William Merrill was born Sept. 4, 1814 in Andover, son of Jonathan & Jane (Cochran) Merrill. William was a farmer, and appears to have purchased the farm land on River Road for Frederick Noyes in April 1857. There are no houses located on this site south of River Rd. on the 1830 or 1852 maps of Andover. This suggest that William Merrill most likely built the home shortly after his purchase. The 1860 Andover Valuation schedule lists; William Merrill West Parish – Dwelling house $850, two barns $425, 61 acres adjoining $1878, 12 acres Schofield lot $344, 5½ acres Shattuck land $77, 6 acre Meadow $82. 23 acres Shattuck land $440 = $4096 – Farm Stock $594.

William married on Feb. 4, 1836 to Phoebe A. Shattuck b. Feb. 11, 1807, in Andover, dau. of Joseph & Phoebe Shattuck. William & Phoebe had five children: Phoebe Augusta b. Aug. 30, 1836, George William b. July 30, 1839, Hannah Eliza b. Dec. 3, 1841, Charles Henry b. Sept. 17, 1843 and Joseph Shattuck b. May 9, 1849.
The State census of 1865 lists William & Phoebe, and their son Charles Henry 21 with his new bride Carolina M. 20, dau. of Rufus & Caroline Griffin of Methuen. They married on Jan. 17, 1865 at the West Parish Church.
William farmed the land for eleven years then sold to Frank L. Runels, wife Charlotte on Dec. 2, 1868 for $6000 and moved to Lawrence. Sadly William died on April 19, 1870 when he drowned in a canal in Lawrence.

Frank L. Runels (or Runals) was born in New Hampshire, son of Samuel & Eliza Nevins (Lovejoy) Runals. Frank was a business partner in Lawrence with E.R. Hayden selling coal and wood under the name “Runals & Hayden” on Common St. Frank was first married to Charlotte and had one daughter Caroline “Carrie” Runals b. May 5, 1863. Charlotte died and Frank remarried to Betty Jane and they lived 252 Haverhill St. in Lawrence. Frank made his will on Feb. 26, 1873 and provided for his daughter Carrie and his surviving siblings. The Andover farm was given to his brother Asa D. Runals b. 1814 in NH. The will states on the farm that he now resides. Frank died in 1881 and the farm became Asa’s.
Asa married on Nov. 1, 1846 in Lowell, MA, to Hannah B. Pike. b. 1823 in Maine. Asa was a grocer and Hannah an operative at the time. Asa & Hannah had two children; Josephine “Jossie” S. b 1853 in Sabago, ME and Ralph Frank b. 1865 in ME. Asa have moved to Maine and is listed as a Lumberman in Sabago in 1860. 1870 Andover Valuation – Asa D. Run[n]els – WP – House & shed $800, two barns $750, 61 acres home farm, 5½ Shattuck land $125, = 66 ½ acres = $3675 – Farm stock $545. The 1880 Census lists Asa age 67, sick with sciatic nerve. Josie, age 27 was a milliner in Lawrence and Ralph age 15 at school. Ralph later attended Tufts College and became a dentist in Lynn, MA.

Asa sold the farm on March 3, 1885 to John Maddox for $5300. John Maddox was born May 1852 in Sanford, ME, son of Daniel & Lucinda (Lord) Maddox. His father, a farmer in Maine came to Andover and purchased a farm at 64 Pleasant St. in October 1868. John served as a Private in the Civil War enlisted in Waterboro, Maine in 1862 and was a wagoner.

John, also a farmer, married on Dec. 30, 1879 in Andover to Hattie Florence Hardy, b. Aug. 1857, dau. of Henry & Harriet Augusta (Bailey) Hardy. John & Hattie had seven children of which four survived to adulthood. Infant son b. Aug. 23, 1881 d. 6 hours, Hattie Louise b.Feb.22, 1885, Arthur Hardy b. Mar. 21, 1888, John Henry b. Mar. 27, 1891–d. Sept. 5, 1891, Bertha May b. Aug. 30, 1892 and Grace Edith b. Aug. 25, 1897.

The 1920 Valuation – West Parish – John Maddox; House & shed $825, two barns $525, 61 acres home land $2850, 12 acre Abbot District $700, 6 acre Woodland Hardy – Abbot District $100 = $5000. The 1920 Census lists John & Hattie, son Arthur, farm laborer, wife Agnes, their son Warren age 4, daughter Bertha Sutton widow and her daughter Mary J. Sutton age 8. John continued to work the farm until his death on May 16, 1922. Wife Hattie had died on Feb. 28, 1922 age 64. Both are interred at West Parish Garden Cemetery.

The children all married, Hattie Louise m. July 1909 in Lawrence to George M. Lambert. Bertha May married on Dec. 28, 1910 to Richard Sutton who died in 1913, Bertha remarried to Warren A. Pike on Dec. 24, 1920. Grace Edith married on Feb. 10, 1920 to David R. Webb.

Their brother Arthur Hardy Maddox married on June 23, 1915 to Agnes Veronica Frain b. June 12, 1893, dau. of Thomas J. & Agnes (Burns) Frain. Arthur would take over the farm operations after his father died. Arthur and Agnes had three sons; Warren Arthur b. Nov. 15, 1915, Earl Robert b. Mar. 13, 1924 and Melvin Woodrow b. Oct. 18, 1928.

Arthur Maddox died on April 2, 1949. The 1950 Census lists Agnes 54, Warren 34 a Policeman in Andover, Melvin 21 messenger for railroad and Agnes’ brother Thomas J. Frain age 48, janitor at General Hospital. Warren served during WWII, and later married Bertha May Molyneaux, b. April 26, 1926. They had four children; Allan Winthrop b. 1952, Kay E. b. 1954, Anne b. 1956 and Warren Arthur Jr. 1959. Maddox continued to live on the homestead. Agnes died on Nov. 12, 1967.

It appears the Maddox family built a second house across the street at 176 River Rd. at some point in the 20th century. The Old homestead stood on the north side of River Rd. and was sold and razed for development of the industrial park along the Merrimack River.

Warren & Bertha sold the home on June 19, 1982 to their daughter and son-in-law, Kay Ellen (Maddox) & Richard G. Pelletier. Richard Pelletier b. 1951 graduated from Andover High School in 1969 and was a salesman for the Continental Baking Co. Kay was a nursing assistant at the Holy Family Hospital in Methuen. The Pelletiers owned for 25 years, had two daughters Kaitlyn V. and Tracey A. Pelletier. Warren A. Maddox Jr. is listed at 180 River Rd. in 2006 next to the Pelletiers. The property was sold to Ruffian, LLC on Aug. 22, 2007. The newer house was later razed for business development and a new veterinary hospital was built on the site property.