C. L. Berger & Sons, Inc.  (1898 - ?)

Boston, Massachusetts

"Christian L. Berger, or C. Louis Berger, as he preferred to be known was born in Stuttgart, Germany September 26, 1842, and he died in Boston on November 22, 1922.  After four years of apprenticeship with Christian Seeger in Stuttgart and a year's course in mechanical technology at the Royal Polytechnic Institute, also in Stuttgart, he had varied employment with G. Schubart of Marburg; F. W. Breithaupt & Son of Cassell; J. Lohmeyer and A & G Repsold of Hamburg; and Thos. Cooke & Sons in York, England.  He came to America in 1866.  In Boston he worked for Thos. Upham who had a small shop.  About 1870 he worked for E. S. Ritchie in Brookline, Massachusetts.

On October 28, 1871 he formed a partnership with George L. Buff which became the firm of Buff & Berger.  It was dissolved on October 18, 1898.  The factory was at 9 Province Court in Boston.  On the same date he founded a new firm, C. L. Berger & Sons, taking into partnership his two sons, William A. and Louis H. Berger.

William Albert Berger was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts December 16, 1876 and died at Franklin, New Jersey January 8, 1963.  Louis Herman Berger was born March 21, 1878 in Dorchester and died there April 14, 1965.

They moved to their new factory at 37 Williams Street in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1902.  In 1922 the partnership changed to a corporation.

William A. and Louis H. Berger carried on the business until November 28, 1947 when Charles S. Narins of New York acquired the company.

During the partnership of Buff & Berger, one son of each of the partners was sent to Germany to be trained as instrument makers.  Accordingly, William A. Berger and Carl W. Buff were sent to the L. Tesdorph factory in Stuttgart, Germany form 1894 to 1898.  Carl W. Buff died soon after his return to the United States in 1908.  It is interesting to note that G. N. Saegmuller of Washington, D.C. sent his son John L. for training to L. Tesdorph at the same time that the Berger and Buff sons were there.

Their first dividing engine (a 24 inch) was made by Jesse Ramsden of England.  The second dividing engine was the Temple dividing engine reffered to in the article concerning Temple.  Their third dividing engine was made by William Wurdemann of Washington, D.C."

Reference:  Smart, Charles E.   The Makers Of Surveying Instruments In America Since 1700  Troy, New York:  Regal Art Press.  1962