Bauer & Black

Bauer and Black Soundex Code B600

104 E. 25th Street Manufacturers of various Medical Supplies

Bauer and Black, a Chicago manufacturer of surgical dressings, porous plasters, suspensories, chest protectors and other surgical appliances, opened a New York branch downtown on Gold St. around 1901. They had several other locations in downtown New York until moving in 1914 to 104 E. 25th Street. Bauer & Black was founded in Chicago in the mid-1890s by Louis Bauer, Alexander Bauer, Gustav T. Bauer, and Stephen H. Black.

Louis Bauer (April, 1840-1909), was born in Weingarten (Baden), Germany. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1866 and "engaged in the retail merchandise business in Minnesota circa 1889. When he came to Chicago, he entered the surgical appliance line soon after that" (quoting Bauer's obituary notice in the Chicago Daily Tribune, Saturday, January 2, 1909). He appears in the 1880 U.S. Census living in Chatfield Village, Fillmore County, Minnesota with his wife and 7 children. Among the children are Gustave Bauer, age 12, and Perry Bauer, age 3.

One of Louis Bauer's elder sons, Alexander Bauer (1862-1944) (usually spelled Aleck Bauer), was born December 1862, was an immigrant from Germany circa 1867/68, and was credited with being the founder of Bauer & Black in his obituary notice in the New York Times, Monday, June 12, 1944, p. 19. "Mr Bauer organized Bauer & Black in 1893." He was chairman of the board at the Kendall Company at the time of his death.

Gustav T. Bauer (1867-1927), was age 12 in 1880, was born July 1867 in Chatfield, Minnesota. He appears in the 1900 U.S. Census, age 32, living in Chicago, describing his occupation as "Druggist."

Stephen H. Black, was born in Iowa, March, 1861. He appears in the 1880 U.S. Census living in Clay Township, Marion County, Iowa, with his father and mother. The Blacks were farmers. Stephen's father, Andrus Black, age 53 in 1880, was born in Ohio, as was his mother, Anne Black, age 54 in 1880. Another of Louis Bauer's sons associated with Bauer & Black was Perry Sidney Bauer, born April 30, 1876 in Minnesota. In 1918, when registering for the World War I draft, Perry Bauer was vice president of the H.B. Lauer Hat Company in Chicago.

In 1928 Bauer & Black were acquired by the Kendall Company, (previously Kendall Mills, Inc., previously Lewis Manufacturing Company, previously Lewis Batting Company) of Walpole, Mass.