Merrill History

There is very little recorded history of early exploration in the area now known as Merrill.  The earliest documentation found was from 1661, when Jesuit missionary Father Rene Menard came to Wisconsin with the intent of converting the Native American population to Catholicism.  The same year, he lost his life at “Big Jim Falls”, a location roughly 9 miles north on the Wisconsin River.

Wisconsin became a territory in 1836, and by 1848, the U.S. had claimed title to all Wisconsin land.  Reservations were established by 1854 and it is believed that the Chippewa (Ojibwe) Native Americans in the now-Merrill area were relocated to the reservation lands in either Red Cliff, Bad River, Lac du Flambeau, or Lac Court Oreilles. 

Prior to relocation, the Chippewa inhabited both sides of the Wisconsin River near what is now West Main Street in Merrill.  Burial grounds are located along the Wisconsin River in what is now known as the Sixth Ward and also believed to be along the nearby Prairie River.  Burial grounds next to rivers were prevalent due to the symbolic and vital significance of water for transportation, energy, resources, and spirituality.  The map below shows how close the Park Place Apartments (marked as 215 Grand Ave – Orig. Badger Hotel & Theatre) are to this ward and the Prairie River.