Duval County FlArchives Biographies.....Merrill, J. Evarts March 27, 1858 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/fl/flfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Nancy Rayburn http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00025.html#0006128 January 27, 2016, 10:12 pm Source: Vol. II pg.159-160 The Lewis Publishing Co. 1923 Author: History of Florida, Past and Present J. EVARTS MERRILL. Because of the length and value of his service to the City of Jacksonville in various public capacities, J. EVARTS MERRILL is numbered among the most helpful citizens of his community, and this despite the fact that he is now retired, ostensibly, from active affairs. However much he may wish to do so, a man of his character cannot remove himself from matters that affect the welfare of his city, for while he may, apparently, be taking no part in the movements enlisting the interest and participation of public-spirited citizens of broad and views and modern enlightenment, his influence continues to be felt. Mr. Merrill is a New Englander by nativity, having been born at Tamworth, New Hampshire, March 27, 1858, and is a son of JOHN H. and PHOEBE PIERCE (RICHARDSON) MERRILL. His father was born at Falmouth, Maine, February 23, 1817, and after securing his primary education entered Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, from which he was duly graduated with his degree. He then prepared for the ministry of the Congregational Church, his first charge being at Sedgwick, Maine, whence he was called to Pembroke, New Hampshire, and finally to Tamworth, New Hampshire, where he completed his ministry, his death occurring in 1861, when he was but forty spirited citizens of broad and views and modern enlightenment, his influence continues to be felt. Mr. Merrill is a New Englander by nativity, having been born at Tamworth, New Hampshire, March 27, 1858, and is a son of JOHN H. and PHOEBE PIERCE (RICHARDSON) MERRILL. His father was born at Falmouth, Maine, February 23, 1817, and after securing his primary education entered Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, from which he was duly graduated with his degree. He then prepared for the ministry of the Congregational Church, his first charge being at Sedgwick, Maine, whence he was called to Pembroke, New Hampshire, and finally to Tamworth, New Hampshire, where he completed his ministry, his death occurring in 1861, when he was but forty-four years of age, and when his son, J. Evarts, was still a young child. He married in Maine, in October, 1847, Miss PHOEBE PIERCE RICHARDSON, who was born at Baldwin, Maine, July 30, 1819, and died in 1859, having been the mother of six sons, of whom J. Evarts is the youngest and one of the two now living. J. EVARTS MERRILL was thus left an orphan when still at a tender age, and received only ordinary educational advantages, his principal training during his boyhood, youth and young manhood having been acquired in the schools of hard work and experience. He was reared in an agricultural community in New Hampshire, where he worked at farming until he was twenty-one years of age, and in 1879 first came to Florida, locating at Waldo. In the summer of the following year he returned to New Hampshire, where he had before attended school with Miss CARRIE S. SMITH, with whom he was united in marriage November 17, 1880. She was born at Tamworth, New Hampshire, October 4, 1859, a daughter of JOHN H. and LUCINDA (BLAKE) SMITH, and the only child of her parents. JOHN H. SMITH was born at Tamworth, New Hampshire, July 4, 1832, and in young manhood adopted the vocation of farming, which he followed with a reasonable measure of success until the outbreak of the war between the North and the South, when, in 1861, he enlisted in Company F, Third Regiment, New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, with which he served bravely and faithfully, taking part in all the engagements, skirmishes, and marches of his regiment until receiving a severe wound in battle. He was taken to the Port Royal Hospital, but the wound proved a fatal one and his death occurred July 2, 1864, just two days before he had reached the age of thirty-two years. He was a Republican in politics, but did not seek public office, being content with his farm and his home. His worthy wife, who was born November 7, 1837, in Ontario, Canada, survived him for a long period, passing away June 5, 1914, at the ripe old age of more than seventy-six years. Immediately following his marriage Mr. Merrill return to Florida with his young wife, and during the next four years was engaged in clerking at Waldo. In the summer of 1885 he changed his place of residence to Jacksonville, where he secured employment with the dry goods firm of Marvin, Lamar and Company, which later became Marvin, Denham and Company, and he remained with this latter concern until 1891, when the company went out of business. At that time Mr. Merrill went to Marvinia, Hillsborough County, Florida, where he had accepted a position with the Pebble Phosphate Company as auditor, operated by the same people for whom he had worked at Jacksonville, and where he remained until June, 1896. Returning then to Jacksonville, and following an extended visit to his native town, in November of the same year he became auditor of the city, the executive board known as Bond Trustees of the City of Jacksonville. In 1911 he was made assistant to the secretary of the same board and in 1917 became secretary of the Board of City Commissioners, succeeding the Bond Trustees and known as the City Commission, retaining the latter post until his retirement December 31, 1920. During his long career in public office Mr. Merrill established a splendid record for conscientious discharge of duty and efficiency and handling the affairs of his several offices and at the same time gained and held the friendship and goodwill of his associates and acquaintances and those whose business took them to his office. Mr. Merrill, as also is Mrs. Merrill, is a member of the Congregational Church of his forebears, which he joined before his marriage, and in the local organization of which he served as clerk during a period of years. He has long been interested in Odd Fellowship and became a past grand of Union Lodge No. 2, I. O. O. F., at Waldo, where he served as presiding officer two terms. In 1885 he demitted and became a member of Florida Lodge No. 1 at Jacksonville. He likewise has held an active membership in the Young Men’s Christian A Association, and was one of the organizers of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, of which he acted for several years as secretary, now known as the Jacksonville Humane Society, of which both he and Mrs. Merrill are members. In political tendencies Mr. Merrill and his wife are democrats. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/fl/duval/bios/merrill285bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/flfiles/ File size: 7.1 Kb