I believe the Hall County, Georgia Mercks were the descendants of Conrad Merck, son of Balthasar. These Mercks were among the earliest settlers of downtown Gainesville, Georgia. Many of the Mercks are buried in the Alta Vista Cemetery (City cemetery) but the original old Merck family cemetery was located where the present day City Hall property now stands. Many of the early graves may even still be underneath some of the government structures. Today, there are living descendants still living in Gainesville and Hall County.
The earliest record located is a Grand Jury record dated 1824 for "Balzan Murk" in Hall County[1]. This is likely Balthasar Merck, the brother of John and George (who also settled in Hall County) all sons of Conrad. Two interesting names to my family on this same Grand Jury list are Reuben Hollis and Ebenezer Pettigru[2].
George Merck's name is listed in the Francis C. Andoe Store records in 1827[3]. On the same page and column is the name William Dowis which could be a typo or phonetic spelling of William Dorris, the son of James and Elizabeth Merck. George and William are listed again in the store records for later years.
The Hall County courthouse records include numerous early land records for the Merck family; The records below are from 1829 to about 1860.
I found no records of transactions between the Hall County "Mercks" and the Jackson County "Merks" despite the fact that they lived roughly 20 miles apart in adjacent counties.
Among all the land records, the most interesting were #9, #11-13, #16 and #25 below which all describe town lots in Gainesville. Lot #9 indicates "Mercks stables and blacksmith shop". #11 indicates a town lot on the south side of the square occupied as a "Tavern" by John Merck. #12, #13, #16 and #25 are for numerous town lots and the specific lots are duly noted.
Property Transfers and Other Records
1. Stephen Reed to George Merck, Jr., 1-1/2 acres, Ninth District, Lot 154; Witnesses David C. Neal, F.C. Andoe, Deed book C, page 60, December 25, 1828.
Andoe operated a general store in Gainesville.
2. Anthony Rich of Crawford County, GA to George Merck of Hall County,250 acres, 9th District, Lot 131; Witnesses ? B. Payne, Hugh Kerr, J.P., Deed book C, page 98, September 4, 1829.
3. Nathan Wright to George Merck, 9th District, Lot 172; Witnesses Barnett Statham, John McDowell, J.P., Deed book C, page 117, September 16, 1829
4. George Merck to Nathaniel W. Townsend, 9th District, Lot 154, 1-1/2 acres; Witnesses A.J. Bishop, James Law, Deed book C, page 531, July 20, 1829
5. George Merck to Lawrence Hubbard, 9th District, Lot 122 (172?); Witnesses M.R. Mitchell, Samuel Finley, J.I.C., Deed book C, page 710, November 5, 1830
6. John Merck to Ezekiel Parrish of Pike County, GA, 344-1/4 acres on the North fork of the Oconee River and the Middle Oconee River, part of the original survey granted to John Randolph 1820; Witnesses Joseph Rivers, H.S. Campbell, Deed book F, page 176, March 18, 1842
7. Andrew Nelson to William Merck, 50 acres, 9th District, Lot 132, Richard Watters line noted, E.M. Johnson line noted, George Merck line noted; Witnesses Wiley Flanigan, George Merck, Deed book F, page 489, November 1, 1841
8. Jacob J. Moore to John G. Merck, 250 acres, 9th District, lot 125; Witnesses John Williams, Edward Goode, J.I.C., Deed book G, page 495, May 7, 1850
9. George Merck to William J. Peeples, Town lot in Gainesville containing one half acre, bounded on the west by A. Patterson, bounded on the south by Peeples, bounded on the East and North by Streets, being the lot whereon the said Mercks stables and blacksmith shop are now situate; Witnesses William J. Dickey, William Sitton, C.I.C., Deed book G, page 578, January 31, 1853
10. Property of George Merck seized by the County, sold on the courthouse steps of Gainesville on March 7, 1843, Col. H. Boyd, Sheriff to John Merck all that tract of land where George Merck resides at the time of the levy, adjoining John Waters and others containing 250 acres, 9th District lot ____; Witnesses Benjamin Bryan, William Sitton, C.I.C., Deed book H, page 210, July 21, 1854
11. John Merck to Aaron Whelchel, South side of the public square in the Town of Gainesville, being part of the lot previously occupied by said John Merck as a Tavern and now the place occupied by William J. Dickey, fronting 30 feet on the public square and running back in the rear 62 ½ feet; Witnesses Jourdan Whelchel, William Sitton, C.I.C., Deed book H, page 300, January 20, 1855
12. Hubbard Cozart of Fulton County, GA to John G. Merck of Hall County, Six lots and parts of lots in the Town of Gainesville, known and distinguished as town lots #34, 48, 62, 63 and parts of lots 70 and 71, being the same deeded by Richard Banks to said Cozart, Oct. 1, 1844; Witness R.E. Mangum, C.H. Strong, J.I.C., Deed book H, page 324, December 14, 1854
13. Estate of John A. Martin deceased (County of Clark?) to John G. Merck, lot number 47 in the town of Gainesville; Ambrose Kennedy, William Sitton, C.I.C., Deed book H, page 338, April 3, 1855
14. James F. Laws to John G. Merck, 125 acres, 9th District, Lot #130, Cry Creek, Waters' old ferry noted; Witnesses Thomas Pitts, Ralph S. Laws, Deed book H, page 611, January 13, 1857
15. John Merck to Allen D. Candler, four acres, part of lot #149, 9th District, lying on the Athens Road, beginning at the original line of Lot #148, T.M. Campbells lot noted, Deed book H, page 772, November 12, 1857
16. John Merck to Alfred M. Cochran, Lot #3, town of Gainesville, except that part owned by Aaron Whelchel and that part owned by John Gray; Witnesses John Gray, William Sitton, J.I.C., Deed book I, page 107, February 16, 1859
17. John G. Merck is a witness on a deed from the Estate of Vincent Sears deceased to Joseph T. Sears, on Flat Creek, Deed book I, page 125, November 6, 1855
18. David Norris to John G. Merck, 125 acres in Hall County on the Chattahoochee River, said lot previously owned by John Waters and then to Hilliard Waters; Witnesses J.E. Redwine, Clerk, Deed book I, page 126, January 19, 1859
19. John Joseph H. Banks to John G. Merck, ½ acre, town lot in Gainesville where N. O Tuell now lives, adjoining Mary Laws; Witnesses A. Patterson, John Gray, N.P., Deed book I, page 235, January 18, 1860
20. Mary Law to John G. Merck, 5 acres, 9th District, adjoining Samuel Stephens formerly belonging to W. G. Lester on the south, on the east bounded by the road leading to Stringers Ford or Clarks bridge, on the north by R.S. Lw and Mary Laws land and on the west by Mary Law – Commencing on the road at Stephens Corner…; Witnesses V. S. Tate, James F. Law, Deed book I, page 265, March 6, 1860
21. James Merck to his 3 children (James Joseph, Elisabeth & Sarah) equal shares in part of lot #132 in the 9th district, William Merck line noted, Drearing (?) Corner; Witnesses E.J. Pendergrass, A.J. Davis, J.P., Deed book I, page 303, September 18, 1860
22. Estate of Benjamin S. Jordan deceased, to John G. Merck, all the mines, minerals and metals of Lot #149 in the 9th District; Witnesses John E. Brown, J.E. Redwine C.S.C., Deed book I, page 317, October 2, 1860
23. John G. Merck to Jacob J. Moore, 125 acres, south half of lot #125, running parallel with the original lines, 9th District; Witnesses E.P. Bedell, Ralph L. Law, N.P., Deed book I, page 356, April 24, 1856
24. Chattooga County, GA, Flemmon (?) Moss to John G. Merck of Hall County, Lot #138 in the 9th District; Witnesses L.L. Bailey, W.O. Edmonson C.S.C., Deed book I, page 384, February 1, 1861
25. John G. Merck to William S. Gray, 2 lots in the Town of Gainesville known as lot numbers 62 and 63, the place where Gray now resides, bounded on the east by lands of Mrs. Banks, on the south by a street running between the said lots and John E. Brown's land, on the west by the street running between said lots and the land or place of residence of the said John G. Merck and on the north by the road running from Gainesville to the Limestone Spring; Witnesses Benjamin Porter, P. O'Conner, Deed book I, page 394, February 16, 1860
26. James D. Rivers to George W. Merck, 110 acres, Lot #156, 9th District, adjoining lands of John Barrett and others, and another tract containing 400 acres, lying on the Sulfur Spring road; Witnesses John Loden, John Gray, N.P., Deed book I, page 435, February 6, 1862
27. John Merck to M.H. Van Dyke of Lumpkin County, 439 acres, Lot #129 and Lot #131, 9th District; Witnesses Phil R. Simmons (?), J. E. Redwine, J.S.C., Deed book I, page 654, March 28, 1860
28. Elisha Merck to Sarah J. Merck, his wife, both of Floyd County, Deed of Trust, for love and affection to her and her children, Town lots in Coosa Division of Rome, GA, part of lot 13 and 14 fronting on Broad Street, negro slaves, furniture, and wares; Witnesses W.B. Henley, David S. ?, N.P., Deed book L, page 333, May 2, 1860 (Note: This entry was after an entry dated 1877 – Did Elisha or Sarah die in Hall County in 1877?)
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[1] Robert Scott Davis, The Families of Hall County Georgia, 1817-1819, (Magnolia Press,1991). See actual document image above that was obtained from the GA Archives.
[2] This Reuben Hollis is either the son of William Hollis the Revolutionary War soldier that settled in Autauga, Alabama or the Reuben Hollis, son of Elijah Hollis (Sr) of Fairfield District, SC. These Hollises are my paternal kin - they lived in Fairfield District of SC before moving south and east into Georgia and Alabama. There is a Hall County "Poor School" entry for a William Hollis on July 5, 1925. Most likely this is William and his family on their way to Autauga, Alabama. This Ebenezer Pettigrew is likely the man who settled in Greene County, Alabama. His father was James "Long Jim" Pettigrew of Abbeville District, SC. The Pettigrews are my maternal ancestors (Ebenezer is my 2nd cousin).
[3] The F.C. Andoe Store records contain many names of interest. Not the least of which is the name of Clemmons Quillian in the record for 1828. Clemmons Quillian was the father of the M.E. Minister John Bolton Chapel Quillian who made his way to Douglasville Georgia and who officiated at the funeral of Rev. John M. Dorris.
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(This page was updated on 8/7/2022)