The 75-year retail division of the Casper Ranger Lumber Company was sold to Grossman's, New England's largest lumber and building material distributor, in 1954. Casper Ranger Lumber Company continued to provide woodworking services to commercial and residential customers.
Holyoke's Grossman location was the company's 21st lumberyard and store, all of which were located in New England. As such, it had the capital to purchase large volumes of inventory at lower prices. The family-owned company had a sixty-year history of stability in the industry. Its stores offered one-stop service, product-purchase advice, a budget plan, and a low-cost, high-quality housing program.
In 1954, the company placed an ad stating that, for $38 down and $29 per month, one could have the plans and all the materials needed to build a ranch-style home on property the customer owned.
The Holyoke store also became an outlet for inventory purchased at auction from failed lumberyards or from the chain's own stores.
By 1962, the store had stocked many of the items one can now find in a major big-box hardware store. Complete kitchen sets, bathrooms, flooring, paneling, paints, hardware, doors, insulation and tile were some of the available do-it-yourself products. A garden center was later opened with equipment, accessories, and fertilizers. A department was established to sell bicycles, train sets, and various other toys. Grossman's would design and install heating systems based on individual needs.
By 1962, the Grossman's chain included 29 stores, having recently added Braintree, Belchertown, Springfield and Brattleboro, Vermont.
The number of stores would shrink by one when, in December 1962, Grossman's stated that the Holyoke store would be closed. The parking shortage was cited as a critical factor in this decision. The company was unable to find a suitable site to relocate to Smith's Ferry. It turned its attention to West Springfield and constructed a new store on the west side of Riverdale Street, between the northbound entrance to the Massachusetts Turnpike and Whitney Ave.
Interestingly, in 1954, the company's original plan was to stay in Holyoke for one year. The company had promptly sold the real estate for $85,000 to future mayor Samuel Resnic, 9 months after purchasing the business from the Casper Ranger Lumber Company. The store continued to operate under one-year leases throughout its stay in Holyoke.
The buildings were demolished in March 1963, with the future of the land in doubt. As of this writing, the City of Holyoke Police Department Headquarters occupies much of the land and parking area. The Residences on Appleton own a smaller section south of the police station on Nick Cosmos Way, abutting Essex Street.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.
Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories
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