Arch Merrill
Arch Merrill sketch by Gerald Moloney Archie Hayes Merrill, the "poet laureate" of New York's Finger Lakes/Genesee Valley region was born on August 5, 1894. He attended Hobart College in Geneva, New York, but his college career was cut short by World War I. In 1923 he took a job with the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Newspaper. For many years he wrote a series of articles on local history and folklore for the Sunday edition of the paper, and collections of these articles formed the basis for most of his 23 books. Arch Merrill died in Rochester on July 15, 1974 and is buried in Brighton Cemetery.

His collected papers are housed in the Warren Hunting Smith Library of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva.

His books are widely available in libraries throughout New York State. Many have been reprinted several times and are still in print. At one time some of his books were published as a numbered series titled "Arch Merrill's New York", but I'm currently unclear on which books were included and what the numbering scheme was.

Books by Arch Merrill (by date of publication):
A River Ramble; a saga of the Genesee Valley, Gerald Maloney, ill.
 Rochester, NY; Louis Heindl and Son, 1943.
Copy online at http://www.rootsweb.com/~nymonroe/book/river-ramble-1.htm
The Ridge: Ontario's Blossom Country, Gerald Maloney, ill.
 Rochester, NY; Louis Heindl and Son, 1944. 112p.
Subjects: Sodus Point, Sodus, Pultneyville, Ontario, Nine Mile Point, Irondequoit Bay, Charlotte, West Ridge Road, Lewiston.
The Lakes Country, Gerald Maloney, ill.
 Rochester, NY; Louis Heindl and Son, 1944. 154p.
Subjects: geography, indian legends, Ithaca, Auburn, Geneva, Canandaigua, Conesus Lake, Hemlock Lake, Honoye Lake, Canandaigua Lake, Keuka Lake, Seneca Lake, Canadice Lake.
Historic Tales of Western New York, Gerald Maloney, ill.
 Rochester, NY; Louis Heindl and Son, 1943-1945.
This book contains A River Ramble, The Ridge, and The Lakes Country in one volume.
The Towpath, Gerald Maloney, ill.
 Rochester, NY; Louis Heindl and Son, 1945. 179p.
Subjects: Erie Canal.
Fourth in the series "Arch Merrill's New York."
Rochester Sketchbook
 Rochester, NY; Louis Heindl and Son, 1946. 182p.
Fifth? in the series "Arch Merrill's New York."
Copy online at http://www.rootsweb.com/~nymonroe/book/sketchbook-1.htm
Stagecoach Towns, Bob Meagher, ill.
 Rochester, NY; Louis Heindl and Son, 1947. 186p.
Sixth in the series "Arch Merrill's New York."
1991 reprint available from Heart of the Lakes Publishing.
Tomahawks and Old Lace: Tales of Western New York
 Rochester, NY; Henderson-Mosher Inc., 1948. 157p.
Subjects: Mary Jemison, Sam Patch, Susan B. Anthony, Buffalo Bill.
Seventh? in the series "Arch Merrill's New York."
Land of the Senecas
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1949. 146p.
Subjects: Seneca Indians.
Eighth? in the series "Arch Merrill's New York."
Upstate Echoes
 New York; American Book, 1950. 152p.
Subjects:
Ninth in the series "Arch Merrill's New York."
1992 reprint available from Heart of the Lakes Publishing.
Slim Fingers Beckon
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1951. 184p.
An enlarged edition of The Lakes Country including material on Skaneatles, Owasco, and Cayuga Lakes.
Tenth in the series "Arch Merrill's New York."
1991 reprint available from Heart of the Lakes Publishing.
Shadows on the Wall: Tales of York State
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1952. 152p.
Subjects: Rattlesnake Pete, the seven Sutherland Sisters, the Mormon Exiles, a Rebel Spy.
Eleventh in the series "Arch Merrill's New York."
1994 reprint available from Heart of the Lakes Publishing.
The Southern Tier (2v.)
 Rochester, NY; Creek Books, 1953.
Subjects: Folklore.
Twelfth in the series "Arch Merrill's New York."
Our Goodly Heritage
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1957. 216p.
Subjects:
Pioneer Profiles
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1957. 215p.
Subjects: Indian Allen, Nathaniel Rochester, Mormons, General John Sullivan, Mary Jemison, Red Jacket, Jemima Wilkinson, Charles Williamson, James Wadsworth, William Wadsworth, the Holland Purchase, Philip Church, Augustus Porter, Gideon Granger, Peter Porter, Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, William Morgan, Myron Holley.
Bloomers and Bugles
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1958. 214p.
Subjects:
Gaslights and Gingerbread
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1959. 227p.
Subjects:
Fame in Our Time
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1960. 202p.
Subjects: George Eastman, Frank Gannett, James Wadsworth.
The White Woman and Her Valley
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1961. 207p.
Subjects: Mary Jemison.
Down the Lore Lanes: Oddities in Upstate History
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1961. 198p.
Subjects: Folklore.
The Underground: Freedom's Road and Other Upstate Tales
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1963. 181p.
Subjects: Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, The Underground Railroad.
The Changing Years
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1967. 194p.
Subjects:
From Pumpkin Hook to Dumpling Hill
 New York; American Book-Stratford Press, 1969. 212p.
Many of the chapters were selected from Tomahawks and Old Lace, Upstate Echoes, and Shadows on the Wall.
Subjects: Folklore, cobblestone houses.

Other Publications:
A Most Interesting Story of One Hundred Years of Rest, Relaxation and Healing: 1850-1950
 Clifton Springs, NY; Clifton Springs Sanitarium and Clinic. 1950.
Graduated by Years from 0 to 100
 Rochester, NY; The Taylor Instrument Companies, 1951. 39p.
An Informal story of the first 100 years of the Taylor Instrument Companies.
Mr. and Mrs. Ezra R. Andrews
 Rochester, NY; Rochester Institute of Technology, 1953. 21p.
Our Master Builders: Frank Gannett
 Rochester, NY; Rochester Institute of Technology, 1954.
"Old Legends Never Die."
 New York Folklore Quarterly XIII.1 (1957): 55-62.
The Serpent of Bare Hill, Land of the Lake Guns, The Silver Bullet, Sam Patch, The Legend of the Minstrel on the High Bridge.
Foreward to: Powers, Fred H. Rochester and the Passing Scene (first ed. only?)
 Rochester, NY; Privately published, 1959. 126p.
Photographs.

Publications about Arch Merrill:
Conrad, Sally. Index to Books by Arch Merrill
 New York, 1978. 7p.
Cooke, Dana, and Rolph, Peter. "The Lakes Country Rambler".
  Celebrating Seneca; Hobart and William Smith Colleges; Fall 1997
Healey, Barbara R., and Lunt, Ruth. Index, From Pumpkin Hook to Dumpling Hill
 SUNY Geneseo, 1971. (typescript) 24p.
(unpublished student project)
Jackett, Kathryn R. Arch Merrill (Thesis)
 SUNY Brockport, 1983. 67p.
Patchett, Anna E. Index to 21 Books on Local History and Lore by Arch Merrill 1943-1963
 Geneseo, NY; Office of the Livingston County Historian, 1964 (typescript) 22 p.
[updated in 1971 to include all 23 books, 33p.]

On October 23, 1980 WOKR-TV channel 13 aired "The River Ramble -- 38 years Later", written by Don Alhart and Jon Murray, produced by Jon Murray. Videos of this program are available at various libraries.

Thanks to Kathryn Hill, Dick Halsey, and Barbara Henry for their contributions to this page.

Home Last modified 16 Feb, 2007