Stephen Merrill

photographer: Merrill
Lexington, IL

Stephen Merrill
(1830 - 1919)

Sources: US census, city directory, newspaper items as noted

1829 Dec 07
Hagerstown, MD, Stephen Merrill is born to Stephen Merrill and Catherine Workman (Note, there is broad disagreement in records about the date and place of birth of photographer Merrill)
1860 Jun 08
Taylor, VA, state records, Stephen Merrill marries Rachel Rebecca Rohrbaugh (here again, records to not agree on the date)
1870 Aug 25
Lexington, IL, US census as photographer
1880 Jun 03
Lexington, IL, US census as photographer
1889
Bloomington, IL, city directory as photographer
1900 Jun 08
Lexington, IL, US census as photographer
1910 Apr 21
Lexington, IL, US census as photographer

1919 Jul 24
Lexington, IL, newspaper obituary, Stephen Merrill died

There was a prominent Methodist Episcopal Bishop Stephen Merrill and an Illinois funeral undertaker Stephen Merrill in the late 19th century as well as this photographer Stephen Merrill.

Stephen Merrill was thirty years older than most of the cabinet card photographers, who were born around 1860.

No newspaper ads were found and only one city directory listing was found so Merrill’s movements are left rather hazy. Except for the one listing in the 1989 Bloomington, IL, city directory, he appears to have spent all his life after 1860 in Lexington, IL.

The style of the card is from around 1895 to 1905.

The (Bloomngon, IL)Pantagraph - 25 Jul 1919

photographer: Merill
Lexington, IL
example from Rescued Photo

photographer: Merill
Lexington, IL
example from auction site

photographer S Merill
Lexington, IL
example from auction site

photographer: S Merrill
Lexington, IL
example from Beverly on Flickr

photographer: S Merrill
Lexington, IL
example from Curt J on Flickr

photographer: Merill
Ovid, MI
example from auction site
(No connection has been made to S Merrill of Lexington, IL)

photographer: Merill
Antioch, MI
example from auction site
(No connection has been made to S Merrill of Lexington, IL)

photographer: Merill
Waterville, Me
example from auction site
(No connection has been made to S Merrill of Lexington, IL)

reverse of card at left

Not the one you were looking for? Here's the photographer's INDEX by name. All the Cabinet Card photographers of the 19th century found in LOST GALLERY are listed there.

This is a work always in progress.

Aditional information and new examples are always welcome. Any additional information will help narrow the time that these precious antiques were made.

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