Pioneers of St. Clair County, Michigan - Person Sheet
Pioneers of St. Clair County, Michigan - Person Sheet
NameMaud Mitchell MERRELL 
Death27 Jan 1937, Pasadena, Los Angeles, California112 Age: 55
BurialForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles, California112
Residenceof Anthony, Kansas (1903)113
FatherEdward George MERRELL (1854-1924)
MotherHelen Louise HOYT (1860-1912)
Individual Notes
• Father is Edward G. Merrell; mother’s maiden name: Helen Hoyt.112
• Middle name is Mitchell.1
• Clue for the marriage of Maud Mitchell Merrell and her first husband is the Marriage Certificate of David Williams Mills and herself: “and who has been previously married one time, and whose maiden name was Maud M. Merrell.”114
• Her second marriage.18
• Miss Maud Merrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Merrell, was quietly married on Thursday, to David Williams Mills, of Marysville. The ceremony was performed by Rev. William T. Jacquess, at the home of the bride’s parents on Commonwealth avenue, only the immediate families being present. Mr. and Mrs. Mills have left for the south, where they will pass the remainder of the winter.115
• Her residence at the time of her father’s death is Fenway Hall Hotel (4 Aug 1924).116, p 2
• Mrs. David Mills Died Yesterday at Pasadena Home (Santa Cruz Sentinel, 29 Jan 1937)
News has been received from Pasadena announcing the death of Mrs. David W. Mills formerly of this city.
Death was caused boy a heart attack and apparently Mrs. Mills had been in good health a few minutes before her passing.
Mr. and Mrs. Mills came to this city in 1925 and were prominent in the community life until 1929, Mr. Mills being connected as president with the Monterey Bay Redwood Company and was succeeded by J. A. Harris.
Mrs. Mills leaves to mourn her death her husband, son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Mills and their small son.
Mrs. J. A. Harris and Mrs. Frank G. Wilson will leave early this morning for Pasadena to attend the funeral services which will be held at Forest Lawn Memorial Saturday at 2 p. m.3
• MILLS – Mrs. Maud Mills, 692 South Grand Avenue, passed away Jan. 27, 1937. She was the beloved wife of David W. Mills, and mother of Nelson Mills. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 3:30 p. m. at the Wee Kirk o’ the Heather, Glendale. Forest Lawn Memorial Park Association, Inc., in charge.117
• Harold remembers very well the funeral of Maud Mills at Forest Lawn in 1937. It was pouring rain. Her death had been sudden and unexpected. She was small of stature, was high strung, and smoked heavily.14, p 2
• My former next door neighbor used to speak of Maude Merrell as they were about the same age and were cousins through the Halls as Charles W. Hoyt’s wives were daughters of Ezra Knapp and Mary Hall, the eldest child of General Isaac Hall.118, p 1
• Middle name is Mitchell.1
• Clue for the marriage of Maud Mitchell Merrell and her first husband is the Marriage Certificate of David Williams Mills and herself: “and who has been previously married one time, and whose maiden name was Maud M. Merrell.”114
• Her second marriage.18
• Miss Maud Merrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Merrell, was quietly married on Thursday, to David Williams Mills, of Marysville. The ceremony was performed by Rev. William T. Jacquess, at the home of the bride’s parents on Commonwealth avenue, only the immediate families being present. Mr. and Mrs. Mills have left for the south, where they will pass the remainder of the winter.115
• Her residence at the time of her father’s death is Fenway Hall Hotel (4 Aug 1924).116, p 2
• Mrs. David Mills Died Yesterday at Pasadena Home (Santa Cruz Sentinel, 29 Jan 1937)
News has been received from Pasadena announcing the death of Mrs. David W. Mills formerly of this city.
Death was caused boy a heart attack and apparently Mrs. Mills had been in good health a few minutes before her passing.
Mr. and Mrs. Mills came to this city in 1925 and were prominent in the community life until 1929, Mr. Mills being connected as president with the Monterey Bay Redwood Company and was succeeded by J. A. Harris.
Mrs. Mills leaves to mourn her death her husband, son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Mills and their small son.
Mrs. J. A. Harris and Mrs. Frank G. Wilson will leave early this morning for Pasadena to attend the funeral services which will be held at Forest Lawn Memorial Saturday at 2 p. m.3
• MILLS – Mrs. Maud Mills, 692 South Grand Avenue, passed away Jan. 27, 1937. She was the beloved wife of David W. Mills, and mother of Nelson Mills. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 3:30 p. m. at the Wee Kirk o’ the Heather, Glendale. Forest Lawn Memorial Park Association, Inc., in charge.117
• Harold remembers very well the funeral of Maud Mills at Forest Lawn in 1937. It was pouring rain. Her death had been sudden and unexpected. She was small of stature, was high strung, and smoked heavily.14, p 2
• My former next door neighbor used to speak of Maude Merrell as they were about the same age and were cousins through the Halls as Charles W. Hoyt’s wives were daughters of Ezra Knapp and Mary Hall, the eldest child of General Isaac Hall.118, p 1
Census
• 1895 Kansas Census: Anthony, Harper, Kansas. Age 14, b IN.119
• 1900 Census: Anthony, Harper, Kansas. Age 19, b IN. Parents b NY. Listed as Maud M Merrell.120
• 1910 Census: East Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Age 29, b IN. Parents b NY. Second marriage.18
• 1920 Census: Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Age 38, b IN. Parents b NY.19
• 1930 Census: San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Age 49, b IN. Parents b NY. Age 23 at 1st marriage.20
• 1900 Census: Anthony, Harper, Kansas. Age 19, b IN. Parents b NY. Listed as Maud M Merrell.120
• 1910 Census: East Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Age 29, b IN. Parents b NY. Second marriage.18
• 1920 Census: Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Age 38, b IN. Parents b NY.19
• 1930 Census: San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Age 49, b IN. Parents b NY. Age 23 at 1st marriage.20
Spouses
Birth6 Aug 1880, Hutchinson, Reno, Kansas142, date only,143, place only; states 6 Oct 1880,144
BurialWoodlawn Cemetery, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan145
OccupationSalt manufacturer for self; Mulkey Salt Co. (1918)142
Residenceof Detroit (1903)113
Residence98 West Bethune, Detroit (1918)142
FatherJohn Mandelbert MULKEY (1853-1933)
MotherEmma Gertrude SNELL (1859-1937)
Individual Notes
• Funeral services for John C. Mulkey, retired secretary of the Mulkey Salt Co., will be held at his home, 4295 W. Buena Vista, at 3:30 p. m. Saturday. Burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery.
Mr. Mulkey, who has been retired for the last eight years, died Thursday after a long illness. He was born Aug. 6, 1880 at Hutchinson, Kans., and had been a resident of Detroit for 50 years. He became a member of the salt company when his father, J. M. Mulkey, and his uncle, O. W. Mulkey, founded the organization.
He is survived by his wife, Susan Downie Mulkey, and four sons, John, Robert, James and Richard.145
Mr. Mulkey, who has been retired for the last eight years, died Thursday after a long illness. He was born Aug. 6, 1880 at Hutchinson, Kans., and had been a resident of Detroit for 50 years. He became a member of the salt company when his father, J. M. Mulkey, and his uncle, O. W. Mulkey, founded the organization.
He is survived by his wife, Susan Downie Mulkey, and four sons, John, Robert, James and Richard.145
Census
• 1910 Census: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Age 29, b KS. Single. Broker, Stocks. Parents b IL. Living with parents.146
• 1920 Census: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Age 36, b KS. Sec. Treas? of Co; Salt Mfg. Parents b IL.147
• 1930 Census: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Age 50, b KS. Realtor, Real Estate. Parents b IL. Age 37 at 1st marriage [sic].148
• 1920 Census: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Age 36, b KS. Sec. Treas? of Co; Salt Mfg. Parents b IL.147
• 1930 Census: Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Age 50, b KS. Realtor, Real Estate. Parents b IL. Age 37 at 1st marriage [sic].148
Marriage3 Jun 1903, Anthony, Harper, Kansas114, marriage only,149, Book D, Page 242,113
Divorce2 May 1908, Wayne County, Michigan150
Div Memocomplainant: wife; grounds: desertion
No Children
2David Williams MILLS 23, p G32, 1661
23, p G32, 1661Birth22 Jul 1879, Marysville, St. Clair, Michigan1,2,83, date only
Death27 Aug 1957, Pasadena, Los Angeles, California84, p 1; date only,85, Huntington Memorial Hospital Age: 78
ResidenceMarysville, MI; Cleveland, OH; Santa Cruz, Pasadena, CA87, p 1
Residence1886 Carter Road88
Residence2218 Chatfield Dr, Cleveland Heights89
Residence2046 E. 96 St, Suite 6, Cleveland, Ohio83
ResidenceSanta Cruz; 1925-1929
Residence1550 Oakdale Street, Pasadena (1943)
Residence615 E California Blvd, Pasadena (1957)
Death causeChronic pulmonary emphysema, 4 years; Myocardial infarction, 3 days85
OccupationSecretary-Treasurer, The Mills-Carleton Co. lumber business, 1886 Carter Road, Cleveland83
EducationUniversity of Michigan (Zeta Psi)
FatherNelson MILLS , 1166 (1823-1904)
MotherMary Jerralds WILLIAMS (1842-1891)
Individual Notes
• Codicil [to Nelson Mills Will] appoints son David W. Mills as joint executor with Myron W. Mills.90, p 6,91, p 50, #172
• SUIT INVOLVING OVER $1,500,000
[excerpts] A suit was begun in the circuit court on Monday afternoon which involves real and personal property amounting to a million and a half dollars. Myron W. Mills and David Mills, executors of the estate of the late Nelson Mills are the complainants, and Mary M. Mills and Hannah E. Mills, administratrixes of the estate of the late Barney Mills, are the defendants. The suit is a friendly one, and is begun for the purpose of winding up the co-partnership of N. & B. Mills.
Judge Law ordered that Myron Mills and David Mills continue the business, sell the property, and close the estate as soon as possible.92
• The marriage of Miss Maud Merrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Merrell, to Mr. David Williams Mills, of Marysville, was quietly celebrated yesterday. The ceremony took place at the home of the bride's parents, Commonwealth Avenue, and Rev. William T. Jaquess officiated. Only the immediate families were present. After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Mills left for a trip south, where they will pass the remainder of the winter.93
• David W. is vice president of the Mills, Gray, Carleton Lumber Company, and makes his home in Cleveland. He was married in 1909 to Miss Maud Merrell, of Detroit, and they have one son, Nelson.12, p 684
• The David W. Mills was a typical Great Lakes cargo vessel of the late 19th century. This wooden “steambarge” could carry over one million board feet of lumber. The vessel was originally named Sparta and was launched at Cleveland, Ohio on April 11, 1874. The vessel was renamed in 1910 after the manager of the Port Huron Navigation Company, the firm that owned the ship.
The Mills ran aground on Ford Shoals on August 11, 1919 in dense smog created by forest fires in Canada. Attempts to free the boat failed and it broke apart during a violent October storm.94, p 2
• Lived in Cleveland, Ohio, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Pasadena, Calif.95
• Resided at 14186 Euclid Avenue, East Cleveland.1
• D. W. Mills, of Northern Ohio Lumber & Timber Co., Cleveland, Ohio, on his recent visit to California stated his company handled principally southern pine and Douglas fir, with small quantities of California sugar and white pine and red cedar siding.
Mr. Mills says the general feeling is towards a better business than last year.96, p 2
• It is a good question why David W. Mills picked up and moved to California? I don’t know for sure, but I think I know some reasons why that might be the lumber business was changing…lumber products were becoming more mechanically produced, and that likely meant it became even more of a commodity-priced product. (The high margin days…were likely behind him…in a significantly developed and mechanized market like Cleveland. Plus, going into the 1900s…steel was king.) But in California…it was still highly undeveloped. And the lure of going west where you can lead in an immature market likely had something to do with it as well. He probably had a good payday too…and like all business owners, perhaps seized upon “an exit strategy opportunity.”97
• Mr. Mills, father of the injured young man, formerly was president of the Monterey Bay Lumber company, resigning several months ago.13
• Dear Beth
We arrived here Tuesday afternoon, Bertha having decided she would like to have another look at St. Cloud, something we had decided not to do when we left home. However, we are leaving for Duluth this afternoon and hope to be in Mackinaw Friday night and Leland early Saturday. Expect to leave Leland early next Monday and should be passing through Ogemaw sometime around noon that day and in Port Huron late afternoon.
A fine trip so far.
Love,
Dave98
• MILLS – Mr. David W. Mills, beloved husband of Mrs. Bertha Mills, father of Nelson M. Mills, grandfather of Nelson E., David W. and Donald C. Mills. Service Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the “Wee Kirk O’ the Heather,” directed by Forest Lawn Mortuary. Friends may send flowers to Stanford Convalescent Home, Palo Alto, Calif., or make contributions to the American Heart Assn.99
• David W. Mills
Funeral services for David W. Mills, 78, retired lumber executive and father of Nelson M. Mills, president of Pacific Outdoor Advertising Co., will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. today in Forest Lawn’s Wee Kirk o’ the Heather under the direction of Forest Lawn Mortuary. Mr. Mills lived at 615 E California Ave., Pasadena. He died Tuesday at Huntington Hospital, leaving his widow Bertha, his son Nelson, and three grandsons.100
• SUIT INVOLVING OVER $1,500,000
[excerpts] A suit was begun in the circuit court on Monday afternoon which involves real and personal property amounting to a million and a half dollars. Myron W. Mills and David Mills, executors of the estate of the late Nelson Mills are the complainants, and Mary M. Mills and Hannah E. Mills, administratrixes of the estate of the late Barney Mills, are the defendants. The suit is a friendly one, and is begun for the purpose of winding up the co-partnership of N. & B. Mills.
Judge Law ordered that Myron Mills and David Mills continue the business, sell the property, and close the estate as soon as possible.92
• The marriage of Miss Maud Merrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Merrell, to Mr. David Williams Mills, of Marysville, was quietly celebrated yesterday. The ceremony took place at the home of the bride's parents, Commonwealth Avenue, and Rev. William T. Jaquess officiated. Only the immediate families were present. After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Mills left for a trip south, where they will pass the remainder of the winter.93
• David W. is vice president of the Mills, Gray, Carleton Lumber Company, and makes his home in Cleveland. He was married in 1909 to Miss Maud Merrell, of Detroit, and they have one son, Nelson.12, p 684
• The David W. Mills was a typical Great Lakes cargo vessel of the late 19th century. This wooden “steambarge” could carry over one million board feet of lumber. The vessel was originally named Sparta and was launched at Cleveland, Ohio on April 11, 1874. The vessel was renamed in 1910 after the manager of the Port Huron Navigation Company, the firm that owned the ship.
The Mills ran aground on Ford Shoals on August 11, 1919 in dense smog created by forest fires in Canada. Attempts to free the boat failed and it broke apart during a violent October storm.94, p 2
• Lived in Cleveland, Ohio, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Pasadena, Calif.95
• Resided at 14186 Euclid Avenue, East Cleveland.1
• D. W. Mills, of Northern Ohio Lumber & Timber Co., Cleveland, Ohio, on his recent visit to California stated his company handled principally southern pine and Douglas fir, with small quantities of California sugar and white pine and red cedar siding.
Mr. Mills says the general feeling is towards a better business than last year.96, p 2
• It is a good question why David W. Mills picked up and moved to California? I don’t know for sure, but I think I know some reasons why that might be the lumber business was changing…lumber products were becoming more mechanically produced, and that likely meant it became even more of a commodity-priced product. (The high margin days…were likely behind him…in a significantly developed and mechanized market like Cleveland. Plus, going into the 1900s…steel was king.) But in California…it was still highly undeveloped. And the lure of going west where you can lead in an immature market likely had something to do with it as well. He probably had a good payday too…and like all business owners, perhaps seized upon “an exit strategy opportunity.”97
• Mr. Mills, father of the injured young man, formerly was president of the Monterey Bay Lumber company, resigning several months ago.13
• Dear Beth
We arrived here Tuesday afternoon, Bertha having decided she would like to have another look at St. Cloud, something we had decided not to do when we left home. However, we are leaving for Duluth this afternoon and hope to be in Mackinaw Friday night and Leland early Saturday. Expect to leave Leland early next Monday and should be passing through Ogemaw sometime around noon that day and in Port Huron late afternoon.
A fine trip so far.
Love,
Dave98
• MILLS – Mr. David W. Mills, beloved husband of Mrs. Bertha Mills, father of Nelson M. Mills, grandfather of Nelson E., David W. and Donald C. Mills. Service Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the “Wee Kirk O’ the Heather,” directed by Forest Lawn Mortuary. Friends may send flowers to Stanford Convalescent Home, Palo Alto, Calif., or make contributions to the American Heart Assn.99
• David W. Mills
Funeral services for David W. Mills, 78, retired lumber executive and father of Nelson M. Mills, president of Pacific Outdoor Advertising Co., will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. today in Forest Lawn’s Wee Kirk o’ the Heather under the direction of Forest Lawn Mortuary. Mr. Mills lived at 615 E California Ave., Pasadena. He died Tuesday at Huntington Hospital, leaving his widow Bertha, his son Nelson, and three grandsons.100
Census
• 1880 Census: Marysville, St. Clair, Michigan. Age 11/12ths, b MI.101
• 1884 Michigan Census: Port Huron Township, St. Clair, Michigan. Age 3, b MI.102
• 1894 Michigan Census: Port Huron Township, St. Clair, Michigan. Age 15, b MI.103
• 1900 Census: Marysville, St. Clair, Michigan. Age 20, b Jul 1879, MI. At school. Father b Canada (Eng); mother b MI.104
• 1900 Census: Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan. Age 20, b Jul 1879, MI. Student. Father b Canada (Eng); mother b MI.105
• 1910 Census: East Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Age 30, b MI. President, lumber co. Father b Canada Eng; mother b MI.18
• 1920 Census: Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Age 40, b MI. Corporation official/retail lumber. Father b Nova Scotia; mother b MI.19
• 1930 Census: San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Age 50, b MI.Partner.Occupation Code 97 91: “Retail dealers: other specified dealers.” Father b Nova Scotia; mother b MI.20
• 1940 Census: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California. Age 60, b MI. Widower. 4 years of college. Has lived in same place 5 years.106
• 1950 Census: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California. Age 70, b MI. Married. Residing at 1550 Oakdale Street.107
• 1884 Michigan Census: Port Huron Township, St. Clair, Michigan. Age 3, b MI.102
• 1894 Michigan Census: Port Huron Township, St. Clair, Michigan. Age 15, b MI.103
• 1900 Census: Marysville, St. Clair, Michigan. Age 20, b Jul 1879, MI. At school. Father b Canada (Eng); mother b MI.104
• 1900 Census: Ann Arbor, Washtenaw, Michigan. Age 20, b Jul 1879, MI. Student. Father b Canada (Eng); mother b MI.105
• 1910 Census: East Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Age 30, b MI. President, lumber co. Father b Canada Eng; mother b MI.18
• 1920 Census: Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga, Ohio. Age 40, b MI. Corporation official/retail lumber. Father b Nova Scotia; mother b MI.19
• 1930 Census: San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Age 50, b MI.Partner.Occupation Code 97 91: “Retail dealers: other specified dealers.” Father b Nova Scotia; mother b MI.20
• 1940 Census: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California. Age 60, b MI. Widower. 4 years of college. Has lived in same place 5 years.106
• 1950 Census: Pasadena, Los Angeles, California. Age 70, b MI. Married. Residing at 1550 Oakdale Street.107
General
• The Wreck of the David W. Mills [excerpts]
The “David W. Mills” was a typical Great Lakes cargo vessel of the late 19th century. Measuring 202 feet by 34 feet by 13 feet, this wooden “steam barge” could carry over one million board feet of lumber. Built by Thomas Quayle and Sons Shipyard, the vessel was originally named “Sparta” and was launched at Cleveland, Ohio on April 11, 1874. The vessel was renamed in 1910 after the manager of the Port Huron Navigation Company, the firm that owned the ship. Captain Frank J. Peterson bought the “Mills” in 1919.
The “Mills” ran aground on Ford Shoals on August 11, 1919 in dense smog created by forest fires in Canada. Attempts to free the boat failed and it broke apart during a violent October storm.108, p 2
• I thought you might enjoy the knowledge that your family’s history is still actively operating in Cleveland. That’s just a great thing, I think. So I’m sending this note to share that.
NORTHERN OHIO [Lumber & Timber] is the oldest lumber company and sawmill in the State of Ohio, founded in 1864, and has been operating for 156 continuous years in downtown Cleveland. The Company (around 12-15 employees) is a wholesale, commercial lumber and building materials supplier…for Professional Contractors, not a retail lumberyard with walk-in homeowner customers. We’re still a sawmill…and cut custom heavy timber stock on a Mershon Timber Saw and an AM Timber Moulder-Planer, bought new at the time in Saginaw, Michigan — we assume by Nelson Mills — and installed here at NORTHERN OHIO in 1893. (Yes, they still operate on our Millhouse deck…we cut heavy timbers on them for other retail lumberyards and mostly commercial projects. I have attached some pictures of those machines. They were originally steam powered, but were converted to electric power in 1910.) We do other things now too…make heritage wood tabletops, doors, flooring, things like that. I joke that 156-year old companies have clearly learned to adapt. But that is totally accurate.
…with a lot of foresight and smarts, he [Nelson Mills] began assembling collaborative and timber supply partnerships (and shareholders in NORTHERN OHIO LUMBER in 1864 with Caleb Jewett and George Carleton) with multiple, local lumberyards and mills in what was then known in Cleveland as “The Lumber District,” riverfront land on a bend in the Cuyahoga River just upstream from Lake Erie called Scranton Peninsula. NORTHERN OHIO strictly milled and supplied lumber for other Yards, not the public. That didn’t stop him from also opening a local yard too though, N&B Mills. His son, David W. Mills (always signed his name DW Mills), was also a principal of NORTHERN OHIO up until the mid-1920’s or 1930’s when the company would eventually buy out all of the other Yards in the Lumber District.
We mention Nelson Mills in our history section. You can see it here: https://noltco.com/about/#history109
The “David W. Mills” was a typical Great Lakes cargo vessel of the late 19th century. Measuring 202 feet by 34 feet by 13 feet, this wooden “steam barge” could carry over one million board feet of lumber. Built by Thomas Quayle and Sons Shipyard, the vessel was originally named “Sparta” and was launched at Cleveland, Ohio on April 11, 1874. The vessel was renamed in 1910 after the manager of the Port Huron Navigation Company, the firm that owned the ship. Captain Frank J. Peterson bought the “Mills” in 1919.
The “Mills” ran aground on Ford Shoals on August 11, 1919 in dense smog created by forest fires in Canada. Attempts to free the boat failed and it broke apart during a violent October storm.108, p 2
• I thought you might enjoy the knowledge that your family’s history is still actively operating in Cleveland. That’s just a great thing, I think. So I’m sending this note to share that.
NORTHERN OHIO [Lumber & Timber] is the oldest lumber company and sawmill in the State of Ohio, founded in 1864, and has been operating for 156 continuous years in downtown Cleveland. The Company (around 12-15 employees) is a wholesale, commercial lumber and building materials supplier…for Professional Contractors, not a retail lumberyard with walk-in homeowner customers. We’re still a sawmill…and cut custom heavy timber stock on a Mershon Timber Saw and an AM Timber Moulder-Planer, bought new at the time in Saginaw, Michigan — we assume by Nelson Mills — and installed here at NORTHERN OHIO in 1893. (Yes, they still operate on our Millhouse deck…we cut heavy timbers on them for other retail lumberyards and mostly commercial projects. I have attached some pictures of those machines. They were originally steam powered, but were converted to electric power in 1910.) We do other things now too…make heritage wood tabletops, doors, flooring, things like that. I joke that 156-year old companies have clearly learned to adapt. But that is totally accurate.
…with a lot of foresight and smarts, he [Nelson Mills] began assembling collaborative and timber supply partnerships (and shareholders in NORTHERN OHIO LUMBER in 1864 with Caleb Jewett and George Carleton) with multiple, local lumberyards and mills in what was then known in Cleveland as “The Lumber District,” riverfront land on a bend in the Cuyahoga River just upstream from Lake Erie called Scranton Peninsula. NORTHERN OHIO strictly milled and supplied lumber for other Yards, not the public. That didn’t stop him from also opening a local yard too though, N&B Mills. His son, David W. Mills (always signed his name DW Mills), was also a principal of NORTHERN OHIO up until the mid-1920’s or 1930’s when the company would eventually buy out all of the other Yards in the Lumber District.
We mention Nelson Mills in our history section. You can see it here: https://noltco.com/about/#history109
Research
• find his will and probate in Los Angeles County.
Marriage Notes
• Mills - Merrell.
The marriage of Miss Maud Merrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Merrell, to Mr. David Williams Mills, of Marysville, was quietly celebrated yesterday. The ceremony took place at the home of the bride’s parents, Commonwealth avenue, and Rev. William T. Jaquiess officiated. Only the immediate families were present. After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Mills left for a trip south, where they will pass the remainder of the winter.93
• Rev. William T. Jaques is pastor of the Trumball Ave. Presbyterian Church, h. 90 Avery Ave.121, p 3
• Married one year in 1910 Census.18
The marriage of Miss Maud Merrell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Merrell, to Mr. David Williams Mills, of Marysville, was quietly celebrated yesterday. The ceremony took place at the home of the bride’s parents, Commonwealth avenue, and Rev. William T. Jaquiess officiated. Only the immediate families were present. After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Mills left for a trip south, where they will pass the remainder of the winter.93
• Rev. William T. Jaques is pastor of the Trumball Ave. Presbyterian Church, h. 90 Avery Ave.121, p 3
• Married one year in 1910 Census.18
ChildrenNelson Merrell (1910-1983)