Esbon Merrill

MERRILL is one of the most extensive and enterprising farmers in Jefferson County, and one of the largest land owners in Moore's Prairie Township, where his farming and stock-raising interests are centered on section 10. He is one of the most successful men of his class and a fine representative of those who began life without a cent and have worked their way to wealth solely through their own efforts and who are therefore rightly called self made.

Our subject was born in Wayne County, N. Y., September 7, 1830, and was the son of Benjamin Merrill, who was a native of Maine and who emigrated to New York when a young man, where he met and married Miss Alice Sanford. He was a farmer and stock-raiser by occupation and reared a family of nine children in the Empire State. They were, Esbon, Cornelia, Alice, Sanford, Edie, Caroline, Benjamin, Lucy and Fannie.

The parents removed to Chautauqua County when our subject was a lad of twelve years and there resided until their decease, the father dying in 1882, when eightyone years of age. He was an ardent Democrat in politics and served successively as Supervisor and Commissioner of his township and county. He was a man of fine education and taught school for many years during his earlier life, although while making his home in western New York he was engaged in the dairy business. With his wife he was a devoted member of the Baptist Church and for many years took an active part in religious work.

Mrs. Merrill died in 1884, when in her eightieth year. Four of the aunts and uncles of our subject on the paternal side of the house are still living, namely: Fannie, Benjamin, Cornelia and Alice.

Our subject, although attending the district school, received his education mainly under the tutelage of his father. He remained at home until reaching his majority, when he began earning his own money and for three years worked at the carpenter's trade in his native state. While there he was married, in 1852, to Miss Fannie Brigham and three years thereafter came to this state and made his home in Fairbury, where he was engaged at his trade for a period of seven years. At the expiration of that time he purchased a farm south of the city, in McLean County, which consisted of a section of prairie land, which he placed under fine improvements and lived upon until September, 1891, when he sold out and bought his present large farm of two hundred and ninety-eight acres, which is his home place. He is also the possessor of a good estate in Jasper County, Ind., where his three sons are living, besides owning a ranch in Cheyenne County, Neb., on which his daughter and her family make their home.

To Mr. and Mrs. Esbon Merrill were born nine children.

The wife and mother departed this life in 1879, greatly mourned by all who knew her.

Although inclining toward the Democratic party, Mr. Merrill is non-partisan in politics, and during local and county elections votes for the one whom he considers the best man. He is a great lover of fine horses and commenced stocking his place with thoroughbred animals about seven years ago. He first purchased "Douglas," a superb Hambletonian, sired by "Stephen A. Douglas," whose record shows a gait of 2:25. He also has two other stallions, "Guy Mark Victor," sired by "Von Bismarck," also a Hambletonian, and "George Douglas," sired by "Douglas, Jr." His stables likewise contain animals sired by "Mambrino King," "Marlboro" and "Crayton Edsall."

Mr. Merrill has on his estate a half-mile race track on which he trains and speeds his horses, although he does not make a specialty of training them except to thoroughly break and fit them for city use. He finds a ready market for his carriage horses, whose record is a mile in three minutes. They are all beautiful animals of bay color, have perfect action and kind dispositions. Besides breeding horses our subject has on his place a fine herd of Jersey cattle, which are used for dairy purposes.

Source: "Portrait and Biographical Record Clinton, Washington, Marion and Jefferson Counties, Illinois"
Chapman Publishing Co, Chicago, 1894
Page 251-252
Submitted by Sandy Bauer