One in a collection by Allen Bachoroski,
Local Historical Writer,
Tales Along the
Highway of Legends
Note: This
is one in a series of historical stories about local families
in the Trinidad region.
Click here to find out more
about how these stories were collected.
Mildred Ballard Merrill was born august 16, 1886 at Chebanse,
Illinois to Henry N. Merrill and Ida Belle (Smith) Merrill.
The Merrill's (originally De Merel and Changed to Merrill)
were of French descent. One of the 3 Merrill brothers
settled at Hillsboro, New Hampshire and in 1839 migrated
to Henry, Illinois. The Smith's were of English and Scotch
descent. Barnet Smith, Ida's father, was an English nobleman,
a Baron, born in London England. On arrival in North Carolina,
in Albermarle Sound area, he started a ship building business
and was a slave holder; later he set his slaves free.
Henry and Ida Merrill left illinois in 1888 and returned
to nebraska where they had earlier married and lived.
They moved to the Tehir Fram and lived in a sod house
near the Niobrara River. The Merrill's had 10 Children,
Ross, Florence, Abigial, Avery, Jane, Mildred, Willard,
Roy, Mary and Gladys. From there they moved to Alliance,
Nebraska where the baby, Cladys, died. In 1903 the Merrill
Family moved to Denver, Colorado.
In 1906 Frank Williams (see his story) moved to Denver
from Fort Collins and soon after started to work for the
Old Homestead Bakery and Finance Company as a salesman-driver
of bakery products to the Denver stores. His first bakery
wagon was pulled by a team of horses.
Mildred met Frank in 1907 when Willard, her brother, worked
for frank as salesman-driver at this same bakery. They
lived only a few blocks apart. Frank soon began dining
at the Merrill's boarding house the family owned and operated
in Denver.
In 1907 and 1908 Frank returned to Ohio to visit his sister
and grandmother. He was also seeking a business opportunity
of his own and a permanent place to settle. He returned
to Denver. In 1909 Frank went from Denver to southeastern
Colorado to Wilson Switch, (later called Coloflats and
Branson). On return he applied at the Bureau of land Management
for 320 acres of homestead land, he had examined, and
placed it on hold february 19, 1909. Then in 1910 he again
returned to Ohio, Still searching, and in 1911 he traveled
as far as Alaska and into Nebraska to make sure of the
kind of opportunity he was seeking.
(Note:
if you have Photos of this family or know of anyone that
does, please have them get in touch with us so that we
might share some photos of the family here)