In 1906 Daniel F. Bash started Bash Seed Store at 141 North Delaware Street as an extension of his father’s Fort Wayne grain business, S. Bash and Company (formerly Bash and Eakin), which was established in 1856.

The front cover of the seed catalog reads "Bash's Catalogue of Tested Seeds and Culture for the Farm and Garden With List of Standard Flower Seeds & Bulbs Indianapolis, Ind U.S.A. Below this is a photo of a field with piles of a harvested crop.
Bash Seed Company Catalog, 1923 Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library View Source

Daniel owned and operated the store along with three of his sons, S. Douglas, Daniel K., and Jerome. In 1926, S. Douglas and his wife Pauline opened their own store—S. D. Bash Seed Boxes at 201 N. Delaware Street. The couple later moved the store to 205 N. Delaware Street and renamed it Quality Seed Store. 

Following Daniel’s death in 1932, Daniel K. and Jerome formed a partnership and acquired the Bash Seed Store. After Daniel K.’s death in 1945, his brothers Jerome and Richard operated the store for a short time until Pauline purchased the business. She combined the inventory of both stores and closed Quality Seed Company. In 1973, she moved Bash Seed Store to its location at 130 North Delaware Street. Pauline sold the store two years later to William (Bill) Merrill and Patty Evard who formed the 130 N. Delaware Corporation. 

Bash Seed Company ceased operation in 1995. In 2018, the store was sold to Leah V. Flanagan who rebranded it The Forest Flower, located at 3205 W. 71st Street. 

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Revised September 2025
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