Hillel Baker operated Saranac Lake's first library from the store.
Baker's Bridge and Hotel Frederick J. Seaver, Historical Sketches of Franklin County, Albany, NY: J. B. Lyon Co., 1918 ([text])
Part of a map of Stevenson Lane| made in June 1912 for Andrew J. Baker|, showing the location of Baker's Store and Hotel|. Main Street| originally ended at the Baker Bridge|, but after the railroad tracks were put in crossing Main, the last 150 feet of the street were re-routed to parallel the tracks. The full map shows Andrew Baker|'s property on the lane. Courtesy of Mary Hotaling|. ]] Milote Baker opened a boarding house or hotel and store in 1851 about a mile below the village, but in Essex county. He was a natural host, and his place had a wide reputation and great popularity, though of course in a small way as compared with later enterprises of a similar sort. The sportsmen who stopped with him sought their fishing and hunting for the most part at the lake, and as indicative of the former abundance of game it is told that Mr. Baker employed thirty men as hunters in 1868, kept two teams constantly on the road in autumn and early winter, hauling venison to market, and shipped five hundred deer. His store burned in 1869, but was rebuilt.
Plattsburgh Sentinel, April 12, 1866.
BURGLARY.—At Saranac Lake, on the 3d inst., the store of Col. M. Baker was broken into by one Burr Brown, known as Burr Adgate, and valuable goods taken away to the amount of about $200. Burr was arrested one day last week, had an examination, and for want of bail now occupies rooms in the Essex County jail.
