Text from the Plaque
In 1793 William Merrick (1760 - 1844), a Loyalist from Massachusetts, acquired from Roger Stevens a sawmill at the "Great Falls" on the Rideau River. Here he built new mills which formed the nucleus of a small community that grew up before 1816 and was known as "Merricks Mills". The establishment of new settlements on the Rideau and the building of the canal, 1826 - 32, stimulated the growth of the village. Streets were laid out and a post office named "Merrickville" was opened in 1829. By 1850 the community contained about 700 persons, two flour mills, a cloth factory and other industries, and was incorporated as a village in 1860.
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