Henry Wilder Miller

Notes:

http://books.google.com/books?id=2XYWAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA4-PA119&lpg=RA4-PA119&dq=%22nancy+cutler+merrick%22&source=bl&ots=iucD4sNXov&sig=CiQYzJPVZDyqGdA45A8yNJkspno&hl=en&ei=UapdS5C9Jsef8AbVheD0BA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CA4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=henry%20wilder%20miller&f=false
Henry Wilder Miller
One of the great merchants of old Worcester died May 31, 1891, at the age of ninety years. He came to Worcester from his native town, Westminster, in 1804, with his parents, John and Lucy (Goulding) Miller, and he saw the village of 1500 grow to a city of 85,000. He remembers the opening of Thomas street, when Isaiah Thomas, who gave the land, had a tub of punch upon the old canal bridge for the public. He began life as a clerk in the hardware store of Sewall Hamilton in a building owned by the first Stephen Salisbury, near the present Lincoln Square railroad station, and in 1815 went to work for Daniel Waldo on the spot where he continued as clerk and merchant for 70 years. He was first in partnership with George T. Rice. In 1832 the firm of Rice & Miller was dissolved, and Mr. Miller continued the hardware store in a new building on the old site. In 1886 he sold out to Smith & Adams, both of whom had been clerks in the store. Elwood Adams has continued the business at the old stand to the present day, and Mr. Miller's old sign still hangs over the door of the store. This hardware store has been in the same location for more than a century. In, 1825 Mr. Miller assisted William A. Wheeler in establishing his foundry on Thomas street. Here was built the first furnace for making cupola castings in the state, outside of Boston, and here the first stoves were cast and the first steam engine in Worcester installed. Mr. Miller was selectman, chief engineer of the fire department, one of the founders and vice-president of the Worcester County Institution of Savings; member of the building committee of Mechanics Hall, in which his portrait now hangs. His wife, Nancy Cutler Merrick, was a daughter of Judge Pliny Merrick and their daiighter, Ruth A. Miller, became the wife of Hon. George P. Hoar; another daughter married Hon. W. W. Rice. Mr. Miller married, second, Mary Andrews, who died in 1886, aged 89 years.

Obituary:
http://www.archive.org/stream/worcecollections13worcuoft/worcecollections13worcuoft_djvu.txt
In Worcester, May 31st, Henry Wilder Miller, Worcester's oldest merchant, aged 90 years, 8 mos. 22 days. For nearly four score years and ten, Mr. Miller has been identified with this City. His kindly voice was familiar to every man in Worcester, and no one has set a better example of business integrity than he. He was born in Westminster, Sept. 9th, 1800, and was the son of John and Lucy (Goulding) Miller. Both his father's and his mothers families were among the first settlers of Worcester County. In 1815, he entered, as apprentice, the hardware store of Daniel Waldo, which stood exactly on the spot where Mr. Miller has ever since been located as successor to the business. On attaining his majority, Mr. Miller entered into business for himself, and continued therein till 1886. Though never conspicuous in politics, and never seeking office, his qualifications for positions of trust and responsibility were frequently recognized. He was one of the members of the Worcester County Institution for Savings, from its organization in 1828; one of its board of trustees from April, 1831, and Vice-President and icmber of the Committee of Investments for more than 40 rears. He was also one of the board of Trustees of Rural Cemetery, and had been identified with the Mechanics Asso:iation for many years.

Henry married Nancy Cutler Merrick. Nancy was born on 11 Dec 1797; died on 1 Apr 1843. [Group Sheet]

1. Ruth Miller was born on 20 May 1830 in Worcester, Worcester Co, Massachusetts, USA; died on 24 Dec 1903 in Washington, District Of Columbia, USA; was buried in Concord, Middlesex Co, Massachusetts, USA (Sleepy Hollow Cemetery).