In 1901, Charles and Elizabeth Merritt traveled from
Belleville near Detroit on a covered wagon trip that took three weeks. They settled in the rural area, and other families soon joined them. In 1908, the community was given the name Merritt for the first time when a railway was opened through the area. The area become popular for its abundant supply of lumber. Farming soon became a dominant industry in the area. A school district was established in 1920, and the District No. 3 of Butterfield built a high school in Merritt in 1936. A fire department was established in Merritt in 1955. In 1993, a new fire station was built along
M-55.
M-74 was a formerly designated
state highway that existed from 1919 to 1939 near Merritt. The highway was located just northeast of the center of the community. After being decommissioned, it continues to exist as a local roadway called North Star Road, which connects Merritt to the community of Pioneer. The area received its first post office on November 22, 1910 with merchant Charles P. Sherman as the first postmaster. The post office remains in operation and is located at 329 South Merritt Road. The post office has been in its present location since 1956. ==Notable people==