TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview of the Collection

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Index Terms

Detailed Description of the Collection

Folder 1-"This Week in History",

Folder 2- Photos and Negatives, 1948-1955

Folder 3- The Courant 4/3/41,

Folder 4- Personal,

Folder 5,

Folder 6-"The Changing Years",

Folder 7-Photos,

Folder 8-North Country photos and booklets,

Folder 9- Fame in Our Time--19th book, 1960

Folder 10- Gaslights and Gingerbread--18th book,

Folder 11- Bloomers and Bugles--17th book, 1958-1959

Folder 12- Pioneer Profiles--16th book, 1957

Folder 13- Photos, articles and proofs,

Folder 14- Down the Lone Lanes--20th book,

Folder 15- The Underground--21st book,

Folder 16- Slim Fingers Beckon,

Folder 17- Photos,

Folder 18- The White Woman and Her Valley- 14th book,

Folder 19- Various Maps, mostly N.Y.S.,

Folder 20- Miracle at Niagara,

Folder 21- Death of Merrill,

Folder 22- Taylor Instruments Co./Clifton Springs San.,

Folder 23 - three envelopes.,

- "Genesee Valley Mysteries" - manuscript,

Folder 25 - two envelopes,

Folder. 26 - three envelopes,

Folder 27,

Folder 28,

Folder 29- Advertising - Democrat and Chronicle cuttings.,

Folder 30,

Folder 31,

Folder 32,

Folder 33,

Folder 34, 1947-1948

Folder 35- "Land of the Senecas",

Folder 36- "Place Names",

Folder 37,

Folder 38

Folder 39,

Folder A,

Folder B,

Scrapbooks

Hobart College Alumni Association Award, 1971

Archie Hayes Merrill Papers

Biographical Note

Arches Hayes Merrill (1894-1974), (AHM) , a newspaperman, was born in Sandusky,New York and settled in Rochester, New York where he worked for twenty-seven years on Gannett's Democrat and Chronicle.

From high school in Buffalo, New York, AHM went to Hobart College in Geneva,New York. In 1916, after attending Hobart for one year AHM enlisted in the Army,joining Company B, 33rd Engineers, and serving in France. He never returned to Hobart College. From 1919 to 1922 AHM worked at brief stints in Washington, D.C., Detroit, Michigan and New York City. While working in New York he married Katherine Marie Towell.

AHM had a 1ife-long career in journalism. While in high school he sent articles to a Buffalo newspaper and during his single year at Hobart College he served on the staff of the Hobart Herald and was elected to be a regular Herald reporter for the coming year. In 1923, AHM became a copyreader with the Democrat and Chronicle, later working for the Rochester Journal American from 1927-1937.

In 1937 AHM returned to the Democrat and Chronicle as assistant city editor, and for the next twenty-seven years, in his own words, he "held nearly every post in the city news room", as a reporter, assistant city editor, back-up editor, night city editor and member of the editorial staff. In 1939 AHM began to write feature stories for the Sunday Democrat and Chronicle resulting in about 1650 articles, largely based on the history of Rochester and surrounding areas. These articles, collected and expanded, became the basis of AHM's many popular books.

AHM retired from the Democrat and Chronicle in 1963, but he continued to write his column, "Arch Merrill's History" He died July 15, 1974 and is buried in Old Brighton Cemetary, Hoyt Plat, Rochester, New York.

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Scope and Contents

The Archie Hayes Merrill Papers contain correspondence, and papers related to AHM's profession as journalist; also photographs both of a professional and personal nature.

The records are arranged as received in six series: Correspondence, Notes related to AHM's books and articles, Items such as maps, Photographs. They are foldered in their original order . The fifth series consists of scrapbooks in which AHM pasted his Sunday articles for the Democrat and Chronicle, now in the HWS Library vault pending eventual microfilming. The sixth series is Kathryn Jackett's Thesis: Arch Merrill,1983.

Photographs have been kept with other items as foldered when received, and interleaved with acid-free tissue. Where necessary items have been photocopied on acid--free paper. Oversized items have been withdrawn and place in the Archives Flat File.

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged in 6 series

I. Correspondence

II. Notes

III. Items

IV. Photographs

V. Scrapbooks

VI. Thesis: Arch Merrill, by Kathryn Jackett, 1983

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Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Persons:

Organizations:

Places:

Subjects:

Document Types:

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Detailed Description of the Collection