San Francisco County
Biographies
DAVIS BROTHERS
DAVIS BROTHERS.--The
Golden Rule Bazaar was founded in San Francisco
in February, 1871, at No. 419 Kearny street, by Ansley
G. Davis. It has grown from a small toy and fancy-goods store to the largest
department establishment of it kind on the Pacific coast. The main store at
Nos. 718 to 722 Market street,
is 85 x 220 feet, four stories high with basement. It has a branch in San
Francisco, at No. 1234 Market street, and also a branch at Portland, Oregon .In
addition to the above they occupy two large warehouses in San Francisco for
storage purposes. They do a large wholesale and manufacturing business in
connection with their retail stores, and their transactions extend to all
countries of Europe, and all cities in America.
They employ according to the season of the year, from 500 to 1,200 men, woman
and boys. Their average stock is about $400,000, and their annual sales about
$1,000,000. They deal in all lines of fancy goods, toys, notions, art goods,
books, stationery, kid gloves, silver-plated ware, house- furnishing goods,
gents’ furnishing goods, and hats, and in fact, all lines pertaining to a general bazaar and department house.
In
1873 the co-partnership of Davis Brothers was formed by Ansley
G., Andrew M. and Eugene G. Davis. This succeeded A. G. Davis. In 1881 the
management of the business fell to the junior partner, Andrew M. Davis. The
brothers, A.G. and E. G., founded the wholesale business of Davis Brother,
Bergman & Co.
The
brothers were all born in Cleveland, Ohio,
removed to New York city in 1861
with their father and family, and came to California
with the entire family in1870. They are the sons of George A. Davis of Cleveland,
Ohio, who now resides in San
Francisco. The success of this great establishment has
been highly satisfactory. Whether it is due to the name of the Golden Rule
Bazaar, or to the enterprise, ability and honorable dealings of its founders
and managers, it is alike a credit to them and the city of San
Francisco.
Transcribed by Kim Buck.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages
505, Lewis Publishing Co,
1892.
© 2006 Kim Buck.
California
Biography Project
San
Francisco County
California
Statewide
Golden
Nugget Library