| Biography/History: |
Leslie H. Francis moved from Kansas City to Spokane in 1908 and founded the Silver Loaf Baking Company in 1926, with Martin R. Blum, whose interests he bought out in 1945. In a Spokane Chronicle article celebrating the six year anniversary of Silver Loaf, the company claimed to be “one of the largest in the entire state of Washington- employing regularly 69 people, with a payroll of nearly $100,000 a year…” (“Silver Loaf Bakery Grosses $350,000 Annually” Spokane Daily Chronicle, Sep. 27, 1933, p 9). Francis remained as president until 1971, when his son, Robert L., succeeded him. Francis passed away in 1973. |