Merrill

Lincoln County

Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010

census, the population was 28,867. Its county seat is Merrill. The county was

created in 1875 and named after President Abraham Lincoln

Merrill is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States. It

is located to the south of and adjacent to the Town of Merrill. The population was

9,661, according to the 2010 census.

Merrill was first inhabited by the Chippewa Native Americans. The first European

settlement there was a logging town named Jenny Bull Falls. By 1843 a trading post was

constructed near the town; John Faely was the first settler. Within four years a dam,

started by Andrew Warren, was constructed over the Wisconsin River. Warren then

established the first mill powered by the dam, and other saw mills in the area. In 1870,

T.B. Scott succeeded Warren, and the mill soon became increasingly successful. In 1899

the mill burned down. During that time the name of the community was changed to

Merrill, in honor of S.S. Merrill, the general manager of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul,

and Pacific Railroad.

The railroad and passenger depot was a hub of social activity through the lumber

industry's boom years and after.

By 1900, the timber industry was in decline and the community was compelled to

diversify its economy.

The Lincoln County Courthouse, begun in 1903, was completed at a cost of

$119,882. Its central rotunda is 32 feet in diameter; second floor offices lead off its

balcony. A 48-inch bell and one-ton clock were mounted on the roof tower. It was

added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 19, 1978.

Scott Mansion next to the Hospital