It was the late 1880s, and Watson Ely & Son continued to prosper at its location on 122 Front Street. The company advertised itself as a lumber merchant that planed and molded wood. Watson Ely was also doing well with his outside ventures and investments.
In 1888, he rented out his storefront at 274 High Street to J. S. Anderson of Lowell to operate a men's clothing store.
In 1889, the company undertook a significant project that would last nearly a century. C. B. Davis sold his house on the east side of Maple Street to Watson Ely. The house would be removed and replaced with a three-story tenement building containing 6 apartments, each with 7 rooms. The building was projected to cost $15,000. The designer was H. H. Gridley. Daniel O'Connell & Son performed the brickwork, and Watson Ely & Son performed the woodwork. The building was known as "The Franklin," the name given to Watson Ely's son.
A full description of this ornate building with stained-glass windows, octagonal and square windows, molded and decorative bricks, and conical roof lines is provided below in the October 23, 1899 edition of the Springfield Republican newspaper.
Mrs. S. S. Childs and her daughter, Clary Childs, rented all but two of the available apartments. They would use the two lower apartments as a dining room and kitchen, and rent out the upper two. They had been in the business of operating a boarding house elsewhere on Maple Street.
In mid-1890, Watson Ely & Son advertised the renting of the mill privilege at 122 Front Street. This included renting the entire mill and the equipment needed to operate a lumber business.
On October 22, 1890, Watson & Ely broke ground for the building of an exact duplicate of "The Franklin" Building. The buildings would be separated by 10 feet, later connected by a one-story addition. Patrick Killkelly would perform the brickwork on this building.
In December 1890, Watson Ely & Son purchased the Deane Steam Pump Company's foundry building at Cabot and Canal Streets. The building would be expansive and suit the company's growing needs. The price paid was $25,000 for the 35,500-square-foot lot. Later additions of land acquired from Holyoke Water Power Company and F.M. Duke increased the property to 80,000 square feet.
Access to train lines was available from the rear of the building. By purchasing lumber in carloads, the company secured discounts. Some of the favored woods were southern pine, Canadian spruce, and Lebanon cedar.
Products manufactured in the mill included moldings, chests, water tanks, dye tubs, window and door frames, sashes, and other items. The company also built electric cars, which seemed out of character for a lumber-related business. A new car produced by Watson Ely & Son ran on the Highlands line.
The company had 40 workers at the time of its move to the new location in April 1891.
The Cabot and Canal location was proximate to the proposed Willimansett Bridge and the Holyoke business district. The new mill was outfitted with the latest equipment. The company moved into the mill in August 1891.
In 1895, Watson Ely & Son provided the southern pine for the new Lemuel Sears addition between its block and that of J. K. Judd. Part of the building addition would be used by Lemuel Sears, while the remainder would be used by Smith and White Company, led by E. N. White and J. D. Smith. Also, J. L. Wyckoff had recently joined the company—a story in itself that I hope to research and share.
Part 4, which follows, will conclude the story of Watson Ely, Watson Ely & Son, and the Ely Lumber Company. An epilogue listing the numerous projects in which the companies were involved will be added.
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
"The Franklin"
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