In 1886, a wholesale grocery was established in Henderson by John W. Wilhoyte and Fred H. Frayser, who placed Mr. Barret in charge of their books. By looking after the books at night, Mr. Barret was able to act as salesman in the daylight hours and by his devotion to duty earned a working interest in the firm. Being of an ambitious nature, he was enabled, by work and economy, to purchase the interest of Mr. Frayser in 1894. The firm’s name was then changed to Barret & Wilhoyte, Mr. Barret assuming the general management of the business. The following year Mr. Wilhoyte suffered a stroke of paralysis from which he never recovered, and the entire responsibility of the business fell upon Mr. Barret’s shoulders. He conducted it for six months, at which time Charles W. Wilhoyte, an elder brother of Mr. Barret’s partner and junior member of the firm of R. P. McJohnston, joined with Mr. Barret in purchasing the McJohnston interests in Owensboro, Ky. They then consolidated the two houses at Owensboro, with Mr. Barret as general manager. In 1898 Charles W. Wilhoyte was killed in a runaway accident and Mr. Barret continued the business alone, in addition to looking after the interests of Mr. Wilhoyte’s heirs.
In the fall of 1901 Mr. Barret sold out his Kentucky business, having decided to make Los Angeles his home. In 1902 Mr. Barret and W. W. Johnston organized the Johnston-Barret Dry Goods Company, of Los Angeles, Mr. Barret being Vice President and financial manager of the house. In 1906 he sold out his interest to re-enter the wholesale grocery field, becoming a partner of A. L. Stetson under the corporate name of Stetson-Barret Company. He is Vice President and Treasurer of this company, which is one of the largest on the Pacific Coast. The company ranks among the largest importers and distributors of that section and through a policy of fair dealing, consistently maintained since its inception, has built up an extensive business throughout Southern California, Nevada and Arizona. Mr. Barret is an active force in the management of the company and devotes practically all of his time to its affairs. Owing to his previous wide experience in the wholesale grocery business Mr. Barret has been one of the most important forces in the upbuilding of his firm to its present place among the large commercial establishments of Los Angeles and Southern California.
In addition to the Stetson-Barret Company, Mr. Barret is interested in several oil companies and various important enterprises throughout the Southwest.
Since adopting Los Angeles as his home Mr. Barret has established himself as one of the substantial business men of the city and has taken an active part in the social and commercial life of the community. He was a Director of the Los Angeles Chamber of Mines and Oil for two years, and during 1908-09 served as First Vice President. He was a Director also of the Merchants and Manufacturers’ Association of Los Angeles during the years 1909-1910. He is still a member of these organizations, and in addition is an active member and worker of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Jobbers’ Association of Los Angeles.
Mr. Barret is an enthusiastic worker for the improvement of Los Angeles, and is in the forefront of men confident of the future of the Southern California metropolis.
He is a keen sportsman and during the season is a frequent visitor to the preserves of his shooting club.
He is a member of the California Club, Los Angeles Country Club and holds life membership in the Los Angeles Athletic Club, besides being a member of the Blue Wing Shooting Club.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 566,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2010 Joyce
Rugeroni.
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BIOGRAPIES