Wapello County IA Archives Biographies.....Merrick, Cyrus H. 1829 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 July 4, 2013, 12:36 am Source: See Below Author: S. J. Clarke, Publisher CYRUS H. MERRICK. Cyrus H. Merrick, president of the Phoenix Trust Company of Ottumwa, is probably the oldest resident of Wapello county in active business. Mr. Merrick was born in Sturbridge, Worcester county, Massachusetts, September 26, 1829, and is therefore in his eighty-fifth year. He is the son of Cyrus and Elizabeth (Henshaw) Merrick, and comes of old New England stock, his ancestors having been pioneers in the Connecticut River valley, settling at Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1638, having landed at Charlestown, Massachusetts, from Anglesey, Wales, in 1636. Cyrus Merrick, the father of Cyrus H., left the family home at Monson, Massachusetts, and settled in Sturbridge in 1809 as junior partner of Burt & Merrick, being tavern keepers, store keepers and proprietors of a section of the stage line from Boston to New York. Mr. Merrick also served one term in the legislature of Massachusetts. At the time Lafavette revisited this country he stopped en route at the tavern of Burt & Merrick, which is still standing. After living successively at Sturbridge, Wilbraham and Lancaster, Massachusetts, being engaged in farming during this period and in securing a fair common school and academic education in the common schools and at Williston & Easthampton seminaries the subject of our sketch decided to cast his lot with the growing west and arrived in Burlington, Iowa, October 15, 1851, having made the trip from Massachusetts by rail, boat and stage. The railroad west from Chicago at that time extended only to Belvedere, Illinois. Arriving in Burlington Mr. Merrick was first employed in the office of the lumber firm of E. D. Rand & Company. Later he entered the employ of the banking firm of Green, Thomas & Company at Burlington and was made manager of a branch at Fort Madison in 1853, it being the first banking house opened in that city. While living in Fort Madison his wife, who he had married in Ohio in the summer of 1853, passed away, and Mr. Merrick's health having become impaired, he was obliged to leave the west and returned to Massachusetts in 1855, where after a period of farm life he engaged in the shoe manufacturing business at Sturbridge, in which he remained until the winter of 1860-61, when he removed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was engaged in the paper manufacturing business until 1868, the company of which he was secretary-treasurer making during that period the first roll of paper used on a Bullock press, and, he thinks, the first roll of paper ever manufactured for a printing press. During the Civil war he assisted in the organization of the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served in the Pennsylvania militia during Lee's first invasion. His partner in business having received a commission, Mr. Merrick was obliged to remain in Pittsburgh in charge of the business. In 1868 he returned to Burlington, Iowa, where he was employed successively by the lumber firm of Gilbert Hedge & Company, the carpet and furnishing house of J. H. Wyman & Company, afterward Wyman & Rand, and the Whitebreast Fuel Company, shortly after its organization by J. C. Osgood and our respected fellow citizen, William Haven. In 1881 the office of the Whitebreast Fuel Company was transferred to Ottumwa, and Mr. Merrick brought his family here the latter part of that year. In 1882 he became secretary-treasurer of the newly organized Eldon Coal & Mining Company, being associated with Oliver M. and Charles F. C. Ladd. He was connected with this company until 1889 when the controlling interest was purchased by Messrs. W. R. & George P. Daum. About this time O. M. Ladd removed to Denver, Colorado, and Mr. Merrick took charge of his farm loan business, purchasing it in 1895. In 1903 he associated with himself a number of the leading business men of Ottumwa and incorporated his business as the Phoenix Trust Company, of which he was elected president, which office he still holds. Mr. Merrick was married in June, 1853, to Ellen H., daughter of William and Margaret Lang, at Kenton, Ohio. She died January 6, 1855. In 1877 he married at Bloomington, Illinois, Harriet Olivia, daughter of Simeon and Lucretia (Shepherd) Sherfey, who is still living. His children are Henry Spencer, who is associated with him in the Phoenix Trust Company, and Elisabeth Olive. At an early age Mr. Merrick joined the Orthodox Congregational church, with which he has been since affiliated, except during his residence at Pittsburgh, when he was a member of the Third Presbyterian church. At present he is senior deacon in the First Congregational church in this city. While in Pittsburgh he was one of the organizers of the Young Men's Christian Association, and was also a member and treasurer of the board of trustees of the Ottumwa Young Men's Christian Association when the present building was erected. He was one of the charter members of the Wapello Club, of which he is still a member, and is also a member of the Ottumwa Country Club. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY IOWA ILLUSTRATED VOLUME II CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1914 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/iafiles/ File size: 5.7 Kb