1891 Cabinet Card Merton Grills Graduate Quaker Richsquare Academy Henry Co Ind for Sale

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1891 Cabinet Card Merton Grills Graduate Quaker Richsquare Academy Henry Co Ind For Sale

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1891 Cabinet Card Merton Grills Graduate Quaker Richsquare Academy Henry Co Ind:
$28.00

My sister-in-law and brother had an Indiana antique shop for more than 40 years. They have retired and moved to a smaller house and are reducing their own collections.
This is a cabinet card of Merton Grills, Hagerstown, Indiana, on his 1891 graduation from the Quaker boarding school, Richsquare Academy, in Henry County, Indiana. Graduates from Richsquare could go on to Earlham College without entrance examination.

Merton W. Grills (1872-1958) was born in Hendricks County, the son of James and Laura Grills. His father died when he was five, his mother\'s health failed, and he was thrown on his own resources at the age of twelve. Though small and frail, he supported himself, largely by doing farm work, through the remainder of his schooling.

He once said his life went in 18 year stents. He was first a school teacher in several schools in Wayne County.He first taught in the Clay township school at \"Frog Pond\" school no.3 in 1893-94, and also the next year.At that time he was also a wallpaper hanger, decorator, and amateur photographer.

He settled in Hagerstown, Indiana, running an insurance agency for 18 years, Justice of the Peace for 18 years, and acting as a notary and a \"counselor.\" He was a Boy Scout leader, and took a keen interest in community affairs. He had a literary bent, and often wrote short pieces and letters to newspapers. In 1950-1951 he was an officer of the Henry County Historical Society. He put together a memorial notebook about \"Howard McCormick, Artist, 1875-1943.\" Having supported his invalid mother as long as she lived, he never married. His will established a trust fund of $12,000 to aid worthy young men and women to attend college. That would be $128,000 in today\'s dollars.

On hot summer nights, Merton frequently climbed up 126 feet to the top of the city water tower that stood in his backyard and slept up there several nights out of the week. \"It was much cooler up there\". He was sleeping up there when he was seventy-five. Merton was a colorful \"character\" around Hagerstown.

I have other old photos from the Merton Grills estate listed and will be listing more in the coming days and weeks.

Cephas M Huddleston and his wife Carolyn worked as a photographic team. They didn’t seem to have a permanent studio but moved around, staying in a town for a week or two and then moving on or back to the home base in Spiceland, IN. Through newspaper items a few of his dates and locations can be established. The years between 1890 and 1910 are well documented.
I will be listing other photos from the Merton Grills estate in the coming weeks.