Page 6 - All Scale Rails Magazine Issue 13 March April 2017

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S.S. Merrill, General Manager of the manufacturing powerhouse, its boom years
Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway lasting long past Mr. Merrill's death in 1886.
Co. under president Alexander Mitchell, was Railroading continues to this day in
one of the top railroad managers of the late Merrill. Valley Line tracks became the Soo
nineteenth century. When the Wisconsin Val- Line's, then Wisconsin Central's, and since
ley Railroad reached the Wisconsin River 2001, the Canadian National's. Local railroad
sawmilling village of Jenny in 1879, but was interest has always been high; modelers and
bankrupt, Merrill and Mitchell saw an oppor- historians abound, with the Merrill Historical
tunity and purchased the WVRR. It became Society providing space for the Sherburne S.
the Wisconsin Valley Division of the Merrill Railroad Reference Library which
CM&St.P, eventually extending to Star Lake. opened on National Train Day, May 14th,
Jenny, in turn, was incorporated as a city by 2016, in the Merrill History and Culture Cen-
an act of the Wisconsin Legislature and hon- ter.

ored S.S. Merrill by changing its name to Consisting of donated books, maga-
Merrill, Wisconsin. The city became a wood zines and periodicals on shelving financed by

Close-up of the library's book collection, guides and directories. OFFICIAL GUIDES
date back to 1895, ORERs to 1930. Stephans Directories and other indexes assist in locat-
ing articles in the large magazine collection. Books are filed by specific railroad (center
cabinet) and general topics.

6 All Scale Rails