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516 - HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY. CHAPTER XXIV. PERRY TOWNSHIP. THIS township. was established by the County Board in December, 1833, and organized at the house of Joseph Crossley in April, 1834. Hugh Skilling, Sr., John Ridenour and Joseph Crossley were elected trustees; Moses McDonald, justice of the peace, and James Chenoweth, clerk. At this time the northeastern sections of Jackson Township, as originally set off from Congressional Township 4 south, Range 7 east, were detached and added to Perry, giving the new township her full area. The population is 1,465 or about forty inhabitants to the square mile. The centers of settlement are Warsaw, Amherst and South Warsaw, all in the southern portion of the township. Westminster, in Auglaize Towniship, is the market town for residents in the eastern portion of Perry. There are church buildings erected by the Lutherans, southeast corner of Section 18; Methodist, southwest corner of Section 17; west PERRY TOWNSHIP - 517 center of Section 14; northwest corner of Section 29; west corner of Section 25; one in Section 35, west of Cherry Grove Church, on same section, and Disciples Church, in northwest quarter of Section 34. A reference to the school statistics, shows the advanced condition of school interests. As good quality of stone is found in the northern sections of Perry. PIONEERS. The settlement of Perry may be said to date from the year 1830. When John Ridenour arrived in Perry Township, in 1830, he found the county almost a wilderness, occupied largely by the Shawnees along Hog Creek, and in the village in Shawnee Township, with here and there a white family. He succeeded in erecting a cabin after traveling many miles to gather a few hands to help at the raising. After that time it was quite common to be visited by the Shawnee hunters. The old chief Quilna often came to his cabin. Pht and other influential red men paid him frequent visits, and were very friendly and seemingly harmless. When the Shawnees left in 1832 Mr. Ridenour obtained a pony formerly owned by the family of Pht, which had been given Andrew Russell for paling in the grave of the chief, and which survived to the great age of twenty-eight years. The forests were heavily timbered, and Mr. Ridenour performed a great deal of labor in clearing up his farm. Even in 1840 the township presented a very primitive appearance. Several reminiscences point out the fact that although almost all the lands were taken up at that time, the work of improvement was carried on slowly. In 1836 James C. Hullinger settled in Auglaize Township, and in 1840, erected a cabin on Section 25, Perry Township, and commenced improvements. His nearest neighbors at that time were Isaac Schooler, one and a half miles west, Moses McCoy, Elijah McCoy, John Shockey, and Thomas Philips, The first schoolhouse was built on Section 25 in 1844, and taught by John Terry. The first mill was in Auglaize Township, two and a half miles away. The pioneers generally had to go to Cherokee to mill. The names of those who actually held property in the township in 1834, are given in the assessment roll for that year in the history of settlement and occupation. LIST OF ORIGINAL ENTRIES. In the following roll of purchasers of United States lands in this 518 - HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY. township all names and dates are given, as shown in duplicate of United States Land Receiver's record. The record is a simple history of the settlement of this township. Isaac Constant, section 1, 1833. Benjamin Hutchison. section 1, 1836. Wm. Hawthorne, section 1, 1835. Asa French, section 1, 1833. John Rickner, section 1, 1836. Hudson Watt. section 2, 1835. Peter Zinn, section 2, 1835. James T. Miller, section 2, 1833. George Maxson, section 2, 1839. Richard B. Marshall, section 2, 1836. John Lybarger, section 2, 1834. Wm. C. Osborn, section 2, 1834. David C. French, section 2, 1835. James Daniels, section 2, 1833. Samuel Seevers, section 3, 1833. Charles Mann, section 3, 1834. John Hay, section 3, 1833. Nathaniel Evey, section 3, 1833. Robert Young, section 3, 1833. Matthew Dobbins, section 3, 1834. Daniel Losh, section 3, 1833. Daniel Grindle, section 3, 1833. Lewis Whisman, section 3, 1834. Matthew Dobbins, section 4, 1834. George Rankin, section 4, 1834. Wm. Terry, section 4, 1833. Robert Terry, section 4, 1833. Edward Parker, section 4, 1833. Wm. Lippincott, section 4, 1833. Joseph Crossley, section 4, 1834. Wm. Hunter, section 4, 1833. *David Ridenour, section 7, 1831. John P. Mitchell, section 7, 1834. Alexander Beatty, section 7, 1834. Joseph Geddes, section 7, 1834. George Swinehart, section 7, 1832. James McCullough, section 7, 1833. Elias Bervin, section 7, 1834. George Aunsbaugh, section 7, 1832. Andrew Budd, section 8, 1835. Nicholas Faze, section 8, 1833. Jacob D. Long, section 8, 1833. George B. Frye, section 8, 1835. Michael Gantz, section 8, 1833. John Ridenour, section 8, 1831. Matthew Dobbins, section 8, 1834. Wm. Hunter, section 9, 1834. Daniel Shuler, section 9, 1834. Wm. A. Van Horn, section 9, 1834. Samuel Funk, section 9, 1833. George Swinehart, section 9, 1833. Martin Funk, section 9, 1833. Joseph Tapscott, section 10, 1835. John McPheron, section 10, 1834. Samuel Bowman, section 10, 1834. George Rankin, section 10, 1836. Levi Swan, section 10, 1834. William McPheron, section 10, 1834. James McPheron, section 10, 1834. James H. Daniels, section 11, 1835. Levi Henry Swan, section 11, 1834. James Chenoweth, section 11, 1834. Samuel Lippincott, section 11, 1834. George Lippincott, section 11, 1834. Joseph Clum, section 11, 1835. George Hanthorn, section 11, 1834. James Franklin, section 11, 1834. Gustavus Swan, section 12, 1835. Z. Haines, section 12, 1834. George Marrs, section 12, 1835. Joseph Lippincott, section 12, 1834. Charles Mann, section 12, 1834. Z. Haines, section 13, 1833. Alexander Creps, section 13, 1836. Daniel Ditzler, section 13, 1835. Charles Mann, section 13, 1834. George Sever, section 13, 1833. Elizabeth Marrs, section 13, 1833. Nicholas D. Maus, section 13, 1833. Gustavus Swan, section 14, 1835. Jesse Huffman, section 14, 1833. Jacob Ice, section 14, 1833. Moses McDonald, section 15, 1834. Curtis Willey, section 15, 1834. Joseph Tapscott, section 15, 1835. Thos. B. Van Horn, section 15, 1836. Tyler Cummin, section 15, 1835. Samuel Slater, section 15, 1835. Valentine Shuler, section 16, 1854. Daniel Bower, section 16, 1854. * Sections 5 and 6 are referred to in the history of Ottawa Township, to which portions of them were attached in 1857. PERRY TOWNSHIP - 519 Enos Pearson, section 16, 1854. Ross Crossley, section 16, 1854. Alex. McPheron, section 16, 1854. David McPheron, section 16, 1854. James Shockey, section 16, 1854. James Shockey, section 16, 1854. David Franklin, section 16, 1854. Wm. S. Rose, section 16, 1854. Hugh Skilling, section 16, 1854. Andrew Budd, section 17, 1834. Hugh Skilling, section 17, 1834. Thomas Clayton, section 17, 1835. Wm. McKibben, section 18, 1834. George B. Frye, section 18, 1835. Wm. Mechling, section 18, 1833. Lewis Mechling, section 18, 1833. Elias Bowers, section 19, 1834. Demas Adams, section 19, 1834. Joseph Crosby, section 20, 1833. Joseph Crosby, Jr., section 20, 1833. Thomas B. Van Horn, section 20, 1836. Elias Bowers, section 20, 1834. Martin Crumrine, section 20, 1835. John M. Ramsey, section 21, 1833. Saul Faulkner, section 21, 1833. John Colvin, section 21, 1833. Samuel Ridenour, section 21, 1832. Huldah Crosby, section 21, 1833. George Colvin, section 21, 1833. Thomas Franklin, section 22, 1835. Samuel P. Tingle, section 22, 1835. Demas Adams, section 22, 1836. Wm. McPheron, section 22, 1835. James E. Caldwell, section 22, 1835. Andrew Moore, section 22, 1833. Andrew Caldwell, section 22, 1835. John W. Caldwell, section 22, 1835. Demas Adams, section 23, 1836. Jacob Ice, section 23, 1833. Thomas Franklin, section 23, 1835. Wm. Summersett, section 23, 1833. Wm. Stevenson, section 23, 1834. Charles Mann, section 24, 1834. Andrew McCoy, section 24, 1833. Alf. W. Hicks, section 24, 1836. Isaac S. Smith, section 24, 1836. John L. Stevenson. section 24, 1834. Joseph H. Fairfield, section 24, 1834. Wm. Harbour, section 25, 1834. Wm. Wical, section 25, 1835. Jacob Hullinger, section 25, 1836. Isaac W. Shannon, section 25, 1837. Wm. Stevenson, section 25, 1834. Lewis Chapman, section 25, 1836. Mary Harbour, section 25, 1836. Thomas Crooks, section 25, 1836. Wm. Stevenson, section 26, 1834. Daniel Jacobs, section 26, 1836. Cadwallader Jacobs, section 26, 1835. John Jacobs, section 26, 1834. Isaac Schooler, section 26, 1833. Hannah Kent, section 26, 1831. Isaac Schooler, section 27, 1834. Andrew Caldwell, section 27, 1835. Jeptha White, section 27, 1833. John Logan, section 27, 1833. David Logan, section 27, 1834. Eli Logan, section 27, 1833. John G. Penton, section 27, 1835. John W. Caldwell, section 27, 1835. Alfred Logan, section 27, 1834. Andrew Moore, section 27, 1833. Andrew Moore, section 28, 1835. Eli Logan, section 28, 1835. John Colvin, section 28, 1833. John F. Strickler, section 28, 1836. John Strickler, section 28, 1834. George Colvin, section 28, 1833. Samuel D. Voorhis, section 28, 1835. Wm. Martin, section 28, 1835. Wm. Ulery, section 28, 1834. Wm. Martin, section 29, 1835. Rufus Moore, section 29, 1835. John Wesley Starr, section 29, 1836. John Colvin, section 29, 1833. David Ulery, section 29, 1835. Samuel W. Mechling, section 30, 1835. Wm. Mechling, section 30, 1835. Matthew Cretcher, Sr., section 31, 1835. Jesse Belknap, section 31, 1835. Philip Munich, section 31, 1835. Miles Cowan, section 31, 1835. Elizabeth Davis, section 31, 1835. Henry Dehart, section 32, 1836. Ulery, section 32, 1836. Wm. Barton, section 32, 1834. John Stevenson, section 32, 1834. James Taylor, section 32, 1834. Matthew Cretcher, Sr., section 32, 1835. Wm. Ulery, section 33, 1834. Abelard Guthrie, section 33, 1840. Henry Stoddard, section 33; 1832. Valentine Ulery, section 33, 1834. Lewis Mills Wilson, section 33, 1833. 520 - HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY Wm. Barton, section 33, 1832. John Stephenson, section 33, 1834. Cornelius Voorhis, section 34, 1834. John Gibbons Penton, section 34, 1835. Wm. Chaffee, section 34, 1836. Valentine Ulery, section 34, 1834. Andrew C. Black, section 34, 1832. Charles Graham, section 34, 1834. Wm. Harbour, section 35, 1831. Abner Harbour, section 35, 1834. Wm. Wonnell, section 35, 1835. Jonathan Stiles, section 35, 1834. Augustus Curtis, section 35, 1832. John Jacobs, section 35, 1835. Andrew C. Blac, section 35, 1832. Thomas Phillips, section 36, 1833. Isaac Shockey, section 36, 1830. Michael Harrod, section 36, 1834. Wm. Wonnell, section 36, 1835. Isaac Stewart, section 36, 1832. SCHOOLS. The first school in Perry was presided over by Leonard Skilling, in 1835. The same year a schoolhouse was erected on Section 8, located on the Budd farm. Mr. Hullinger, a settler of 1840, states that a schoolhouse was built on Section 25, in 1844, where John Terry was employed as teacher. The advances made by the people in educational matters within the last half century are shown in the following statistics for 1884: Revenue, $2,943.72; expenditure $2,860.78. There are eight school buildings, valued at $2,800. Fifteen teachers are employed. The number of pupils is 363-189 boys, 174 girls. In addition to the township schools there is the Perry special district, of which the following statistics are given: The receipts for 1884 were $1,352.77; expenditures $875. There are two schoolhouses, valued at $2,600. During the year thirty-nine teachers were employed, of whom only two taught the entire year. The number of pupils enrolled is ninety-six— forty-three boys and fifty-three girls. SOUTH WARSAW VILLAGE. South Warsaw, on Section 35, Perry, was regularly laid out, but never rose above a small hamlet. The little village comprises nine blocks of twenty lots, along the south bank of the Auglaize. A postoffice was established here, and in the neighborhood are a few church buildings. The little settlement known as Warsaw, is situated on Section 27. MISCELLANEOUS. Amherst, Sections 27, 28, 33 and 34, Perry Township, was platted, but like the other settlements, ceased its growth then. The original plat comprised twenty-one lots, north of. Mulberry Street, and east of RICHLAND TOWNSHIP - 521 Market Street. Ream's Addition lies south of Mulberry, east of Market and north of Sycamore. The Chicago & Atlantic Railroad passes through the most northerly sections of Perry Township from east to west. The only postoffice in the township is South Warsaw. |