Walter Baker was a descendant of Herbert Sweet whose company published and sold plays. In 1851 Sweet sold its business to William Spence who carried on until his death in 1870. Spencer's brother, Charles, took over the firm and merged it with Lee and Shepard. The firm split after a fire in 1872, and the play division continued under the name George M. Baker (1872-1885). Baker's brother Walter took charge of the plays from 1874-1892. In 1892 Walter formed a partnership with Frank E. Chase and they published plays and elocutionary books. When Case died in 1920 his share of the business when to Theodore Johnson who incorporated with Walter Baker in 1920. Baker died in 1929 and his widow inherited his holdings. Johnson bought the Baker stock in 1929. It continued to publish until 1974.
[Source: Tebble's History of Book Publishing in the United States Vol 2]
