San
Joaquin County
Biographies
WILBUR P. MERRILL
A resident of California for more
than half a century, Wilbur P. Merrill was born at Shirland,
Winnebago County, Illinois, March 10, 1846. His father, Marshfield True Merrill, was a
native of Bangor, Maine, and emigrating to Illinois in
the early days; he was one of the early settlers of Winnebago County, improving
a farm from the raw prairie. He married
Miss Della C. Goff, born in Hume, Alleghany County, New York, who had come with
her parents to Shirland, Illinois. The father died in Illinois before the
war. Mrs. Merrill was married again in
1871 in Chicago to William H. Dean and they came to California that year. Mr. Dean had been a pioneer of California and
was a job printer and one of the early reporters in the state. He was reporter on the Alta Californian and started
Mark Twain out as a reporter by having him report a dance. Mr. Dean died in Stockton and Mrs. Dean is
now making her home on Fair Oaks Avenue.
She was born on September 1, 1820, and lately celebrated her 102nd
birthday. She is still able to cook and
do her own housework. She is a charter
member of Roosevelt Circle, Ladies of the G. A. R. By her first marriage she had three children,
Wilbur P. being the only one living. Of
her second marriage there was one child, William H. Dean of Sacramento.
Wilbur P. Merrill was reared on the
Illinois farm and educated in the public schools. In 1864 he enlisted in Company F, 142nd
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, campaigning in Tennessee until the close of the
Civil War, being mustered out in 1865 after one year’s service. He returned to Chicago, Illinois, and learned
the machinists’ trade in the Illinois Central Railroad shops and then became an
engineer running out of Chicago until 1872, when he came to Sacramento and as
engineer ran between Sacramento and Truckee on the Central Pacific. In 1877 he purchased a ranch near Florin and
he built the first residence in that newly laid out town. Later he quit farming and made a trip to
Mexico where he built a smelting works for a mining company; on his return in
1901 he located in Stockton, where for eight years he was engaged in the second
hand furniture business.
Mr. Merrill’s first marriage took
place in Chicago when he was united with Miss Rebecca Huycke,
a native of northern Illinois. She died
in Stockton, leaving him two children, Mrs. Janet Estella Horr
and Mrs. Minnie Adella Brown. His second
marriage occurred in Stockton when he was united with Mrs. Olive (McMurry) Howard, born in Buena Vista, California. Mr. Merrill for many years was a member of
Warren Post G. A. R. of Sacramento; he is now senior vice commander of Rawlins
Post No. 23, G. A. R. Mr. Merrill is a
liberal and kindhearted man of a pleasing personality that makes him more
friends wherever he goes. It is indeed
gratifying to see the solicitude and tender care he showers on his aged mother,
looking after her comfort in her old age in every way. Mr. Merrill is a strong Republican dating
from the time of Lincoln, of whom he is a great admirer.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
783-784. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Biographies
Golden Nugget Library's San Joaquin County Genealogy
Databases