Ira Merrill

Ira Merrill's grave came first, and it came violently. In July 1860 (the plaque's 1880 is a misprint), settlers in year-old Smithfield accused a young Shoshone man, a chief's son, of horse theft and hanged him despite testimony in his defense. In the retaliation that followed, Merrill, twenty-five, was killed hauling brush from the canyon for the Pioneer Day bowery; his brother was wounded, and a Franklin settler, John Reed, also died. Merrill was buried on the holiday itself, July 24 — the first grave in the cemetery that begins with him.

What the plaque says

First person buried in the Smithfield Cemetery, was born at Alder, Erie County, New York, in 1835, the son of Austin and Laura Wilder Harris Merrill, He was killed in an Indian attack July 29, 1880 as he and his brother Solyman were returning from the hills east of Smithfield with a load of brush to be used on the bowery for the community pioneer day celebration. Hostilities between the pioneers and the Indians began near the site of this marker. A settler from Franklin, Idaho, was also killed in the skirmish and several Smithfield pioneers were wounded.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• American West Heritage Center — 3.2 mi
  A living history farm spanning 160 acres of Cache Valley
• Logan — 7.0 mi
  A vibrant college town tucked into a stunning mountain valley
• Jardine Juniper — 10 mi
  One of the oldest living trees in the world at over 1,500 years old
• Tony Grove Lake — 11 mi
  A glacial alpine lake at 8,100 feet surrounded by wildflower meadows

More markers nearby

• Smithfield Veterans Memorial — steps away
• Richmond Fort — 6.0 mi
• Unknown Pioneers — 6.3 mi
• Logan Community Center — 6.7 mi