In 1869, George R. Hill became the proprietor of Jamieson and Company, a bakery that had been operating in Alexandria for about eighty-five years. The business had been established as early as 1785 by Andrew Jamieson, a Scottish immigrant, and provided the citizens of Alexandria with bread and biscuits. Hill purchased the business in 1873. An 1872 advertisement, which displays the names Jamieson and Hill, lists items like Spice Fingers, Butter Pies and Water Crackers and indicates prices for dealers interested in selling the bakery's products. George Hill ran into some financial difficulties in 1879, but he managed to continue the business until 1900.