This geocache is on the corner of Merrick Road and Merrick Avenue in the town of Merrick... I stop here often for tea and I just kind of like that it's 'the corner of Merrick & Merrick in Merrick,' ha, but besides my ridiculous reason for liking it Merrick Road itself is actually kinda cool too.
You might not know it standing at this ordinary street corner but amazingly Merrick Road stretches 21.8 miles and crosses through three New York counties (Queens, Nassau & Suffolk). It begins in Jamaica, Queens where it's called Merrick Boulevard. Once it passes the Nassau County line it becomes Merrick Road and continues all the way to Amityville where it becomes Montauk Highway.
This particular stretch of Merrick Road can trace its roots back to the colonial period when the area became a trading center; boats that entered Jones Inlet used the deep channels to sail up to docks that in the past lined what would become Merrick Road.
As for the name Merrick itself it was derived from the name of an Algonquian tribe the Meroke (which means 'peaceful') that had inhabited the area.
Congrats to TSandCS & Iggy317 for FTF, DawnAIC for STF, and Sakiman & mmacgown for TTF! Also congrats elanashopper & markies33 on their first finds!