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MERRITT L. JAMISON, a prominent stock-dealer of Louisa County, resides on section 34 of the same township, Wapello, in which he was born, on the 21st of August, 1848. He is a son of George and Hulda (Herrick) Jamison, who is one of the largest land-owners and stock-dealers in the State, still resides with his family in Wapello Township. He was born in Fayette County, Ohio, while his wife was a native of Cape Vincent, N. Y. (See sketch of George Jamison elsewhere in this work.)
Our subject was reared upon a farm, and his primary education, which was received at the public schools, was supplemented by a course in the Burlington University. On the 26th of October, 1867, at Burlington, Iowa, his marriage with Miss M. E. Whitcomb was celebrated. The lady was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., and is a daughter of Capt. A. D. Whitcomb. They have two children, daughters, living, Nellie May and Edna Blanche, and three are deceased.
Mr. Jamison is the owner of 943 acres of land, and in connection with his father and brothers makes the handling of stock a specialty. Like the Jamisons generally, he is an uncompromising Democrat, and is a man of broad and liberal ideas. His extensive business operations have extended his acquaintance throughout Iowa and the neighboring States, where he is highly esteemed as a reliable business man.
Mr. Jamison has been interested in contracting for public works. In 1883 he had a contract for . . .
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. . . building a levee on the west bank of the Mississippi River, from Muscatine to Port Louisa, known as the Muscatine Island levee, and has also had contracts for grading on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and Iowa Central Railroads.