Many individuals have spent their entire lives in Granby contributing to the town’s growth and community spirit. One such was Merrill W. Clark, a dedicated town resident whose legacy of hard work and service left a lasting impact on Granby.
Born in Granby in 1901, Clark worked for 42 years as a mail carrier before retiring in 1967. He served the North Granby area, and parts of Granville and Southwick. In the 1940s, Clark’s mail delivery duties often took four to five hours each day. After his rounds, he would work on his father’s farm at 100 East Street, tending to the garden and raising chickens. He grew potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes and other vegetables in addition to collecting eggs from the chickens.
Throughout his years as a mail carrier, Clark never had an accident. In 1967, he was recognized for his dedication to safe driving with a special award from the National Safety Council. Police Chief Don Algren presented him with a pin for his years of accident-free driving. When Clark first began his mail delivery career, he served just 73 mail boxes and drove only 22 miles. By his final year, he was delivering to more than 300 mailboxes and covering more than 60 miles daily.
In the early years, he always carried an ax to clear any trees blocking the road. During mud season or snowy winters, he would use a horse and buggy to deliver the mail. At the start of his career, Granby had only one paved road—the rest were dirt. By 1967, all but one road in town had been paved.
Clark’s contributions to Granby went far beyond his work as a mail carrier. He was an original member and secretary of the Lost Acres Fire Department, which was formed in 1936. As a 65-year-long member of the Granby Grange #5, he also served as past master of the Grange. Clark was a member of the Independent Organization of Odd Fellows for 66 years and served as past master of St. Mark’s Lodge No. 91, AF and AM of Granby. Clark’s dedication to the community extended to local government—he served on the zoning board and was appointed chairman in 1951.
During the 1940s Clark developed a long correspondence with Retta Thompson of Wethersfield who originally hailed from Granville. Clark had known Retta for many years, and their letters often discussed his long, busy days and his advice for Retta, who worked as a housekeeper. Their friendship blossomed into love, and they married on New Year’s Day in 1947.
Clark’s retirement on Oct. 14, 1967 was celebrated with a dinner at High Meadow, where more than 200 people gathered to honor his service. Among the attendees were Postmaster Batayte and his wife, First Selectman Don Switzer, Board of Education Chairman Ken Carson, Probate Judge Arlene Mooney, Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Dewey, Mr. and Mrs. William Pease, and many others. After retirement, Clark stayed active in his gardening and continued to participate in various community organizations. He also enjoyed assembling puzzles in his free time.
Retta died on Nov. 4, 1986, at the age of 90 after 39 years of marriage. Merrill lived to age 91. Both are buried in the Granby Cemetery. To learn more about Merrill and Retta Clark or the Granby Post office at that time, join the Salmon Brook Historical Society by calling 860-653-9713 or visiting salmonbrookhistoricalsociety.com