Moses Merrill Mission facts for kids

Tribal territory of the Otoe

The Moses Merrill Mission, also known as the Oto Mission, was an important place in early Nebraska history. It was located about eight miles west of Bellevue, Nebraska. Moses and Eliza Wilcox Merrill built and lived here. They were the first missionaries to live in Nebraska.

The first building was part of a group of buildings made in 1835. This was when the United States Government moved the Otoe tribe about eight miles southwest of Bellevue. Moses Merrill wanted to teach the Otoe people about Christianity. He learned their language and translated parts of the Bible and some hymns into Otoe.

Their first log cabin burned down. They replaced it with a new building by 1835. This new building was used as both a school and a church. Moses Merrill died in 1840 from a sickness. After he died, the Otoe people left the mission and moved their village. His wife, Eliza Merrill, went back East with their son. Other settlers used the cabin until the 1860s.

Today, only the original chimney and some cottonwood trees planted by Eliza Merrill remain from the second mission building. The last cottonwood tree was taken down in 2016. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The state has placed a historical marker near where the Oto Mission used to be.

The Mission's Story

Reverend Moses Merrill came from Sedgwick, Maine. His father, Daniel, was also a minister. Moses went to the Michigan Territory. There, he met Eliza Wilcox from Albany, New York, through friends. They got married.

After training as missionaries for the Baptist Church, they arrived in Bellevue, Nebraska, in 1833. The Indian agent offered them a place to stay. It was in the old trading post called Fontenelle's Post. This was part of the buildings used by the Bellevue Indian Agency. Moses Merrill immediately started learning the Otoe language. Later, he translated parts of the Bible and some hymns into Otoe.

Moving with the Otoe People

The US Government moved the Otoe people to a new location. This was southwest of Bellevue, near the Platte River. The Merrills followed them to stay with the tribe. At first, they used a log cabin given to them by the government. In 1835, they quickly started a school and church for the Otoe tribe. The Otoe's main village and cemetery were very close by.

A year after they moved, the Merrills' first mission cabin burned down. They built a larger house to replace it. They also ran the school from this new house. Soon after, Moses Merrill encouraged the Otoe to move their village closer to his mission. The Otoe had lived near Yutan for a long time. The Merrills then had a school for Otoe children and held church services there.

Moses Merrill made an important contribution by translating the Bible and other writings into Otoe. The missionary work was very hard. The couple tried to protect the Otoe from unfair traders and unfriendly settlers. They also faced challenges from different Native American groups. Moses Merrill traveled often because the Otoe territory reached to the Elkhorn River. In 1839, he became sick and died in 1840. After he died, the Otoe people left the mission and moved to a new village.

Eliza Merrill left Nebraska soon after her husband died. She returned to Albany, New York, with their son. There, she started an orphanage. Settlers continued to use the old mission building for church services even after the 1860s.

What the Mission Looked Like

The first mission building was a simple cabin made from local wood. The second mission building was built after the first one burned down around 1836 or 1837. This new building had a schoolroom for Otoe children. It also had living areas, including two bedrooms upstairs. A porch ran across the front of the building, facing south. It is believed that Eliza Merrill planted at least three of the huge cottonwood trees that were on the site. These trees were very wide around their trunks.

The building was made from poplar logs. These logs were shaped and carefully fitted together at the corners. Lime plaster was put between the log walls and the thin wooden boards inside. A large chimney was built from local limestone. It was "plastered with lime almost as hard as the stone itself." This chimney was in the center of the building. It was 25 feet tall with a five-foot square base. Today, only the chimney and the cottonwood trees remain at the site.

Important Legacy

• The Merrill Mission site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical place.
• Both Moses and Eliza Merrill kept diaries during this time. His diary covers from 1832 to 1839. Hers covers from 1832 to 1841. These diaries, along with their letters, are kept by the Nebraska State Historical Society.

See also

• History of Nebraska
• Sarpy County Historical Museum