CHARLES S. FERRY – The firm of Charles S. Ferry & Son, lumber dealers of Pittsfield, which has been conducting one of the largest concerns of its kind in Western Massachusetts, was established by the late Charles S. Ferry, in 1886. In the rapid growth of Pittsfield during the past years this firm played a most important part, because it supplied the lumber and the builders’ materials for much of the construction work that has been done in Pittsfield and the surrounding country. It is over three and a half decades since Charles S. Ferry took over the business from Wadhams Brothers, who had conducted it for a number of years, and established the firm of C. S. Ferry & Son.
Charles S. Ferry was born in 1825, in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and died at Salt Lake City, March 30, 1899. He was for over thirty years a lumber dealer and planing mill proprietor in Springfield, Massachusetts, and his business is today being successfully carried on by his sons, the firm consisting of C. K. Ferry, president, and F. G. Ferry, treasurer, the firm name, however, remaining unchanged. The yards are located on Center and Church streets, and cover in all about 85,000 square feet of ground and floor space, the plant consisting of the main storage shed and offices of the firm, and another large shed directly opposite, on the east side of Center Street. The firm handles hard and soft wood lumber, shingles, laths, doors, blinds, window sashes, mouldings, glass, builders’ paper, ruberoid roofing, and so forth, and does a large local trade, which keeps busy on the delivery end, several teams and auto trucks. Large quantities of lumber are also shipped by rail to points throughout Western Massachusetts.
Charles K. Ferry, successor to his father, is ably carrying on the business in association with his brother, Fred G. Ferry, and the concern is ever moving forward to ever more substantial success, under their modern methods and capable management.