lived for many years and, later, built his home at 33 Ferry 
Avenue, East. When he first went to Detroit with Mr. Hecker, 
in 1880, he took part in the organization of the Peninsular 
Car Works and was appointed to the office of assistant Treas¬ 
urer. in 1883 this company was succeeded by the Peninsular 
Car Company with Mr. Freer as vice-president and secretary, 
in the fall of 1892 the Peninsular Car Company merged with the 
Michigan Car Company, under the name of the Michigan Peninsular 
Car Company with James McMillan (then United States Senator) as 
chairman, Colonel Frank J. Hecker, president, and Charles L. 
Freer and William U. McMillan, managing directors. 
This organization continued from 1892 to 1899 when the 
organization of the American Car and Foundry Company was under¬ 
taken, to consolidate thirteen of the car building manufactories 
in the country, the Michigan Peninsular Car Company being one 
of them. Mr. Freer took a leading part in this enterprise and 
in 1900, after the completion of the consolidation, he retired 
permanently from active business. 
From 1900 to the end of his life, Mr. Freer devoted 
the greater part of his time and interest to the study and de¬ 
velopment of the art collections he had started to acquire as 
early as the eighties and which he presented to the nation in 
1906. He spent much time in Europe during 1900, 1901, 1902 
and 1903. in 1905 he made a trip to the Far East and traveled 
extensively during the years 1906, 1907 and 1908, visiting, 
among other places, Egypt, India, Java, Ceylon and Japan, in 
