Merrillan is a rural community, rich in historical integrity, with about 542 residents. They are located in Jackson County, 15 miles north of Black River Falls at the intersection of State Highway ’12/27′ and State Highway ’95’. Leander G. Merrill, with his Dream for a village to be built on the lands where the forests had been taken by the woodsman’s axe, is what makes today possible
The West Wisconsin Railroad was built through this portion of Jackson County in the fall of 1869. Leander Merrill sent his brother Benjamin to Hudson, where the railroad offices were then located, in an effort to convince the railroad to change their road bed enough to include the present site of Merrillan. According to stories handed down by the Merrill family, the railroad officials agreed to change their route to include Merrill’s future town for the consideration of $75,000, which Leander promptly paid to the company. Trains on the West Wisconsin Railroad did not make stops at Merrillan at this time and passengers both got off the trains at Wright’s Mill (about 5 miles south) or at Humbird and then walked to Merrillan.