THEHOMETOWN

Carl Barks was born on a homestead just outside the town of Merrill in Klamath County, Oregon. The small town - which has still not reached a population of 1,000 - is placed in the Klamath Basin that holds vast potato fields and is traversed by the Lost River. Barks lived on the small family ranch for almost two decades in the very beginning of the 20th Century and was able to follow how Merrill developed. This is the story of a town partly told by its unique and world-famous former citizen.

THE HISTORY
In 1898, when William Barks and his young bride, Arminta, settled on 25 hectares of sagebrush land in Oregon just north of the Californian border, the small, neighbouring town of Merrill had existed for only 4 years. Officially, that is, because the first settlers had arrived already in 1889, and the cluster of ranches spurred a small town which was later named Merrill after one of the farmers, Nathan Merrill. Before then the farmers had to travel for two days for supplies in Klamath Falls, which was 30 kilometers away. In 1894 Nathan and Nancy Merrill donated 0.32 square kilometers (80 acres) for the town site of Merrill, and they attended the official opening of the new town which was quite modern for its time; it had been thoroughly mapped with residential streets, official buildings, and sites for parks.		View over the Klamath Basin which is volcanic in its origin
In 1903, a large fire destroyed the northern part of Merrill. The Opera house and a lumber company were burned to the ground, along with all the residents' houses. Only two years later another fire claimed the bank, a blacksmith shop and the library. In 1906, the growing town obtained its first weekly newspaper called the 'Merrill-Weekly Record'. It was owned by the town's founder, Nathan Merrill, who sold it a few years later. By that time Merrill had several merchandise stores selling everything that the villagers and the farmers wished for. Also, there was a blacksmith shop dealing with forge welding and horseshoeing. Along with a barbershop the two businesses were great places to get the latest gossip about the neighbours! The Lone Pine school was a typical one-room building made of wood. It was originally built on skids which turned out to be an act of foresight, because it had to be relocated several times due to deed problems! Every Saturday night people could go and have a good time in the town hall which also served as a dance hall. For further amusement an enterprising farmer had established a soda pop plant on his ranch. One would go there and buy soda in returnable bottles. This was the only place in the town area where the selling of beverages was allowed. Apart from the saloons, of course...
The Opera House	The Blacksmithy	The Post Office	The Lone Pine School

THE HOMESTEAD

The photo of the homestead was taken in 1906 or 1907. From the left you can see William, Arminta, Clyde, and Carl. It was extremely rare to be photographed in those days, so the Barks family invited neighbouring friends to join in the session which required that they had to stand perfectly still for several seconds in order not to blur the photograph.

In 1901, Carl entered a world of hardships and toil, and he can be considered one of the pioneers of Merrill. At the time of his birth the family already consisted of three members:
Father William, who had also been a farmer in California, was a hardworking man. Beside his farm work at the homestead he also managed a small blacksmith shop for a few years.
Mother Arminta was also a hardworking person who - besides her chores within the house and with her sons - helped out on the spread.
Brother Clyde was born almost 1½ years before Carl. He was the more outgoing and wild type, while Carl was more serious and quieter.

Carl reminisces: The ranch house was a lonely place with no close neighbors. My parents had little patience with the yearnings of a small boy, both being old enough to be my grandparents, and my slightly older brother had little patience with my 'sissy' fascination with drawing and reading so, other than the farm animals, I had little companionship.
But do not disparage the influence that animals can have on a growing boy's character. In my periods of self-analysis, I get the feeling that I learned good manners from the pigs, my stubbornness from the mules and my gung-ho courage from the chickens.

THE MEMORIES

In 1994, Barks' hometown held its centennial celebration of 100 years of existence. Barks was asked by the celebration committee to contribute to the celebrations by putting together a nostalgia piece about the Merrill he remembered from his childhood and he did so in a lengthy letter to the committee.

Here are some quotes from that letter:

Front Street, Merrill's main street, in the early years

... Merrill had an opera house in the years that I was a boy on the home ranch. I saw my first movie there about 1908. It also had one or more saloons, a drug store and a doctor who was also the pharmacist. The only doctor I remember was Doctor John Patterson, an imposing Patrician of his profession. He made housecalls to anywhere at anytime ...

... There were doctors in Merrill before John Patterson's time. One such drove the five miles to my parent's homestead in 1899 to deliver my brother, and another in 1901 to deliver me. I've been told they were not the same doctor. Those men did their stuff under very primitive conditions. My parents' house was a two-room shack with only a sagebrush-fueled stove for heating water to wash the newborn. How was the doctor alerted that his services would be needed five miles northwest? Did my father ride his fastest horse into Merrill? Did a neighbor go? How greatly I regret that I did not show them some appreciation for the hardships they endured to give me life. Merrill in those early years was filled with people enduring such hardships. They grew up with blisters on their hands and saddle sores on their behinds ...

... The flour mill was operated by the Martin brothers. It stood beside Lost River just east of the bridge. I feel sure it was powered by steam; the river was too sluggish to turn a water wheel ... They moved the mill to Klamath Falls around 1912, I think, and diversified into automobile dealerships, etc. The first closed sedan with hard roof and windows that I ever saw was driven by a Martin ...

... I recall a 4th of July in Merrill about 1907 or so. Turner brothers had a sawmill where the big school building now stands on West Main Street. Visitors were treated to a demonstration of how planers and edgers made fancy siding and moldings for homes, and a very magical machine turned a section of log into a neatly bound bundle of shingles before our bugging eyes! ...

THE HONOUR

Not many of the residents of Merrill were aware of Carl Barks' worldwide recognition as a Disney duck artist until he was honoured as Oregon Citizen of the Year in a unique ceremony at Oregon's Capitol building in March, 1995. Many of Merrill's citizens had for generations enjoyed the numerous comic book stories of Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck and Gyro Gearloose without realizing that the artist behind them all was actually born in their midst.
Now the mayor and the City Council wasted no time in brainstorming how to honour their newfound hero. This resulted in the city passing a resolution which would be permanently recorded in Merrill's history. The resolution - which also proclaims March 31st as 'Carl Barks Day' to be celebrated every year - states as follows:

THE ORIGINAL PAPER

TRANSCRIPT OF SAME (PARTLY CORRECTED)

Whereas Carl Barks is an Oregon native, born to the community of Merrill, Oregon on the 27th day of March, 1901; and
Whereas he spent much of his childhood in the Merrill community during his young school years; and
Whereas Carl Barks has combined pen and paper to bring the 'Mad Mallard' Donald Duck to Walt Disney's comics for over twenty five years and created many of the popular Disney characters including Donald's Uncle Scrooge McDuck as well as Duckburg; and
Whereas Carl Barks' works have brought untold joy to millions of children and adults throughout the entire world, bringing his special brand of humor to a troubled society; and
Whereas the Oregon State Legislature has honored him on the 31st day of March, 1995 and he has been the recipient of many awards by Roy Disney and Michael Eisner of Walt Disney Productions; and
Whereas the Community of Merrill, Oregon is proud to recognize Carl as one of its most outstanding native citizens.

Therefore, be it resolved that the Community of Merrill, Oregon, in honor of Carl Barks, has established this day of March 31, 1995 as 'Carl Barks Day' and henceforth for each year forward on this same day, cause this day to be celebrated as such with appropriate activities.