SAMUEL MERRILL, seventh Governor of the State, was born in Oxford County in
the State of Maine on the 7th of August, 1822. He received a liberal education
and when a young man taught school several terms in the south and in his
native State. He removed to New Hampshire where he was elected to the Legislature
in 1854, serving two sessions. In 1856 he came to Iowa, locating at
McGregor, where he opened a general store. In 1859 he was elected on the Republican
ticket to the hOuse of the Eighth General Assembly. When the war began in
1861, Mr. Merrill took the contract to furnish three Iowa regiments with clothing
before the Government could supply them with uniforms. In 1862 he was
commissioned colonel of the Twenty-first Iowa Infantry. He was severely wounded at
the Battle of Black River Bridge and was so disabled that he resigned his
commission. In 1867 he was nominated by the Republican State Convention for
Governor and elected, serving two terms. He removed to Des Moines and, after the
close of his second term, engaged in the banking business. With others he
established the Citizens' National Bank. He was active in bringing about the
great reunion of Iowa soldiers at Des Moines in the summer of 1870. Governor
Merrill was for many years an influential trustee of Iowa College at Grinnell. He
acquired great wealth in banking and railroad building and finally removed to
California. The last years of his life were spent in Passadena, where he
died on the 31st of August, 1899. His funeral was held at Des Moines and was
attended by many of the public officials and prominent men of the State.
Debbie Clough Gerischer
Iowa Gen Web, Assistant CC, Scott County
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IAGENWEB: Special History Project:
http://iagenweb.org/history/index.htm
Gerischer Family Web Site:
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