A.L. Avery & Son

Amos Lawrence Avery and his brother William H. Avery founded W.H. & A.L. Avery, a general store in Charlemont, Massachusetts in 1861. Amos purchased control of the store from his brother in 1867, becoming the sole proprietor and renamed the store, A.L. Avery. He ran the business by himself until 1890, when he formed a partnership with his son Oscar and renamed the store, A.L. Avery & Son. The store continued to be operated by five generations of the Avery family, making it one of the oldest run family businesses in the United States. As of 2012, the store is still in business, however not under Avery family ownership.

From the guide to the A.L. Avery & Son business records, 1864-1940, (Baker Library, Harvard Business School)