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George Edmund Merrill,
Lumber pioneer, Dies.

George Edmond Merrill, 78, 3375 Highland Drive (1140 East), pioneer in the development of the Intermountain west's lumber industry, died Saturday at 10a.m. in a Salt Lake hospital of natural causes.

Mr. Merrill pioneered lumber mill and lumber distribution outlets in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, and developed the lumber chain which now includes the Morrison-Merrill Lumber Co. and the Tri-State Lumber Co. units of the Boise Cascade Lumber Co.

The Morrison-Merrill Lumber Co. was founded by the Morrison family and Mr Merrill's father in 1895.

After graduation in 1900 from the Phillips Academy in Andover Mass., George Merrill became a part of the Morrison-Merrill organization. Because of his youth when attaining the role of business leader, most of his business associates have long since preceded him in death.
  He acquired full interest in the Morrison-Merrill Lumber Co., then set to work to organise a network of subsidiary firms including the Gem State Lumber Co., Idaho, the Overland Lumber Co., Wyoming, and the Bonneville Lumber Co., Utah. These later were combined into the Tri-State Lumber Co.

Also part of the Morrison-Merrill organisation under Mr Merrill's leadership were organised the Sugar House Lumber and Hardware Co. and the Badger Lumber Co. on Ogden.
  During World War 1, Mr Merrill operated 100 lumber yards. Their growth and development paralleled the growth and development of the economic wealth of the Intermountain Region.

At the time Mr Merrill gave up his interests in the industry in December, 1947, Tri-State Lumber Co. alone had 37 outlets in three states.
  His timber and lumber interests extended into the Pacific Northwest.

During his business career he served on several bank boards in this region and was one of the organisers of the old National Copper Bank.
  He was active in the Chamber of Commerce, and as a young man served in various offices, including president of numerous state and national lumber industry organisations.

His business acumen was recognised in World War 1 when he was called upon to serve as an advisor to Bernard Baruch.
  He was one of the organisers of the Unitarian Church in Salt Lake City, and at one time was called upon to escort President William Howard Taft to services at the church.

When, many years ago, the teaching of evolution by some instructors at the University of Utah resulted in numerous dismissals and widespread public concern , Mr Merrill was named president of a citizens committee organised to compromise difficulties which developed from the situation.
  He was for a long time active in Masonic Lodge affairs and several years ago was recognised as a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge a Cheyenne, Wyo. He was a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason.

Although not a graduate of the University of Utah, he was an honorary member of the University Club and held membership in the Alta Club and the Saturday Night Club.

Born in Denver, Colo., on Oct. 22, 1881, he was a son of Samuel and Tresa Pennington-Merrill. He was raised in Cheyenne, where he married Lillian Garland Chapman in 1904.
  Surviving are his widow, now residing in Pasadena, Calif., two daughters, Mrs Jason (Dorothea) Dryer, Washington, D.C., and Mrs William. (Virginia) Hutchison, San Marino, Calif., five grandchildren; four sisters: Mrs Frederick (Ruth) Epplen, with who he resided in Salt Lake City; Mrs David (May) Goodell, Portland, Ore., Mrs Herbert (Eleanor) Clarke, Eugene, Ore., and Miss Helen Merrill, Spokane, Wash.

Masonic funeral services will be conducted Tuesday at 4 p.m. at 574 E. 1st South by Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 2, F. and A.M. After cremation burial will be in the Mt Olivet Cemetary.
  The family suggests contributions to the Shriners Hospital for crippled children.

(2) Taken from the American Lumberman. 23 February 1907.

At the annual meeting of the association in Spokane in February 1906, a wise choice for the presidency of the association for the ensuing  year was made in the selection of George E. Merrill, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and in compliment to him and also to the large number of members who have affiliated with the association during the last year or more the annual meeting this year was held in Salt Lake City; an account of it, in detail, appears in this issue of the American Lumberman.

Mr Merrill was chosen president because of his progressive ideas and recognised abilities as a lumberman and because the members knew that he would be untiring in their behalf, ans as he had fulfilled in an exceptionally able manner  the trust imposed upon him he was last week re-elected to the presidency of the association. This was a deserved testimonial to the fact that he had neglected no opportunity to further the interests of the retail lumber trade of the Inland Empire territory during the year of his presidency. /      

/  George E. Merrill is a good example of the best type of young man (26) in business today. He comes of an excellent family and is demonstrating that early training and environment fit on to become a good citizen and good businessman. He is the oldest son of Samuel Merrill, an New England Yankee of an old family from Haverhill, Mass., and a lifelong lumberman.

The elder Merrill received his early training in the lumber business in Illinois, from whence he went to Colorado in the late 70's and there, entering the lumber business in the employ of the Halleck & Howard Lumber Company, continued with it a number of years, later engaging in business for himself in company with others in retail yards in Wyoming and subsequently establishing what later was destined to be the main business of Morrison, Merrill & Co., at Salt Lake City.

George E. Merrill's mother was Tresa P. Merrill, who was married to Samuel Merrill in Denver, where George E. Merrill was born. The latter received his early schooling in Cheyenne, Wyo., and subsequently was graduated for the old New England academy, Phillips, Andover. In his early school days he was initiated inot the lumber business as a collector and in hustling lumber in the Cheyenne yard. After having been graduated from Andover he entered the retail business under his father';s tutelage as a yard man for Morrison, Merrill & Co., later taking up office work, and in 1901 he spent a few months as collector for Morrison, Merrill & Co., in Salt Lake City. Circumstances later requiring the residence of Samuel Merrill in Salt Lake City, George E. Merrill.............

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