owned an Indianapolis bookstore and publishing company that later became the Bobbs-Merrill Company. State legislator and treasurer Merrill moved to Vevay, Indiana, in 1816, and was elected to the Indiana General Assembly in 1821 as the representative of Switzerland County. While serving in the state legislature, Merrill was elected as Indiana State Treasurer. He succeeded Daniel Crosby Lane as state treasurer on December 28, 1822. Merrill moved to Corydon, Indiana, and was reelected for three more consecutive terms, serving until February 10, 1834, when Nathan B. Palmer succeeded him. After the decision was made to relocate the seat of state government on January 20, 1824, Merrill had a role in helping to the name the new state capital. He seconded the motion to adopt the name of Indianapolis for the state capital of Indiana. Merrill also oversaw the transfer of the state treasury and state government's records to Indianapolis from Corydon. The arduous task included Merrill's and his young family's eleven-day journey of about by horseback and wagon caravan from Corydon to the new state capital in November 1824. To complicate matters, no paved road existed along the caravan's path at that time and in some places a trail had to be cut through the dense forests in order to move northward. Merrill's caravan of four, four-horse wagons and two or three saddle horses brought the state treasury, governmental records, a printing press, and furniture for the Indiana General Assembly, the Indiana Supreme Court, and the state's executive offices, as well as two families, including his own, their personal goods, and implements and supplies for the caravan. He also arranged for the transfer of the state archives and state library to Indianapolis. After relocating to Indianapolis, Merrill and his family lived in a two-story brick building, later demolished, that the state government had constructed at the southwest corner of Washington Street and present-day Capitol Avenue to house the state treasurer's office and residence, as well as the state auditor's office. Merrill continued to serve as state treasurer until 1834, when he was named president of the State Bank of Indiana. He was also a partner in the trading firm of Yandes and Merrill and was active in other business ventures and civic affairs. Bank president When the State Bank of Indiana was founded in 1834, the Indiana General Assembly choose Samuel Merrill as the bank's first president. Following his appointment,