Leonidas Merritt (February 20, 1844 – August 9, 1926) was an American politician and businessman. Merriitt was born in

Chautauqua County, New York Chautauqua County is the westernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the population was 127,657. Its county seat is Mayville, New York, Mayville, an ...

. He moved to

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

and 1856 and settled in

Oneota (Duluth) The Oneota neighborhood is located within the West Duluth district of Duluth, Minnesota, United States. The neighborhood was named for the prehistoric Oneota Native American culture. Interstate Highway 35, 40th Avenue West, West Michigan Street, a ...

which was annexed to

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

. Merritt was involved in the railroad, banking, and mining businesses. Merritt served in the Minnesota Calvary Company B during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He served on the West Duluth, Minnesota Village Council and as the Duluth, Minnesota Commissioner of Finance from 1921 to 1925. Merritt served in the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Pa ...

in 1893 and 1894 and 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 ...

. His great-nephew

Brian Merritt Bergson Brian Merritt Bergson (born September 4, 1964) was an American politician. Bergson was born in Minnesota and lived in Osseo, Minnesota. He served in the United States Army and was a businessman. Bergson went to the University of Minnesota and stud ...

also served in the

Minnesota Legislature The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decennia ...

.Minnesota Legislators: Past & Present-Leonidas Merritt
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References

1844 births 1926 deaths People from Chautauqua County, New York Politicians from Duluth, Minnesota Businesspeople from Minnesota People of Minnesota in the American Civil War Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives {{Minnesota-politician-stub