San Francisco County
Biographies
WILLIAM
L. MERRY
WILLIAM L. MERRY.–The
great packing and provision house of San Francisco was organized in this city,
in 1851, by J. Y. Wilson. In 1869 it passed into the hands of Wilson,
Merry & Co., and in 1874, to Merry, Faul &
Co. Mr. Faul died in June, 1889, and the
business has since been run by Mr. William L. Merry, who is now sole
owner. The first location of the establishment was at the corner of Broadway
and Sansome streets, where it remained until
1865. At that time it was removed to Blocks 257 and 258 North Beach,
bounded by Webster, Beach, Buchanan and Bay streets, where they built their
Block Point Packing and provision House and their large refrigerator
building. Here they have all the machinery and capacity for five hundred
head of stock daily. Their buildings were erected in 1865, at a cost of
$25,000, and additions have since been made, the whole costing about
$45,000(.) Their offices are located at 125 and 127 California street. Mr. Merry has been connected with the business
since 1869, and is thoroughly informed concerning all its details, from
purchasing of the live-stock of the producers to preparing it in the most
approved manner for market. The house has acquired a wide and well-earned
reputation on the Pacific coast, and for years has had
large contracts for furnishing supplies to the United States army and navy,
which have been filled to the highest satisfaction of the parties concerned.
Mr. Merry is Consul-General
for the Republic of Nicaragua, and Pacific Coast Agent
for the Nicaragua Canal Company. He is president of the Chamber of
Commerce, and is at present one of its trustees. He is prominently
connected with the Masonic fraternity; belongs to Oriental Lodge of California,
No. 144, F. & A. M.; California Royal Arch Chapter, No. 1; and California Commandery, Knights Templar, No. 1. Politically he is
a Republican. Mr. Merry is a native of New York city,
but has long been identified with the interests of California and her great
metropolis, having arrived at San Francisco in June, 1850, via Cape Horn.
Transcribed
by 8-1-06 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 428-429,
Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2006 Marilyn R. Pankey.