The 19th century had its share of skilled workers in the trades with creative and business minds. Some, like Watson Ely, stood above many in this area, not only in the lumber industry but also for his detailed woodworking skills and his prominence, leadership, and notable achievements in some of Holyoke's finest buildings.
Watson Ely was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts, to Lucius and Harriet Ely in 1826. His family moved to Baptist Village, now a part of the Elmwood section of Holyoke, when Watson Ely was very young.
At an early age, Watson Ely apprenticed as a carpenter for a yearly wage of $50. His talents went beyond carpentry. Upon completing his apprenticeship, he was hired as a master mechanic at the Holyoke Paper Company and worked there for several years. He later started his own carpentry contracting business and would become one of the leading contractors in Holyoke.
He married Miss Mary E. Ely on November 29, 1849, and the couple had one son, Franklin W. Ely, who joined his father in business around 1871.
In 1868, he purchased a parcel of land at the corner of Appleton and Maple Streets from Holyoke Water Power Company (HWPCo). He resold it to HWPCo in 1869 and repurchased the parcel in the same year. He built his family home there, where he would reside for the rest of his life.
Much of Watson Ely's early work was in home building during the 1860s and 1870s. Residences were built for many business leaders and Holyoke families, including Loomis and Pomeroy, C.H. Hayward, and J. G. Mackintosh. In 1872 and 1873, Watson Ely completed the woodwork for the R.P. Crafts home at Dwight and Chestnut Streets for $20,000. The Gothic cottage of James Allen in Ewingville was designed by Thomas Judd and built by Watson Ely for $15,000. For its day, these were large expenditures. He also built homes for the Whiting and Perkins families.
Mr. Ely was also involved with commercial and governmental enterprises. In 1873, he purchased a lot on High Street between the future City Hall building and Suffolk Street from A. & A.B. Allyn. He later erected a commercial building with a retail storefront and three tenement apartments on its second through fourth floors. The retailer's address was 274 High Street. More on this in Part 2.
The construction work at Holyoke's City Hall encountered delays until Watson Ely took charge. It was said that the largest construction company at the time, Wiggins & Flagg, wouldn't consider taking on the job to complete the project.
Watson Ely had already completed his portion of the interior woodwork, and the city hall building committee took note of his impressive and brisk work. He was hired to complete the remaining construction. Interestingly, Casper Ranger, later a very successful building contractor and lumberyard owner, was Watson Ely's Superintendent for this job.
In 1875, Watson Ely continued to increase the number of construction workers for the city hall job. He started with 12 in January, increased to 18 in February, and 26 in April. His mission was to complete the work efficiently and on time. Contractors were not left waiting to proceed with their tasks, and they were moved along to finish their assignments.
In April 1875, a small building was constructed adjoining the front of the city hall structure to place the granite block hoisting mechanism. The project was completed in 1876, the nation's centennial year.
In 1877, work continued to flow to Watson Ely. He completed the J. N. Thayer residence, a new Whiting building, and the woodwork for the enlargement of the Hadley Mills.
In 1877, William Whiting's Windsor Hotel and the Holyoke Opera House were built by Watson Ely, whose foreman for the project was Casper Ranger.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations include Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram, and Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican, with publication dates and pages shown.
Holyoke Today: Penned and Pictured, J. E. Griffin, Publisher, 1887
Picturesque Hampden, Charles Forbes Warner, 1891
Illustrated & Descriptive, Holyoke, Massachusetts, William S. Kline & Co. Publisher, no year shown.
Holyoke Daily Transcript, 30th Anniversary, 1882-1912, The Transcript Publishing Company, 1912
www.facebook.com, Growing up in Holyoke, Massachusetts (Holyoke City Hall photo)
Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Hall
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