William Montague Ferry Jr.
William Montague Ferry Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Mackinac Island, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | January 2, 1905 (aged 80) Park City, Utah, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, Union Army officer, businessman |
| Years active | 1849–1905 |
| Known for | Michigan and Utah politics; Union Army service; mining entrepreneurship |
William Montague Ferry Jr. (July 8, 1824 – January 2, 1905) was a notable figure in both Michigan and Utah politics, a Union Army officer during the American Civil War, and a member of the distinguished Ferry family.
Early life
Ferry was born at the Mission House located on Mackinac Island, Michigan. He was the eldest son of Reverend William Montague Ferry and Amanda White Ferry. His family established Ferrysburg, Michigan in the 1830s before relocating to Grand Haven, Michigan in 1834.
Civil War
In August 1861, Ferry enlisted with the 14th Michigan Infantry Regiment, advancing to the rank of major and subsequently lieutenant colonel by 1865. He served under General William Tecumseh Sherman and received recognition for his military service.
His younger sibling, Noah Henry Ferry, also held the rank of Major but was killed during the Battle of Gettysburg.
Michigan politics
Between 1849 and 1861, Ferry served multiple terms as Supervisor of Spring Lake Township, Michigan. He was elected to the Michigan Legislature in 1857.
Following his brother Thomas W. Ferry’s election as U.S. Senator from Michigan in 1871, William campaigned as the Democratic candidate in the special election for Thomas’s former House seat but was defeated by Republican Wilder D. Foster with a vote split of 58% to 42%.
In 1872, Ferry ran as the Democratic nominee for governor of Michigan but garnered only 1.2% of the vote, losing to Republican John J. Bagley. The subsequent year, Bagley appointed him to a commission tasked with revising the state constitution.
Ferry also held the position of Regent at the University of Michigan from 1858 until 1863 and was elected mayor of Grand Haven in 1876.
Utah politics
Relocating to Park City, Utah in 1878, Ferry entered the mining sector. Between 1884 and 1892, he was a member of the Democratic National Committee. In 1893, he served as a Commissioner for the Chicago World's Fair.
In 1904, Ferry affiliated with Utah’s newly formed anti-Mormon American Party and stood as its candidate for governor of Utah in that year’s election. He was defeated by Republican John Christopher Cutler, securing nearly 8,000 votes statewide, which accounted for approximately 7.8%.
Business dealings
Colonel Ferry achieved considerable success as a businessman. Initially involved in his father’s lumber operations, he later expanded into iron manufacturing through ownership of Ottawa Iron Works. His enterprise operated fleets of lake freighters transporting lumber and iron products. Holding several lucrative patents related to iron production, Ferry shifted his focus during the 1870s as Michigan’s lumber industry declined, moving west to Utah where he became a prominent mining entrepreneur.
Among his earliest mining ventures in Utah were the Mayflower, Walker, and Webster mines. Together with his brother Edward Payson Ferry, he maintained interests in nearly all silver mines around Park City as well as additional silver properties located in Nevada, Arizona, and Peru.
The Ferry-Kearns mansion in Park City—his former residence—is an expansive Victorian-style home that has been preserved despite being relocated from its original site.
Unlike many contemporaries among Utah’s mining elite, Ferry was recognized for his philanthropic efforts. He was a principal benefactor of Park City’s First Hospital (also known as Miner's Hospital) and delivered its inaugural address. Additionally, he donated land for Westminster College and financed its largest structure, Ferry Hall—demolished in 1987—with stones from that building repurposed for the current Ferry Plaza.
Death
During his final years, Colonel Ferry suffered from severe asthma and was nearly blind. He passed away in Park City on January 2, 1905. His funeral drew the largest crowd ever seen in the city’s history. Following the service, his remains were transported back to his birthplace of Grand Haven, Michigan and laid to rest in the Ferry Family cemetery plot.
Family
On October 29, 1851, Ferry wed Jeanette Hollister, and together they had six children. His nephew, W. Mont Ferry, held the position of mayor of Salt Lake City between 1916 and 1919.