Lassen-Santa Barbara-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Merrill, Charles A. 1838 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 24, 2006, 2:43 am Author: Fariss & Smith (1882) CAPTAIN CHARLES A. MERRILL.—He was born in Jackson, Maine, November 25, 1838, from which place his parents removed, while he was yet young, to Bangor, where his father owned a large hardware business, and carried on a tannery and leather manufacturing establishment until his death, in 1845. The following year his mother died, after which he lived with an uncle, Ezekiel T. Hatch, a leading ship-builder of Belfast, Maine. Until fifteen years of age, Charles attended school regularly either in Jackson or Bangor, but in that year he commenced going to sea during the summer time, and attending school in the winter. This he continued until eighteen, in which year he made his first long voyage to the island of Martinique, from where he went to the Spanish Main, and in after years cruised all over the world. In 1864 he abandoned the sea at San Francisco, and engaged in land speculations in California. In 1870 he was engaged by the settlers of Santa Barbara and vicinity, to proceed to Washington and resist, and if possible prevent, the confirmation by Congress of a large Spanish grant of twenty-two leagues (66 miles) of land to a syndicate of speculators, headed by Tom Scott and Levi Parsons, which would have amounted to wholesale robbery of the settlers in that county. With the able assistance of George W. Julian, chairman of the House Committee on Public Lands, he succeeded in defeating its confirmation, and in having the pueblo ratified, thereby giving to the Santa Barbara people a government title to their lands. During the years 1872-3 he engaged in mining and stock speculations with great success, and in 1874 came to Lassen county, and located an extensive tract of fine timber land, just west of Susanville, in the midst of which he erected a saw-mill, which he operated for three years. In 1874 he conceived the idea of that vast irrigation scheme for the reclamation of those extensive tracts of desert lands which lie to the north and east of Honey lake. In the winter of 1874-5 he went to Washington, and had passed "The Desert Land" bill, which then applied to Lassen county only, but which has since become general. The details of this enterprise are given elsewhere. Mr. Merrill is a live, shrewd, energetic man, and with his enterprise has caused large sums of money to be put into circulation in the county, and will continue so to do, to his and the settlers' material benefit. He was married in February, 1875, in Belfast, Maine, to Miss Clara A. Shibles (they had been engaged for fifteen years) of that place. He returned with his bride to San Francisco, where they resided until his business began to require his constant attention, since which time they have made their home at Belfast in this county. They have had two children: Florence E., born November 1, 1876, in San Francisco; and Charles A., born February 1, 1878, but living only two years and twenty-one days. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties San Francisco: Fariss & Smith (1882) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/lassen/bios/merrill531nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 3.6 Kb