W H Baker was on his own until 1878-9 as W H Baker Co. In 1879 he joined L C Smith to form W H Baker and Company. In 1880 he left the partnership with Smith and Smith formed the LC Smith Co. In 1883 Baker helped start WH Baker Gun Works with LH Smith. He lasted there until 1887 when the company became the Ithaca Gun Co. and Baker returned to Syracuse to join with his brother, Ellis, who had Syracuse Forging Co incorporated that year. The new concern was called Syracuse Forging and Gun Company from 1887-8 (when The New Baker Gun came out) until the early 1890, when the name was changed to Baker Gun and Forging Company. Meanwhile, in 1889 WH Baker died, the plant was destroyed by fire and the company moved to Batavia, NY. Ellis Baker died in 1899 and on 12-24-1919 the gunmaking part of the business was sold to H&D Folsom of Meridan??, CT. In c1916-17 Ithaca bought Toledo Arms Co.

Ithaca ceased to manufacture double guns in 1948 when the cost of making such guns became higher than they could sell them for. Ithaca quit making the double barrel sawed off Auto and Burglar gun in 1935 when Federal law required barrel minimum lengths of 18″.

NOTE: Ithaca acquired Lefever Guns in 1915. They also purchased Union Arms, Syracuse Arms and the Wilkes-Barre Gun Co. over the years.

SEE BAKER, FOLSOM, LEFEVER HEADINGS FOR MORE INFORMATION.