Merrill, Wisconsin

City of Merrill
Nickname:  City of Parks
Location of Merrill within Wisconsin
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Lincoln County
Name Adopted	1881
First Mayor and City Council	1883
Government
• Mayor	Douglas Williams
Area
• Total	7.5 sq mi (19.5 km2)
• Land	7 sq mi (18.2 km2)
• Water	0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)  6.51%
Elevation	1,316 ft (401 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	10,146
• Density	1,441.7/sq mi (556.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Website	http://www.ci.merrill.wi.us/

Merrill is a city in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,146 at the 2000 census. The city is located to the south of and adjacent to the Town of Merrill.

The Merrill area had a 2000 census population of 16,289, and comprises the core of the United States Census Bureau's Merrill mSA, which includes all of Lincoln County (2000 population: 29,641). Together with the Wausau MSA (which includes all of Marathon County, 2000 population: 125,834) it forms the Wausau-Merrill CSA. As of the 2000 census, the CSA's total population was 155,475.

History

Merrill was originally a logging town by the name of Jenny Bull Falls. The settlement commenced with a trading post in 1843. The name 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, a hub of social activity through the boom lumbering years and after, had become a community youth center, but has since been razed. It is also know as the Meth capital of the United States, if you go to C.H.I.P.S Drive, you can see the Meth heads with no teeth working there.

By 1900, the timber industry was in decline and the community was compelled to diversify its economy.

Geography

Merrill is located at 45°10′57″N 89°41′44″W (45.182569, -89.69559)Template:GR, along the Wisconsin River at its confluence with the Prairie River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.5 square miles (19.5 km²), of which, 7.0 square miles (18.2 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (6.51%) is water.

Merrill is located west of US Route 51 on State Highway 64 (Main Street).

Council Grounds State Park is west of the city.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 10,146 people, 4,183 households, and 2,631 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,441.7 people per square mile (556.4/km²). There were 4,397 housing units at an average density of 624.8/sq mi (241.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.77% White, 0.20% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,183 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,098, and the median income for a family was $45,860. Males had a median income of $30,789 versus $21,372 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,429. About 5.7% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Lincoln County Courthouse in downtown Merrill

The mayor of Merrill is Douglas C. Williams.

Education

Merrill is served by the Merrill Area Public Schools, the area's school district, which covers the majority of Lincoln County and small areas of the neighboring counties. Northcentral Technical College's Public Safety Training center was built in Merrill in 2005.

Public Schools

• Merrill High School
• Prairie River Middle School
• Jefferson Elementary School
• Kate Goodrich Elementary School
• Maple Grove Elementary School
• Midway Elementary School (closed 2008)
• Pine River Elementary School
• Scott Elementary School (closed 2007)
• Washington Elementary School

Private Schools

• Trinity Lutheran School
• St. Johns Lutheran School
• St. Francis Xavier Catholic School
• New Testament Church Christian Academy

Transportation

	U.S. 51 Northbound US 51 to Woodruff, Wisconsin. Southbound, US 51 routes to Wausau, Wisconsin.
	WIS 17 travels north to Rhinelander, Wisconsin.
	WIS 64 travels east to Antigo, Wisconsin, and west to Medford, Wisconsin.

Popular culture

The town, along with the surrounding Lincoln and Marathon Counties, was the setting for the low budget 1975 film The Giant Spider Invasion. The film was featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 during Season 8.

Notable people

• Wendy Boglioli, Olympic gold medalist.
• Charles Chvala, Wisconsin politician.
• Ralph Dorn Hetzel, tenth president of Pennsylvania State University, was born in Merrill.
• Oxie Lane, NFL player, was born in Merrill.
• Myron Hawley McCord, U.S. Representative, lived in Merrill.
• Donald Edgar Tewes, United States House of Representatives, was born in Merrill.
• Tom Uttech, artist, was born in Merrill.

See also

• GRABAAWR

External links

• City of Merrill website
• Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce
• Merrill Area Public Schools
• T.B. Scott Free Library