Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Merrifield, N. W. May 16, 1865 - 
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Ila L. Wakley iwakley@msn.com April 17, 2008, 4:21 pm

Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company

	N. W. Merrifield has long held a place in the front rank of 
enterprising and successful real estate men of Vancouver, and has also gained 
prominence as a builder of homes, in which line he has performed a distinct 
service to his community. He has been influential in civic affairs and is 
regarded as one of Vancouver’s useful and dependable citizens. Mr. Merrifield 
was born at Hart, Oceana county, Michigan, on the 16th of May, 1865, and is a 
son of D. M. and Martha (Cooley)  Merrifield, both of whom died in Kansas, to 
which state the family moved in 1870. They located at Abilene, Dickinson 
county, which at that time was the western terminus of the Union Pacific 
Railroad and where cattle driven up from Texas were loaded onto trains for 
shipment to the Kansas City and Chicago markets. There the father entered a 
homestead, on which he and his wife spent many years.
	Mr. Merrifield secured his education in the public schools of Michigan 
and Kansas and remained in the latter state until 1890, when he came to the 
Puget Sound country. He taught school for fifteen years at Everett, Fort 
Angelus and other towns, and then went to Klickitat county, Washington, where 
he remained two years, 1905-06, during one year of which time he taught school 
at Goldendale. While there he also entered a homestead, to which he acquired 
title from the government. In 1906 Mr. Merrifield came to Vancouver and 
engaged in the real estate business, which business he has followed 
continuously since that date, being the pioneer realtor of Vancouver. His 
first office was on lower Main street, at which time he gave his attention 
solely to real estate and insurance. Later he added the loan business and now 
is the local representative of the Capital Savings and Loan Association of 
Olympia, which loans much of its capital in this locality. Mr. Merrifield has 
bought and platted a number of additions to Vancouver, and of late years has 
given much of his attention to the building of homes on urban acreage, in 
which he has met with pronounced success. He does a large insurance business, 
embracing fire, casualty and automobile insurance, which has become an 
important department.  In 1898, prior to coming to Vancouver, Mr. 
Merrifield “mushed” to Alaska intending to go to Dawson, but instead he took a 
contract with the government as a convoy across the “neutral strip,” from 
Skagway to Lake Bennett. He followed that work only a few months, but during 
that period passed through some unusual experiences and met a number of 
notorious gamblers and characters of that day, including “Soapy” Smith. Mr. 
Merrifield owns a farm of five hundred acres on the Washougal river, on which 
he has placed two hundred high-grade yearling ewes. He strongly advocates 
placing small flocks of sheep on farms, and has written a number of articles 
on this subject for the press. He urges starting with young sheep, year and 
two-year-olds being the best, and emphasizes the superiority of the coarse 
wool, large bodied sheep for western Washington. He has given this matter 
considerable study and his views are endorsed by the best authorities.
	In 1894, at Seattle, Washington, Mr. Merrifield was united in marriage 
to Miss Katherine Hanley, who was born in Michigan and in childhood was left 
an orphan.   Mr. and Mrs. Merrifield have three children, namely: Ralph E., 
who is now engaged in the real estate and insurance business in Vancouver; 
Gladys, who now lives at Los Angeles; and Kathryn, who is a graduate of 
Vancouver high school, residing at home. Mr. Merrifield is a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has passed through the chairs; 
the Knights of Pythias, of which he is a past chancellor commander; the 
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and the Chamber of Commerce, and is 
chairman of the advisory board of the Salvation Army. He gave much time to the 
promotion of the Interstate bridge, subscribing the first twenty-five dollars 
for the preliminary survey, and has always been a strong advocate of a free 
bridge, in which his desire is now realized, as the tolls on the bridge will 
be abolished in January, 1929. He is intensely loyal to every cause which he 
espouses and faithful to every duty and his honorable life has been filled 
with worthy purpose and accomplishment, so that today he commands to a marked 
degree the respect of the community in which he lives.


Additional Comments:
History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, 
Pages 443-444

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