merrimanj
Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing
Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",
published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
JUDSON J. MERRIMAN, all extensive
farmer and the postmaster at Lind, was born in Applecreek, Wayne county,
Ohio, June 16, 1856. He was the son of John M. and Harriet (Geddis)
Merriman, natives of Pennsylvania. They removed to Ohio about 1814,
and there lived until 1888, when they came west to Lind. Here the
father died on March 18, 1903, but the mother still lives here aged seventy-seven
years. The brothers and sisters of Mr. Merriman are, Rollin G., Abner
W., Mary E., Martha, Walker, Dorcas, Hattie, Eddie, and Quimby, and he
is the fifth.
The first twenty-two years of our subject's
life were spent at home with his parents, during which time he acquired
a good common school education. Then he took up farming for himself
in his native county and was thus occupied until 1886, when he came to
Lind, Washington. The first year here was spent in different occupations,
and then he engaged in the stock business, and followed it until 1898.
In that year he sold his stock interests and built the first house in Lind.
In fact, he was one of the promoters of the town and was the second postmaster
here, his appointment being in 1898, since which time he has been the incumbent
of the office. Its yearly receipts were one hundred and forty-four
dollars at the time he took charge and now they run as high as thirty thousand
dollars.
Mr. Merriman has four hundred and eighty acres
of excellent agricultural land near Lind, all well improved and under cultivation,
besides having some valuable improvements in the town.
On August 11, 1876, Mr. Merriman married Miss
Charlotte Good, a native of Knox county, Ohio. She died on November
6, 1899. On February 27, 1901, Mr. Merriman contracted a second marriage,
Miss Maggie Higgins becoming his bride. She is a native of Virginia
and her parents were born in Pennsylvania and are now residing in Knox
county, Oho.
Politically, Mr. Merriman is a Republican
and an active party man. He has served in the conventions, county
and state, and is well informed on the issues of the day. In fraternal
affiliations, he is identified with the I. O. O. F., Lind Lodge, No. 184,
and the Rebekahs, while in religious persuasions, he is a member of the
Methodist church.
By way of reminiscence, it is interesting
to note the trials of the pioneers and in this connection it will be quite
in place to recount some items from Mr. Merriman's life. Upon arriving
in Lind, he found that the entire capital he and his wife could make up
was ninety dollars. They cast about for something to do and soon
had charge of the railroad boarding house. In addition to boarding
the hands, they fed the passengers, the trains stopping for meals, and
in six months they had cleared eight hundred dollars in cash. This
amount was all invested in three year old heifers and shortly Mr. Merriman
was operating a large dairy, receiving forty cents per pound for all the
butter he could produce. He soon took his place as one of the leading
men of the country and has maintained it since, having the confidence of
the people. Mr. Merriman and his wife landed here on May 17, 1886,
and from that time until October, of the same year, they cooked their meals
on a camp fire. Their furniture was made from empty boxes and their
nearest neighbor was five miles distant.
Referring to a history of the Merriman family,
we find that while the colonies were young, two Merriman brothers came
to cast their lot in the new world. One was lost to descendants,
but the other, William Merriman, settled in Baltimore, and from him descended
the family of Merrimans, which is now one of the large ones of the United
States. Upon recent reunions hundreds have gathered together, all
tracing their lineage back to the gentleman mentioned. To this William
Merriman, four sons and two daughters were born, William, George, Delilah,
Kesiah, Nicholas, and Micaiah. It is believed others were in the
family, but the record shows only those mentioned. To William, who
is designated as the second, and who is the immediate great-grandfather
of our subject, eight children were born, John, Daniel, William, known
as the third, Elijah, Micaiah, Elisha, Sarah, and Elizabeth. William,
the second, was born in Baltimore, in 1756 and died in Wayne county, Ohio,
in 1844. He had married Elizabeth Goodin and went to Uniontown, Pennsylvania,
where he was widely known as a wise money maker. Later, about 1815,
he took his family to Wayne county, Ohio. He was a vigorous man until
his death. Elijah Merriman, the son of William the Second, and the
grandfather of our subject, married Miss Mary McCoy, and they became the
parents of eleven children, Mahalah, Sarah, James M., William B., John
M., Thomas, Elijah Merriman, the son of William the sec- John M., the father
of Judson J. Merriman, married Harriet Geddis and their children are mentioned
in the earlier portion of this article. Harriet Geddis came from
a strong Scotch family and her father served in the Mexican war.
The Merriman family has always been one of farmers and mechanics and professional
men. None have sought public life or personal preferment in politics,
but they are known as stanch and substantial people of worth and integrity.
Our subject has followed in the lines of his ancestors and is a pioneer,
having assisted materially in opening this part of Washington. He
has good repute of all and is a descendant of the old Merriman stock of
which all may be proud, and has kept untarnished the name of his forefathers
as they bequeathed it to him.
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