Dr. Samuel Merritt was a successful San Francisco physician and also the 13th mayor of Oakland, California from 1867–69.

Merritt was originally from Maine and moved to California. He bought land in what is now the city of Oakland

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

 in 1852 and moved there in 1863.

In 1867, he donated 155 acres (627,000 m²) of dammed tidal water from the headwaters of Indian Slough which became known as "Merritt's Lake" and later as Lake Merritt

Lake Merritt

Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon that lies just east of downtown Oakland, California. It is surrounded by parkland and city neighborhoods. A popular 3.1 mile walking and jogging path runs along its perimeter...

.

He left plans for a hospital and nursing school to be built in his name after his death. His dream was realized in 1909 when Samuel Merritt College

Samuel Merritt College

Samuel Merritt University, formerly Samuel Merritt College, was founded in 1909 as a hospital school of nursing. It is a fully accredited health sciences institution located on the Summit campus of the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, California, United States...

 and Merritt Hospital opened. He is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.

External links

• Samuel Merritt from Camron-Stanford House Preservation Association
• History of Samuel Merritt College
• History of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - also photo of Dr Merritt
• Lakeside Park/Lake Merritt