The Merrickville and District Historical Society is hosting 15 talks this summer to mark the 225th anniversary of Merrickville-Wolford. A presentation about Roger Stevens and WIlliam Merrick is set for this Sunday. The pair were Loyalists who owned land on opposite banks of the Rideau River.
Stevens was a lieutenant in the King’s Rangers and a British spy during the American Revolution. He was imprisoned three times and his service earned him a land grant on the north side of the Rideau in 1790. He built a home and mill before dying in the company of William Merrick in 1793.
Merrick took ownership of Stevens’ unfinished mill and built others for grain and wood cutting. He parlayed an initial land grant of 200 acres into larger holdings and turned Merrick’s Mill into an industrial community of more than 50 businesses thriving on water power.
The presentation will be held at the Merrickville Legion beginning at 2:00pm. For more details and upcoming events, visit the Merrickville and District Historical Society Facebook page.
