USA > Maine > Saco Valley settlements and families. Historical, biographical, genealogical, traditional, and legendary > Part 104
USA > New Hampshire > Saco Valley settlements and families. Historical, biographical, genealogical, traditional, and legendary > Part 104
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II. LUCINDA,5 m. Daniel Wentworth, of Porter; deceased.
III. LEVI,5 m. dau. of Joshua McKenney, and lives on the homestead.
5. SALLY,4 b. Nov. 28, 1801; m. Jacob Bradeen, of Porter, brother of John, before-mentioned ; d. Feb. 21, 1844.
6. ANNA,4 b. April 15, 1804; m. Forest Pugsley.
7. HANNAH,4 b. July 5, 1806; d. Oct. 11, 1840, at Cornish.
8. MARY,4 b. Aug. 5, 1809 ; married Dec. 21, 1839, Benjamin Pugsley, of Cornish; afterwards of Porter.
9. JEREMIAH, 4 b. June 28, 1811 ; d. Sept. 2, 1825.
MERRIFIELDS OF SANFORD, ME.
William Merrifield,2 born in Sept., 1747, is said to have been a brother to Simeon Merrifield, the 2d, of Wells. He settled in Sanford more than a hundred years ago, and his posterity have held uninterrupted possession of the farm cleared by him until the present day. From the town records of Wells I find that he was married there, Dec. 6, 1771, to Hepzibah Furbush. His children and descendants, far as known, were named as follows:
I. NATHANIEL,3 b. Sept 21, 1772.
2. WILLIAM,3 b. Feb. 16, 1774.
3. JACOB,3 b. Jan. 4, 1776; m. Lucy Ricker, of Sanford, and settled on a farm in that town. He had fourteen children, whose names will follow :
I. OLIVE,4 b. May 23, 1806 ; m. - Pray.
II. HOSEA,+ b. Feb. 7, 1808 ; m. Mary J., dau of Elder Henry Hobbs, of Waterborough, who d. only a few years after marriage, childless. He m. second, Louisa (Carli) Hobbs, a widow with four childen, and by her had a son and a daughter. He was a blacksmith; d. when son was fourteen ; widow now living with her daughter in Boston. Issue : (1). Jacob C.,5 m. Winnie A. Dolan; was in the Civil war, and after his return settled as blacksmith in Boston; d. leaving Herbert J. (2). Lucy A.5
III. LUCINDA,4 b. Nov. 7, 1809 ; m. Mace.
IV. LOUISA,4 b. Aug. 27, 1811; m. Thomas Stevens.
V. MONSIEUR R.,4 b. June 4, 1813, settled on the homestead in Sanford. Hed. in 1893. Children : Hosea,5 now engaged in business at North Berwick ; Charles,5 in business with Hosea; Frank,5 and Daniel A1.5
VI. REBECCA R.,4 b. Mar. 15, 1815; m. - Gowen.
VII. ISAIAH,+ b. Feb. 3, 1817 ; d. young.
VIII. JACOB,4 b. Nov. 12, 1818 ; stone mason, unmarried.
IX. Lucy,4 b. Jan. 26, 1821 ; m. James Jackson, of Rochester, N. H., and is living.
X. ISAIAH,+ b. June 9, 1823 ; stone mason, single.
XI. WILLIAM,4 b. June 30, 1825 ; m. Julia Carroll and lives at Derry Depot, N. H .; stone mason and farmer. No children.
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MERRIFIELD FAMILY.
XII. OLIVE,+ b. Dec. 28, 1827; m. - Perry; deceased.
XIII. SEWELL H.,4 b. Oct. 6, 1830 ; married ; went to sea and was lost.
Simeon Merrifield,+ son of Samuel,3 of Wells, settled in Denmark and had a family ; is said to have removed to Baldwin.
John Merrifield1 died in Wells, in 1892, on " Maryland Ridge." He lived for many years on a farm near Wells town-house, but being defrauded by railroad employes was obliged to sell his farm to pay for provisions; has a son, JOHN,2 living in Berwick. The origin of the first John was somewhat obscure ; possibly semi-Melchisadec.
There were families named Merrifield in Ipswich, Mass., quite early, de- scended from FRANCIS MERRIFIELD, said to have come over with several brothers. His sons were FRANCIS and JAMES. DEA. FRANCIS MERRIFIELD, of Ipswich, son of Francis, 3d, and one of ten children, was born in Ipswich in 1736; married Hannah Lakeman, who died Oct. 29, 1809. He died April 21, 1814, aged 78 years. He was for many years deacon of the South church in Ipswich. He had a family of thirteen children, four of whom survived him. We clip the following from The Sunday School Times :
A BIBLE ON BUNKER HILL .- Among the men of Colonel Little's regiment who took part in the famous battle of Bunker Hill was Francis Merrifield, of Ipswich, Mass., a sergeant in the company of Capt. Nathaniel Wade. There stands in my library today a well-worn pocket Bible which was in his possession during that battle. Its clasps are wrenched from their fastenings and are gone, yet it bears no mark of bullet or bayonet. Its office on that eventful day was not to turn from its course some missile of death, but to sustain the Christian soldier, and to bear the record of his gratitude and piety to his descendants. After the troops had retired to Cambridge, he made the following record on a blank page between the Old and New Testaments:
" CAMBRIDGE, June 17, 1775. I desire to bless God for his kind appearance in deliv- ering me and sparing my life in the late battle fought on Bunker Hill. I desire to devote this spared life to his glory and honor, as witness my hand,
"O for a strong and lasting faith To credit what the Almighty saith ; To embrace the message of his Son, And call the joys of heaven my own.
FRANCIS MERRIFIELD. " My spirit looks to God alone; My strength and refuge is bis throne. In all my fears, in all my straits, My soul on His salvation waits.
" Nothing but glory can suffice The appetite of grace ; I wait, I long with restless eyes, Longing to see thy face. "As witness my hand, FRANCIS MERRIFIELD."
Ile served through the war and his comrades testified that throughout his army life he never failed kindly to rebuke an oath when uttered in his presence. In after life he bore an unspotted reputation.
"It is not meet that brass or stone, Which feel the touch of time, Should keep the record of a faith That woke thy deed sublime. We trace it on a tablet fair, Which glows when stars wax pale ; A promise that the good man's prayer Shall with his God prevail."
ESSEX, MASS., May 12, 1875. R. C.
John Merrifield,2 nephew of Thomas,1 of Becket, Mass., was b. in 1770, in or near Lowell, and had children whose names follow :
I. JOHN S.,8 of Sheffield, Mass., b. in 1800, was eldest brother of the father of Rev. C. N. Merrifield.
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MERRIFIELD FAMILY.
2. PAULINA,8 b. in 1802.
3. NELSON,3 b. in 1804.
4. CYRENIUS,8 b. in 1807.
5. LORENZO,8 b. in ISII.
6. LYMAN,3 b. in 1816; had one son, Dwight II'.,4 who was in Sheffield in 1877.
MERRIFIELDS OF BALTIMORE.
Joseph Merrifield,3 son of Joseph 2 and Hannah, was b. at Ringwood, Hants Co., England, Mar. 6, 1770. The family emigrated to Philadelphia in 1794, and in 1818 they went West, settling in Franklin, Warren Co., Ohio. Mr. Merrifield d. in Oct., 1825; wife d. same year. They left four small children who were brought up by their elder half brother and sister, in Phila- delphia. For generations this family have been "members of the Society of Friends," both in England and in America, although they do not now dress in Quaker costume nor use their language. He m. Mary Guest, in 1800, who d. in 1805, and second, April 15, 1815, Sarah M. Williams, who d. Oct. 15, 1825, three weeks after his death, which occurred Sept. 22, 1825.
I. JOSEPH,4 son of Joseph,3 was b. in Warren, Ohio, Dec. 19, 1820; came to the home of his half brother, John G. Merrifield, in Philadelphia, where he remained until he was 27, when he went to Baltimore and in. a Miss Janney, by whom four children. Mr. Merrifield has been a suc- cessful merchant; visited the home of his ancestors, in England, in 1855, and contributed a series of letters to the papers, which were widely read. He has always been literary in his taste; wrote poems and tales, which were published in the Philadelphia and Baltimore newspapers, from his fifteenth year; has been secretary of the Mary- land Historical Society. Issue :
I. WILLIAM,5 b. May 16, 1849; deceased.
II. JOSEPH,5 b. May 16, 1849.
III. ELIZABETH J.,5 b. Sept. 5, 1850; m. to Henry Cox, and resides in Baltimore. Five children.
IV. REBECCA J.,5 b. Sept. 25, 1852.
2. ELIZABETH N.,4 d. in 1838, in Philadelphia.
3. SARAH A.,+ d. in 1838, in Philadelphia.
4. MARY,4 b. Aug. 29, 1822; living in Philadelphia.
5. JOHN G., 4 son of Charles W .; b. Oct 24, 1834; now in Philadelphia.
6. AMELIA G.4
Elizabeth Merrifield,3 dau. of Joseph 2 and Hannah, was m. to Jeremiah Neave, of England, and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where she died, in 1834, leaving issue, and grandchildren now live at Clifton, Ohio.
MERRIFIELDS OF NEW YORK.
John Merrifield 1 married Catherine Simmons, moved from Columbia, Yates county, N. Y., and lived in Benton subsequent to 1820. He removed to Potter in 1832 and settled on a farm since belonging to Charles Bodwell's
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MERRILL FAMILY.
estate. He finally went to Coloma, Mich., where he died in 1851, aged 64. The mother lived with her children in Yates county until old age. Children:
1. JOHN,2 b. in 1809 ; m., in 1832, Sarah, dau. of John Crank, of Benton, N. Y. These lived on the home farm in Potter, of which he was joint owner with his father ; subsequently returned to Benton, where he lived on several farms. In 1848 he owned a farm consisting of 160 acres, to which he added until he owned 400 acres. He began life poor, but by good management acquired a large estate. He was a leading citizen and enjoyed the full confidence of all he had dealings with ; was super- visor and served with credit to himself and satisfaction to his towns- men. Two children :
I. JOHN W.,8 m. Elvira, dau. of William M. Crosby, of Benton, and set- tled in Vineland, N. J.
II. MARY D.,3 m. James M. Lowe, of Jerusalem, and lived on parental homestead.
2. ROBERT,2 m. Eliza, dau. of Josiah Rudd, of Italy, and removed to Michigan. Six children.
3. GEORGE C.,2 m. Mary A. Parks, of Benton, N. Y., and lives at Wisha- waka, Ind .; teacher and fruit grower; has represented county in the state assembly and held office of U. S. revenue assessor.
4. CHARLOTTE,2 m. Culver S. Barber, of Potter, N. Y.
5. JACOB,2 m. Emily, dau. of James P. Robinson, of Potter, N. Y., and re- moved to Wishawaka, Ind., where his wife died leaving three children. He m. again and was living at Decatur, Mich .; fruit grower and Uni- versalist minister.
6. WILLIAM H.,2 m. Emily Paul, of Coloma, and resided there as farmer. Five children.
7. ELIZABETH,2 m. Ira Potter, of Potter, N. Y.
8. SARAH A.,2 m. Charles Bostwick, a physician, of Coloma, Mich., and settled at New Troy.
9. PETER S.,2 m. Sally A. Dayton, of Welshville, Ohio; farmer and teacher. One son.
10. HANNAH C.,2 m. Charles Reading, of Coloma, Mich., where he d. leav- ing issue. She m. second, Franklin Vinton, of Carlisle Hill, Ind.
11. THOMAS J.,2 m. Paulina Skinner, of Valparaiso, Ind .; lawyer ; has been mayor of the city; represented Potter in state assembly.
Merrill Family.
FIRST BRANCH.
Nathaniel MerrillI came from Salisbury, England, to Newbury, Mass., in 1635-6. He soon removed to Salisbury, Mass. His son, DANIEL,2 was born in Newbury, in Aug., 1642; his son, JOHN,8 was born Aug. 7, 1674; he had a son, THOMAS,4 born in Salisbury, Mass., Dec. 18, 1708; a farmer, whose son,
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MERRILL FAMILY.
Lient. Samuel Merrill,5 was born Aug. 4, 1728; married Elizabeth, dau. of Capt. Thomas Bradbury, in 1747. He removed to the township on Saco river called Narragansett, No. 1, now Buxton, and settled on land purchased of his father-in-law at Salmon Falls, Nov. 22, 1753, and lived there the remain- der of his days, and the old homestead continues with his descendants. He was a soldier stationed at the block-house on Saco river in 1748 ; was living in Narragansett, No. 1, as early as May 17, 1751 ; a prominent man, whose name often appears on the proprietors' records; said to have been of a "re- spectable family, frequently a selectman of his town, and a lieutenant at the battle of Bunker Hill in the company of Capt. Jeremiah Hill." He died May 4, 1822, aged 94, and was buried in the old Buxton cemetery, but the location of his grave is unknown. His wife d. Jan. 18, 1828, in her 93d year. Children :
I. ABEL,6 b. June 6, 1748, in Salisbury; m. Elizabeth Page, July 1, 1773, and settled at Elden's Corner, now Buxton Centre, where he built a "cellar-kitchen house." He removed to Turner with his son, and d. there Dec. 8, 1828, aged 76. He was brought into Narragansett, No. I, in 1750; served in the Revolution in 1776 and 1777. Children :
I. THOMAS,7 b. Aug. 19, 1774; m. Mary Haskell, Nov. 22, 1801, and d. issueless in Turner, Mar. 20, 1862. He built a house at Elden's Cor- ner, on the spot where his father settled, since owned by Capt. Davis.
II. SAMUEL,7 b. Aug. 29, 1776; m. Mary Bradbury; d. in Biddeford, Aug. 2, 1845. Children :
(1). Samuel,8 m. Mary Hooper.
(2). Elizabeth,8 m. Benjamin Moore, of Gorham.
III. MARY,7 b. Oct. 19, 1781; m. Zenas Payne, May 26, 1805; d. without issue Dec. 25, 1821.
IV. RUTH,7 b. Apr. 25, 1784; m. Dr. Aaron Ayer, by whom two children ; second, John Woodman, of Minot, Me.
v. ABEL,7 b. May 26, 1785; m. Abigail, dau. of Nathaniel Hill (who was b. June 29, 1788,), June 25, 1809, and soon after removed to Turner, Me., where he d. Feb. 13, 1859 ; wife d. Dec. 4, 1835. It is said that he moved back to Buxton about 1840 and m. Widow Hill. Children, all b. in Turner, as follows :
(1). Thomas,8 b. April 14, 1808.
(2). Nathaniel,8 b. Oct. 15, 1810.
(3). Harriet,8 b. Oct. 13, 1813; m. Washington Haskell and lived in Auburn, Me.
(4). Mary P.,8 b. Mar. 12, 1816; m. Lothrop Files, of Gorham, Me.
(5). Elizabeth,8 b. Aug. 13, 1818; m. James Rounds; d. in Buxton, Jan., 1872.
(6). Jeremiah H.,8 b. Oct. 18, 1820; now (1893) president Citizens National Bank, Des Moines, Iowa.
(7). Samuel,8 b. Aug. 7, 1822 ; has been Governor of Iowa; removed to Los Angeles, Cal.
(8).
Martha H.,8 b. July 30, 1824; m. Moses G: Hill, of Buxton.
2. HUMPHREY,6 b. June 27, 1750 ; m. Elizabeth McLucas, Jan. 19, 1775 ; settled on a farm on the road leading from the Hains meadow, in Bux-
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MERRILL FAMILY.
ton, to Moderation Falls, now West Buxton. The house built by him is still standing in its original form, but has recently been repaired and painted ; a pleasant location, slightly elevated, with spacious door-yard in front. He and wife united with the Congregational church, Oct. 27, 1793. He d. Sept. 27, 1828 ; wife d. Dec. 18, 1818. Twelve children, b. in Buxton :
1. SARAH,7 b. Jan. 10, 1776 ; m. Isaac Boynton, Oct. 2, 1800.
II. WILLIAM,7 b. Aug. 29, 1777 ; m. Charity Davis, dau. Nicholas Davis, b. in Limington, Aug. 10, 1787; she d. in New York; he d. in Brownfield, where he settled Feb. 27, 1837. Children, b. in Brown- field, as follows :
(1). Louisa,8 b. Apr. 27, 1808; m. John Smalley, Jan. 31, 1826.
(2). Irene,8 b. Jan. 23, 1810.
(3). Harrict,8 b. Feb. 2, 1812.
(4). William,8 b. Mar. 16, 1814.
(5). Nicholas D.,8 b. Apr. 28, 1816.
(6). Humphrey,8 b. July 8, 1819.
(7). Martha WI.,8 b. Mar. 28, 1821.
(8). Mary E.,8 b. Apr. 5, 1823; d. Aug., 1849.
(9). Alvan,8 b. June 25, 1825 ; d. in New York city, May, 1853.
111. JAMES,7 b. Apr. 13, 1779 ; m. Martha Crockett, Aug. 3, 1800; second, Susan Whitney : had issue; settled on a part of his father's land.
IV. ELIZABETH,7 b. May 21, 1781; m. William Wentworth, of Brownfield, Jan. 10, 1803.
V. LUCY,7 b. May 21, 1781; m. to John Tarbox, of Buxton, July 23, 1815, and her descendants live on the homestead.
VI. JOHN,7 b. April 14, 1783 ; lived at home; no issue.
VII. HUMPHREY,7 b. April 6, 1785 ; d. June 16, 1808.
V111. HANNAH,7 b. April 19, 1787; m. Timothy Ayer, April 9. 1807, and lived in Otisfield.
IX. SAMUEL B.,7 b. Mar. 26, 1789 ; a physician in Cherryfield, Me.
x. JOSHUA,7 b. Mar. 22, 1794 ; d. Mar. 22, 1797.
XI. DANIEL,7 b. Feb. 13, 1797 ; d. July 16, 1816.
XII. RUTH,7 b. Dec. 4, 1800; m. Dea. William Leavitt, of Buxton, and had issue.
3. JANE,6 b. July 12, 1752, in Biddeford; m. Ebenezer Wentworth, of Buxton, May 14, 1772, and had family; he d. Feb. 6, 1820; she d. July 11, 1843. See Wentworth family.
4. SAMUEL,6 b. 1754. in Buxton; m. Anna Eaton, Nov. 5, 1776; settled on the homestead of his father at Salmon Falls, and d. in 1838 ; wife d. June 30, 1821. Children, b. in Buxton, as will follow :
I. WILLIAM,7 b. Dec. 10, 1778; m. Susanna Lane, and had nine chil- dren; he d. April 1, 1828; wife d. Mar. 14, 1867. Issue : James,8 William J.,8 Daniel,8 killed at age of four, Daniel L.,8 Benjamin J.,8 Hannah,8 Nancy,8 Ruth,8 Mary.8
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MERRILL FAMILY.
II. ELIZABETH,7 b. Nov. 6, 1781; m. James Sawyer, of Fryeburg, Me.
III. SAMUEL,7 b. April 4, 1784; m. Betsey Owen, June 24, 1804, and had issue ; m. second, Dorcas Woodsum, and had two children. Ann M.,8 Ansel,8 Ruth,8 Almira,8 Benjamin F.8
IV. HANNAH,7 b. April 26, 1786.
V. JOHN,7 b. Oct. 18, 1791; m. Priscilla Milliken, of Scarborough, Dec. 22, 1810, and had Wyman.8
VI. RUTH,7 b. April 15, 1794; m. James Banks, father of Hon. E. H Banks, of Biddeford; second, William Foss, of Buxton, by whom James F. Foss, of Chicago. She died almost instantly on road from Saco, in 1850.
VII. NANCY,7 b. April 15, 1794; m. Daniel Harmon, and lived in Buxton. She died very suddenly, much as her twin sister, at her home, March 29, 1854.
5. MARTHA, 6 b. 1756; m. Thomas Ridlon, who settled in Hollis, June 24, 1779, and had a numerous family. (See Ridlon Family History.)
6. ELIZABETH,6 m. Joses Hopkinson, May 8, 1777; d. in Limington; had children.
7. MARY.6
8. RUTH,6 b. in 1763; m. Isaac Lane, April 6, 1794. Her dau. Hannah is the wife of Ellis B. Usher.
9. SARAH, 6 b. Mar. 1, 1765 ; m. to Daniel Bryant, May 23, 1782, and lived on " Mutton Lane," in the north part of Saco. (See Bryant Family.)
IO. JOHN,6 b. June 3, 1767; m. Rebecca Lane, dau. Capt. Daniel, Jan. 28, 1790; lived at Salmon Falls; he d. June 10, 1849; widow died at the home of Daniel M. Owen, her grandson, in Saco, Nov. 14, 1863. Children as follows :
I. POLLY,7 b. Feb. 25, 1792; m. William Owen, May 1, 1814; d. April 2, 1818, leaving one son.
II. ISAAC,7 b. Dec. 19, 1793 ; m. Lucy Merritt, and had four sons and three daughters ; he was a prominent man in Hollis; was justice of the peace, merchant, and mill owner; d. in May, 1862, in Buxton. Children named as follows: Charles,8 John,8 Albion,8 Roscoe G.,8 Mary,8 Rebecca,8 Annette.8
III. DANIEL,7 b. Feb. 19, 1799 ; drowned in Saco river, May 26, 1806.
SECOND BRANCH.
Nathaniel Merrill,1 who came from Salisbury, England, to Newbury, Mass., in 1635-6, had a son ABRAHAM,2 born in 1637, who was an elder brother of DANIEL,2 whose name follows that of the emigrant ancestor in the preceding pedigree. DAVID,8 son of Abraham, born Feb. 20, 1677, had a son DAVID,4 born May 1, 1708, whose son MELATIAH,5 was father of
Lieut. William Merrill,6 who settled in Buxton. He was b. April 12, 1767 ; m. Mary, dau. of Lemuel and Ruth (Osgood) Stevens; she d. June 20, 1852; he d. Feb. 16, 1847. Posterity as follows :
1. P. Marvill.
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MERRILL FAMILY.
I. JAMES,7 b. June 17, 1783 ; m. Abigail He d. Mar. 4, 1849. They had, b. in Buxton, the following children:
I. EDWARD F.,8 b. April 14, 1822.
II. SARAH A.,8 b. Dec. 3, 1823.
III. MARY J.,8 b. Feb. 5, 1827.
IY. CAROLINE,8 b. July 27, 1828.
2. STEPHEN,7 b. Jan. 1, 1791; m. Dorcas Sands, and had, b. in Buxton :
I. MARY,8 b. April 22, 1813.
II. BETSEY,8 b. Dec. 15, 1814.
3. DAVID,7 b. Jan. 13, 1793; m. Eunice Lord, of Portsmouth, N. H., and lived for some time in South Berwick. In the fall after the " cold sum- mer," say 1818, he removed to Adams, Jefferson Co., N. Y., where he lived until 1835, when he started for Milwaukee, but thinking the place too near the border line of civilization to be a comfortable place of resi- dence for his family, he sat down in Cleveland, Ohio, and remained there two years. In the fall of 1837 he determined to make the con- templated settlement of Milwaukee, and loading his goods and wares, together with his family, into wagons, he made the long trip overland, arriving there late in the season. A log-house on the Menominee river, which had been vacated by a more fortunate pioneer, was the only house he could find available as a place of residence, and in this the family was domiciled-with blankets hung at the openings cut for doors and windows-during the first six months of their residence in Milwaukee. At the end of that time more comfortable quarters were secured, and the following spring Mr. Merrill became the proprietor of a log-hotel, where for a time he dispensed old-fashioned hospitality, at old-fashioned prices. As soon as he was able to command sufficient resources, he turned his attention to marine matters, and was one of the earliest ves- sel builders in Milwaukee. In company with another gentleman he built and put into the carrying trade on Lake Michigan the schooner "Marvin," one of the first vessels launched at Milwaukee. He next built "The Michael Dousman," and later built for himself and others numerous vessels employed in the lake traffic. In addition to his ship-building and carrying trade, which he developed to considerable proportions, he was interested also in merchandising operations, and was a capable and enterprising man of affairs. An active and enthusiastic member of the Masonic fraternity, he was among the organizers of one of the first lodges established in the state of Wisconsin, and prominent for many years among the Masons of Milwaukee. He died in Milwaukee, Mar. 12, 1872. Children :
I. WILLIAM P.,8 b. Mar. 25, 1816, at South Berwick, Me., then in Massa- chusetts ; m. Miss Elizabeth Harris, a native of Vermont, who went to Milwaukee, when a child, in 1840. This estimable lady, well beloved in the city where she and her husband resided rising fifty years, died in 1893, leaving two sons. Mr. Merrill has had an eventful life. He emigrated with his parents from South Berwick to Adams, N. Y., in 1818 ; thence, after fourteen years, to Massena Springs, N. Y., where he was enured to such experiences as were then incident to pioneer life. His education acquired in the common schools was more useful
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MERRILL FAMILY.
than ornamental, but with the inestimable natural endowment of sound common sense and acute perceptive faculties he supplemented his scholastic training by much practical knowledge, obtained in the ex- periences of his every-day life. The remarkable activity which charac- terized his boyhood was but the expression of the irrepressible spirit of energy which found scope in the broader fields of enterprise where he afterwards labored. Before his majority he had gone to Canada to engage in business, but impaired health forced him to return home. As soon as he recovered, he turned his face westward and went his way by boat from Ogdensburg to the mouth of the Genesee river, thence to Rochester and Buffalo by canal boats. Spending the winter of 1835-6 in Cleveland, he started in the spring on an exploring ex- pedition, which resulted in his settlement in Milwaukee, Wis. But his journey was attended with peril and distress. Leaving the schooner ice-bound at Bois Blanc island, he and a companion started on foot for Mackinac, supposing the distance to be some ten or twelve miles, and with the expectation of reaching their destination by four o'clock in the afternoon they followed the indentions of the lake shore, but by breaking through the ice and suffering from the intense cold and frozen garments their progress was slow and painful. As darkness began to fall the two were ready to despair, but, fortunately, two friendly Indians came in their way who carried them across an open space of water and gave such directions as enabled them to reach their objective point. After several days at Mackinac, the belated schooner came along and on April 2, 1836, they arrived at Milwaukee, which, at that time, was scarcely worthy of the name of village, being only a scattered settlement. The unattractive appearance of the place and environments impressed Mr. Merrill so unfavorably that he would have gone to Chicago had he not met some of the settlers who repre- sented the opportunities for investment with so much enthusiasm that he decided to remain for the time being and await developments. The years 1836 and 1837 marked a period of great activity in the West, and Milwaukee received a large increase of population. Mr. Merrill found very remunerative employment as a carpenter, and evinced his foresight by investing in real estate, one of his first pur- chases being lots near the present Schlitz Park, on which he built one of the first frame houses on the west side of the river. In the fall of 1837, stimulated by a spirit of adventure, he started on another ex- tended exploring tour, and when he reached Chicago found it only a straggling settlement surrounded by unsightly marshes, unattractive and uninviting as a place of residence. He then went to Rockford, Ill., where the hotel was a log-house; thence by canoe down to Rock Island, and to the bank of the Mississippi, where he took a steamer for Galena, then the largest town west of Cincinnati. Waiting here until the summer of 1838, he extended his tour up the Mississippi. Going on shore while the steamer was anchored in Lake Pepin, he planted some beans and thus acquired the shadow of a title to 1,000 acres of land in the famous "Carver tract." He visited Fort Snell- ing, the Falls of St. Anthony, and Minnehaha Falls and returned to Galena; thence to Comache, Iowa, where he filed a claim to a tract of land. Returning to Milwaukee in the fall of 1839, he opened a
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945
MERRILL FAMILY.
general store at Summit, then in Milwaukee county, where he erected the first building for commercial purposes west of Waukesha, Wis. Selling out he settled permanently at Milwaukee. He purchased eighty acres of land, and afterwards secured from the government a title to eighty acres more, all now in the city, and a part of which he still owns. To show the enormous appreciation of values in a grow- ing western city, it will be of interest to know that the total tax on this land in 1846, for the year, was only $3.88, while the taxes assessed against the same land in 1894, exclusive of improvements, approxi- mated $75,000. By judicious investment and prudent management of his business affairs, Mr. Merrill has become possessed of a large estate. He has manifested the deepest interest in the growth and character of the city during his long residence there, and has fostered by his counsel and benevolence every movement and institution that commended itself to his favor. A Republican in politics he has been a consistent advocate of the principles of the party, and while not aspiring to official honors he has served at different times in the city government. Honest, upright, and conscientious in his business rela- tions, intelligent, affable, and courteous in social intercourse, he has grown old gracefully, and during later years has been active in em- ploying means for the preservation in permanent form of the pioneer history of the city and county, and of the lives of those who have ren- dered their names worthy of a place in such annals. He has two sons : Zachara,9 a resident of Milwaukee, and David L.,? who resides at Union City, Mich.
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