Margaret Manton Merrill (1859 – June 19/20, 1893) was a Minnesota-born American journalist, writer, translator, and elocutionist.[1] At the age of twenty, she became the founder, owner and editor of the ColoradoTemperance Gazette. She stayed in journalism for twelve years, where her noted successes were in the line of stories for children, while she likewise made translations from such diverse languages as Scandinavian and Sioux.[2]
Early life and education
Minnie Mae Stiles was born in Wright County, Minnesota in 1857 sister of William Stiles aka William Chadwell of the Jesse James Gang. Her father was Elisha Stiles and her mother was Sarah E. Seely. Her mother died between 1857-1860 in Wright County, Minnesota. She then is adopted by her step-father the Rt. Rev. Elisha Washington Merrill, who for forty years was one of the foremost educators of the Northwest. Her mother was a grandniece of Sir Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, and her grandmother on the maternal side was second-cousin to "Royal Charlie" of Scotland. In spite of her lineage, Merrill was very proud of the fact that she was an American.[3]
Entering Carleton College 1874 taking an English course, she only attends one semester obtaining a grade of 8.25 on a 10 point scale, then worked as a teacher in the Cannon Falls, Minnesota area. On 8/10/1875 she marries Caleb Peterman and the marriage is annulled and continues her studies in the University of Minnesota, from 1876-1877, which they have no records of her graduating or degree sought, with college records listing her age as 17 years and 3 months.[3] Carlton college can confirm her birth date was recorded as Sept. 14, 1857. On 5/24/1882 in Spring Valley, Minnesota she marries Dr. Milton Davis and goes on to attend the Women's Medical College in Chicago, Illinois
Career
The succeeding fall, at the age of eighteen, she began her career as teacher, which vocation she continued for two years. Her taste for literary work led her to the journalistic field, when she was twenty years old.[3]
Going to Denveron Nov. 1879, she became a partner of the Colorado Temperance Gazette, which was then the only temperance paper in that State. The venture was not a success, on account of the doings of a partner, and also because the anti-temperance spirit was at that time too strong in Colorado for the prosperity of a paper wholly devoted to that cause. The 1880 Federal Census lists her occupation as a school teacher, in Denver, Arapahoe County, Colorado. Later, during the temperance campaigns in Kansas and Iowa, she became a lecturer and organizer. She was especially able in her labors among children.[3] In 1885 the Iowa Sate census lists her living with Milton Davis in Tipton, Cedar Rapids County, Iowa.
1891
In 1887, she went to New York City to do regular newspaper work. When the Woman's Press Club of New York City was organized, she was one of the charter members, and was elected the club's first secretary. She was a journalist of Sorosis, and a very active member of that organization. She then went upon the staff of the New York Herald and was the only woman employed in that capacity by that journal. In addition, she did syndicate and miscellaneous work, being especially successful as a writer of children's stories.[3]
During her vacations, she was an extensive traveler. At the time of the famine in South Dakota, in 1889, she went through nineteen destitute counties in midwinter, visiting the homes of the people, and bringing back to her paper correct accounts of the condition of affairs there. The result was that large contributions were sent from the East. During 1890, she visited Yellowstone Park and wrote accounts for papers in the West and in England, which attracted attention. While in California, she wrote a poem, entitled "The Faro Dealer's Story," which gained for her considerable local fame. Still later, she contemplated a work upon ancient Babylon.[3]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Cosmopolitan Publishing Company (1891). Cosmopolitan. Vol. 11 (Public domain ed.). New York: Cosmopolitan Publishing Company.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: McCarty, L.P. (1896). The Statistician and Economist. Vol. 1st–23d, Issues 1876-1906 (Public domain ed.). L.P. McCarty.
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