Читать книгу History of Westchester County, New York, Volume 3 - Группа авторов - Страница 37

Mr. Merritt, who is a prominent contractor and builder at Port Chester, was born December 12, 1837, at Greenwich, Connecticut, which place, by the way, is but three miles from Port Chester, New York. Of this place also his father, William Merritt, was a native, and he also was a mason, contractor and builder, his operations in these lines being very extensive. He died at the advanced age of eighty-six years. During the war of 1812 he enlisted for service in the army, but was not called into action. In his politics he was a Democrat, and in religion a member of the Methodist church. Jesse Merritt, the father of the last mentioned, was also a native of Greenwich, where he passed all his life, also as a mason and contractor, and he also died at the age of eighty-six years. His father was from England, coming with two brothers and settling upon a farm at Greenwich, which place is still in the possession of the family.

William Merritt, the father of John O., married Miss Jane Ann Hancock, of New York, and a daughter of William Hancock, who was a native of England and a sea captain. He was taken prisoner by the British during the war of 1812 and held in captivity for three years. Mrs. Jane Ann Merritt died when about sixty years of age, a zealous and exemplary Methodist.

Mr. John O. Merritt remained on the farm of his father until twenty-five years of age, learning meanwhile the mason's trade, of his father and an older brother. At that time he came to Port Chester, where he has ever since resided and carried on his trade. After coming here he followed his trade as a journeyman for a short time and then engaged in contracting for and building sewers, walls and large factories, — among the latter being the Glenville Woolen Mills, the New Rochelle school-house, etc. His operations at present comprise the laying of water pipes, sewers, etc., and road building. He now has a thirty-thousand-dollar contract for laying the track of the trolley street-car line at Port Chester. Mr. Merritt has always been an enterprising and successful man in business. In politics he has ever been an influential and active Democrat; was village trustee three terms, and for seven years was a member of the fire department.

He was united in matrimony with Miss Eliza J. Parker, of Harrison township, this county, and they have two children, — Freeman, a contractor at East Chester, New York; and Edith, the wife of Henry Buckout, of White Plains, this county.