eighty-three years of age, his health is good, his memory remarkably
active, and all his faculties unimpaired. He has two sons and one daughter
yet living, having lost two children. He has had nine grandchildren, and
five great-grandchildren.




Noble H. Merwin.



In classifying the early commercial men of Cleveland, the name of Noble H.
Merwin is justly entitled to stand among the first on the list. In fact he
was the founder and father of her commerce, and a man not only noble in
name, but noble in character.

He was born in New Milford, Ct., in 1782, received a good common school
education, and married Minerva Buckingham, of that town. Soon after the
war of 1812, he went to Georgia and there engaged in mercantile pursuits,
having established a store at Savannah and also at Milledgeville. He came
to Cleveland in 1815. His family rejoined him at Cleveland in February,
1816. In coming from Georgia they crossed the Alleghanies, and were six
weeks in accomplishing the journey, having traveled all the way in wagons.
The two elder children were born at New Milford, the other four at
Cleveland. The oldest son, George B. Merwin, of Rockport, is now the only
surviving member of the family.

After the family arrived at Cleveland, Mr. Merwin engaged in keeping a
public house or tavern, as it was then designated, on the corner of