Merritt Andrus Cleveland
(1849 - 1912)
Page 1966, # 12226
MERRRITT ANDRUS CLEVELAND lived at East Houndsfield, N. Y., working his father’s farm and attending the schools of Houndsfield, Brownville, and Watertown, all in Jefferson co., N. Y., until 1869. In 1870 he joined the civil engineer corps of the Carthage, Watertown & Sackett’s Harbor R. R.
He engaged in constructing the railroad, and also employed on the Clayton & Theresa Railroad and Watertown water-works, residing at Watertown and Clayton, N. Y., to 1872; was appointed April, 1872, Division Engineer on the Lake Ontario Shore R. R., and in 1873 took charge of construction of Kingston & Pembroke Ry. of Canada, living at Kingston, Ont.
In July, 1874, formed the firm Hunter & Cleveland, railroad contractors, and completed the Lake Ontario Shore Railroad and other works, residing at Sodus and on the line of the railroad between Oswego and Niagara Falls 1874 to 1876. In 1876 examined the route of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Canadian Northwest, making ‘ the trip overland with mules, and along the rivers and lakes with Indians and canoes.
The firm Hunter, Murray & Cleveland was formed 1877, and engaged in the construction of the Welland Canal in Canada for the Dominion Government, at Port Colborne, Welland, St. Catharines, etc. ; also the Murray Canal and many harbors along the lakes; lived at Port Colborne 1877 to 1881. In 1882 formed the firm Warren & Cleveland, and built the Pittsburgh, Cleveland & Toledo R. R. in Penn. and Ohio. Residence, Youngstown, O., Dec, 1882, to Mar., 1884, and since at Brockport 1897.
The firm Murray [J.] & Cleveland, general contractors, Cardinal, Ontario, was organized 1886, and entered into contract with Dominion Govt, to construct works on Welland Canal at Port Dalhousie, where he resided part of 1886-7. The firm, in 1888, contracted with the Dominion Govt, to construct Galops Canal around Galops Rapids, St. Lawrence River, and to construct eastern entrance to Toronto harbor on Lake Ontario. Since 1888 residence at times at Toronto and Cardinal, where the works are nearly completed.
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