A Journey Through Time
In 1789, Ezekiel Merrill, a Revolutionary War veteran, made an extraordinary journey with his wife and seven children from Andover, Massachusetts. They trekked nearly 200 miles through woods and swamps, drawing their belongings on hand sleds along an Indian trail.
Mrs. Sarah Merrill and the remaining children were later brought up the Ellis River in birch-bark canoes by local Indians Mollockett and Natallock. Their daughter Susan became the first white child born in Andover on July 13, 1790.
The original Merrill house still stands today, owned by descendants of Ezekiel and Sarah, serving as a testament to the enduring spirit of Andover's founding families.
1789
First Settlement by Ezekiel Merrill
1790
First White Child Born (Susan Merrill)
1804
Incorporated as East Andover, Mass.
1820
Became Andover, Maine