Representative William Wallace Merritt View All Years
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William Wallace Merritt
Montgomery County
Born in Sudbury, Vermont, on August 20, 1832, son of Noahdiah and Relief (Parker) Merritt. He pursued his education in St. Lawrence Academy at Potsdam, New York, and in the normal school at Albany, New York. In early life he engaged in public school teaching and also entered the ministry of the Universalist church. He engaged in preaching in various places in the Empire state, spending considerable time as a representative of the ministry in Albany. He afterward held two short pastorates in Iowa, devoting two years to preaching at Clarinda, Iowa, and one year in Red Oak. For a long time he was the only Universalist preacher within a radius of two hundred miles. While he taught school at Frankfort he made the school virtually a county academy, which was attended by from sixty to seventy young men and women. In 1869 he was admitted to the bar and in law practice displayed marked ability, his strong intellectual force enabling him to readily solve intricate and involved legal problems. His investments have been confined almost entirely too agricultural interests and he is now the owner of a valuable farm of two hundred acres near Red Oak, from which he derives a very gratifying and substantial annual income. At one time Mr. Merritt was a member of the Southern Border Brigade. He was one of the original abolitionists and when the Republican Party was formed to prevent the further extension of slavery he joined its ranks, supporting its first presidential candidate, Fremont, and afterward voting for Lincoln in the campaigns of 1860 and 1864. In 1872 he supported Greeley. He voted for Cleveland and when the monetary standard became the chief issue in the political campaign he supported Mr. McKinley and later gave his allegiance to Theodore Roosevelt. He was an advocate of the principles of the progressive party and the sincerity of his motives and of his intentions has never been called into question. At different times he has served in public office. He acted as clerk of the county and district court in Montgomery County from January, 1863, until 1869. He served as deputy county surveyor during that time and for some years afterward and in 1875 he was elected mayor of Red Oak Junction, now Red Oak. In 1870 he became a member of the Thirteenth general assembly of Iowa, representing Montgomery, Cass and Adair counties, and during his connection with the legislature gave careful consideration to the various questions which came up for settlement. He was elected a member of the board of regents of the State University and served in that office for four years, and he was also postmaster of Red Oak for four years under the administration of President Cleveland. He was the defeated candidate for congress and while making the race for the office held twenty-six joint debates with Judge J. W. McDill. He was also a defeated candidate for state senator in the eighth district. He has held other offices, including a member of the board of supervisors and of president of the school board. During the Civil war he was the organizer of the Loyal League in Red Oak and during the period of hostilities he served as government collector of internal revenue in Montgomery County. He was chairman of the liberal republican state convention in 1872 and of the democratic state convention when S. J. Tilden was made the standard bearer of the party in 1876. Mr. Merritt was a most active factor in the Grange movement and he was identified with several fraternal organizations. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a prominent Mason. He became a charter member of the lodge at Red Oak, became identified with the chapter and has served as eminent commandery and Grand Commandery of Iowa. In 1860 in Red Oak, Mr. Merritt was married to Miss Pluma Savilla Johnson.
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