Meet Irvin Boyd Ferry, the eldest of five children born to George Ferry and Mable Boyd. He spent his childhood on the family farm located on Ferry Road, near what we now know as Route 59. The Ferry family originally hailed from New York, arriving around the same time as the Warren family. Irvin’s grandmother, Sarah Cora Briggs, was born in England.
Generations of his family worked and maintained the 232-acre farm until his grandfather’s passing, after which his father took over. The farm eventually went to his brother Elmer, who continued to work it until its final sale in 1969. Remarkably, a member of the Ferry family had been living and farming this land for an astounding 130 years.
Newspapers of the time hailed Irvin as a bright student who excelled in his classes, with a promising future ahead. He had almost completed his freshman year at Wheaton College. Tragically, on his way home from a party in Wheaton, he crossed the North-Western railroad tracks and was struck and killed by an eastbound train.
The Big Woods Congregational Church held his memorial service, just 10 days shy of his 17th birthday. Irvin found his final resting place at the Big Woods Cemetery, alongside many of his relatives. Remarkably, all but one of his siblings lived well into their 90s. Although the family farm is no more, there are still Boyd Ferry relatives residing in this area, keeping their family’s connection alive.