Short answers, pulled from the story.
Samuel Merrill purchased an Indianapolis bookstore on the 3rd of October 1850. He entered the publishing business that same day and operated under his name until his death in 1855.
The court ruling established what is now called the first-sale doctrine. This principle allows owners of copyrighted items to resell them without permission from the copyright holder.
Ayn Rand, James Whitcomb Riley, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Irma S. Rombauer, L. Frank Baum, and Erving Goffman all appeared in their catalog. The company also released books by Keith Ayling, Richard Halliburton, David Markson, and Walter Dean Myers.
Evelyn Copelman illustrated a new edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1944. Her artwork drew heavy influence from the 1939 Judy Garland MGM film version and diverged significantly from W. W. Denslow's original 1900 illustrations.
The company officially stopped operations after the 1985 transaction when Macmillan acquired Howard W. Sams Company. The Indianapolis News reported on the firm's impending closure on the 19th of April 1985.