George Fisk Merrill (February 17, 1847 – January 31, 1941) was a member of the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

Biography

Merrill was born on February 17, 1847, in

Burnett, Wisconsin Burnett is a town in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 919 at the 2000 census. The census-designated place of Burnett is located in the town, and the unincorporated community of Rolling Prairie is located partially in th ...

, son of

Lorenzo Merrill Lorenzo Merrill (June 21, 1818 - August 15, 1895) was an American teacher, farmer, merchant, and politician from Burnett, Wisconsin who served two one-year terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly. He served in the 1st Wisconsin Legislature (1848) a ...

and Mary Ann (Fisk) Merrill. His father was twice elected to the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

while George was a boy; once as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in 1848, and again in 1858 as a Republican. George attended Beaver Dam Academy in

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin Beaver Dam is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States, along Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River. The population was 16,708 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city primarily located in Dodge County. It is the principal city ...

, before attending the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

. Later, he moved to

De Pere, Wisconsin De Pere ( ) is a city located in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 25,410 according to the 2020 Census. De Pere is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area. History At the arrival of the first European, Je ...

. On October 4, 1875, Merrill married Ellen Byrne. They had four children. He died on January 31, 1941.

Career

Merrill was elected to the Senate in 1886, representing the

11th district 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

. He was a member of the Senate until 1889. In addition, Merrill was a member of the

Ashland, Wisconsin Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the county seat of Ashland County. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 7,908 at the 2020 census, al ...

School Board and served as the Ashland County district attorney from 1917 to 1926. He was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrill, George Politicians from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin People from De Pere, Wisconsin People from Ashland, Wisconsin Republican Party Wisconsin state senators School board members in Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni 1847 births 1941 deaths People from Burnett, Wisconsin Wayland Academy, Wisconsin alumni