Merritt, Lewis

John E. Merritt was born in Tidioute, Pennsylvania, on November 28, 1861, and worked for the Rocky Mountain Oil & Development Company in Duluth, Minnesota, in the early 20th century. Merritt, whose father Leonidas owned the company, served as its vice president and general manager, and he sometimes supervised crews digging for oil in Minnesota and in Elko, Nevada. Following his time in the oil business, Merritt became a farmer and served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1923 until his death on July 6, 1932. Merritt and his wife Etta had three daughters: Callie, Edna, and Addie.

From the guide to the John E. Merritt letters, Merritt, John E. letters, 1901-1905, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)