The township is composed of two fractionally surveyed townships, in range nineteen, and is bounded on the west by the Scioto river, and on the east by Sharon township.  It is ten miles in length from north to south, and from one to three miles in width, varying with the course of the river.  It was originally a part of Liberty township; afterwards a part of Washington; then a portion of it was attached to Norwich.  It was organized with its present boundaries in 1820, and received the name Perry.  There is no village in the township, and there was no post-office until after the completion of the Toledo and Columbus railroad.  In 1878 a post-office was established at Olentangy station, and called Olentangy post-office.  Previous to this time, the inhabitants procured their mail from the most convenient post-office, some going to Columbus, others to Worthington, and still others to Durben.
     In 1808 a tract of five hundred acres of land in the north part of this township was given by the government to Thaddeus Kosciusko, in consideration for his services to the colonies during the Revolutionary war.  He attempted to assign the patent to the land, to parties who desired to obtain it, but was unable to convey a good title, and the lands were afterwards claimed by his heirs.
     The first section, in the northeastern part of the township, was for many years owned, in whole or in part, by parties in Baltimore, Maryland, and very little of it was settled until after 1830.  This section was first run off by Mr. Schenck, who reserved three hundred acres in the eastern part of the section, for his services in surveying, but never occupied the land himself.  The portion belonging to the Baltimore parties was placed in the hands of Flavel and Homer Tuller, as agents.  They surveyed it into one hundred acre lots and sold to settlers.  There was also a tract of land in the south part of the township, near the present property of James Kenney, and known as the Dunn tract, that was for many years unsettled.
     About 1813 and 1814, Thomas Backus erected flouring-mills on the Scioto river, which proved of great benefit of the inhabitants of the vicinity.  These mills were long known by his name.  They finally passed out of his hands, and were many years known as McCoy's mills.  They were still later known as Matere's mills, and Marble Cliff mills
     The township received its name at the hands of John Davis, Chandler Rogers, Benjamin Gale, Mr. Tuller, and Uriah Clark.  It was named Perry in honor of Commodore Oliver H. Perry, at the time it was organized as an independent township, in 1820.
     For many years elections were held alternately at school-houses number two and number five.  In 1854, the township erected a small building for election purposes, and such other uses as the township needed, on a lot leased from Joseph Henderson, near the center of the township.

SCHOOLS.

     Perry is a township about ten miles long, and has a large territory for schools, of which there are eleven.  A part of them are used by both Sharon and Perry townships, as at some seasons it is impossible for scholars to cross the Olentangy river to attend school, and the territory belonging to Sharon, west of the river, is not large enough to sustain independent schools.  Early schools were started in a few places along the river, but no definite dates can be obtained.

SETTLEMENT.

     The first settlement of Perry township began on the eastern side, which had an attraction to the early comers, from the fact that a community of a good class had early settled at Worthington, in the adjoining township of Sharon.  Following closely on this was the settlement on the Scioto river, near the present town of Dublin.  The first settlers on the east were Ezekiel and Morris

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Brown, who located near the present Elmwood station.  They made improvements on the land, and in 1806, Ezekiel sold his land to Bela M. Tuller, who occupied it, and made his home there in 1807.  He was located on the main road leading from Franklinton to the army headquarters, near Urbanna, and during the war of 1812, he found a ready sale for a large amount of stock and provisions for the use of the troops, and of travelers along the road.  Morris Brown sold his property some years later to Chandler Rogers.

     Robert Boyd came to Perry about 1804, and settled on fractional section fifteen, which he bought with a tax title.  He improved the land, and, in 1834, sold it and moved to Winchester, Illinois, where he died.  His first wife was a Kepler, the daughter of an early settler in Delaware county; his second wife was Electa Beal  After her death, he married a Miss Kilpatrick.

     Peter Millington came from New York, in 1804, and settled on lot fourteen, in the fourth quarter.  He cleared the land, and raised a family there.

     Paul Dearduff settled in Perry township, very early, and bought lots one, two, eleven, and thirteen, making his home on lot eleven.  He had a family, consisting of:  Peter, Anthony, Isaac, Susan, and Amy  He died before 1816.

     Samuel S. Shattuc came from Groton, Massachusetts, to Ohio, in 1811, and first settled in Columbus, where he worked at the carpenter trade two years.  In 1813 he came to Perry, and bought two hundred acres in section four of township one, half a mile below the present location of Olentangy station.  He first built a cabin in the woods, and commenced improving and clearing his land.  In a short time he built a frame house, where he died, in 1875.  He was the father of ten children, all but four of whom died young.  But two of the children are now living, Rebecca and Harriet.  Rebecca married Jonathan Tipton and, with her husband and mother, occupies the old homestead.  Harriet married B. F. Jaquith.

     Harding Pearse came about the same time as Mr. Shattuc, and bought fifty acres, adjoining.  Together, they sold some land for village lots, but were never able to build up a village.  The balance of his land, he sold to J. S. Fogle.  Pearce was a carpenter by trade, and while living here married and raised a family.  His wife died, and a short time after he died at James Kenney's.

     Amaziah Hutchison came from New York to Ohio, in 1812, and remained at Marietta one year after his arrival.  In 1813 he came up to Perry township, where, with his brother, Daniel, he purchased one hundred acres to land, two and a half miles below Dublin bridge.  There was a small cabin on the land, but no clearing.  In 1818 he married Mary Ebey, who came with her father's family to Washington township, in 1806.  He cleared his farm, and among the first things he did was to plant an orchard.  They raised eight children, and lost one when three years of age.  Of their children, Laura married Daniel W. Thomas; Almira married John M. Thomas, who lives a mile south of the Dublin and Worthington pike, where he has a farm of two hundred acres; Betsey Ann married Jacob H. Withey, and lives in Illinois; Mary Jane married Peyton Hoard; Susan Ruth married Daniel Matheny.  The sons were O. S., Charles A., and George M.

     William Walcott came from Virginia to Ohio in 1814, accompanied by his son, Robert.  He was a Revolutionary soldier, and served throughout the war.  By trade he was a shoemaker, and after his settlement he followed that business.  Their journey through the woods was made on horseback, but to an old soldier this was but pastime.  They settled below Columbus, where they remained several years.  In 1819 Robert Walcott married Susan Legg, and in 1828 moved to Perry township with his father and his wife, and bought two hundred and ten acres of land in the same tract as that of Thomas Legg.  Here William Wolcott died in 1835.  Robert Walcott and his wife raised a family of eleven children in their new home.  He improved and cleared his land, and left a good property.  Several of their children are deceased.  Those now living are:  Absalom, John, James, Robert, William, Tabitha, and Amelia.  One lives in Delaware county, and the others in this vicinity.  The home farm is now owned by Robert Walcott.

     John Davis came to Ohio in 1816, from Montgomery county, Maryland, and remained in Delaware county two years.  In 1818 he settled in what is now Perrytownship, on lot thirteen, in the third quarter.  The land was surveyed in 1807, by a man named Spencer, who laid it off into lots of one hundred acres each.  When Mr. Davis came, there was no improvement of any kind.  As soon came, there was no improvement of any kind.  As soon as possible after his arrival he built a hewn log house, before bringing on his family.  His wife was Ann Simpson, who was a cousin of the mother of General Grant.  They raised eight children to maturity, as follows:  Ann, William, John, Nancy, Joshua, Samuel, Joseph, and Elizabeth.  A son died when quite small.  Three of the family are now living.  John Davis, sr., was a soldier of Revolutionary war.  His son, John, died in 1878, aged nearly ninety.  Elizabeth lives in Shelbyville, Illinois; Samuel S. married Mrs. Matilda Sells Kilbourn, and lives on the north half of lot thirteen; Joshua married Edith A. DeFord, and died, leaving four children - Mary Ann, John W., William, and Joshua E.  She then married Joseph Davis, a brother of her first husband.  They raised six children, the youngest of whom lives on the old homestead and cares for his father in his declining years.  Mrs. Davis died in 1874.  Francis Davis, the oldest son of Joseph Davis, raised a company in Iowa during the war, and served with it nearly through the war until his health failed and he was obliged to resign.  The other children were:  Martha Jane, Lucinda, Jacob, Elizabeth and Joseph W., the latter of whom remains at home.

     Uriah Clark came about 1816, and bought the Dearduff land.  He had a family and lived there some years, until his death.  Three of his sons lived near there, and a daughter lives in Dublin.

     Chandler Rogers settled near the Dublin and Worthington pike, where Elmwood station is now located, when the country was a wilderness.  He owned two hundred acres or more, which he cleared and improved, and where

Samuel S. Davis and Matilda Davis

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he died.  His family are all dead or removed to other parts.

     John Bickett, came from Pennsylvania in 1819.  He bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in township one, section one, range nineteen, and afterwards bought an additional one hundred and thirty acres.  When he came he was accompanied by his wife.  He improved the land and built a frame house.  His wife died and he remarried, but had no children.  He died in 1866, leaving no will, and his wife inherited the property, which she rents, making her home in North Columbus.
     A man named Lord owned a large tract of land near where the Backus mill was built.  He died on this land before 1816.  One of his daughters married Thomas Backus.

     Benjamin Cole came to Perry township very early, some time before 1816.  He settled on section  He was a prominent man, and an early trustee of the township.  After remaining here for a number of years, he sold his land, and with one of his sons moved to Missouri, where he died.  Another of his sons was the first settler in White Pigeon, Michigan.  He also sold out, and moved to Missouri.

     Frederick Wiser came from Pennsylvania in 1812, and bought one hundred acres of land a little south of Olentangy station.  He had a wife, but never had a family.  He died about 1857, and his wife died in 1878.  The property was willed to John Barnett, a nephew.

     Mr. Morris settled on the fractional section south of John Davis, very early.  This fractional section is very small, containing not more than one hundred acres, and lies along the bank of the Scioto river.  His children were Stanton, William, Benjamin, John, Sally, Bethuel, Ellery, Hannah, and Lucinda.  All went farther west many years ago.  The land is now owned by George Mathews.

     Captain Daniel Mickey came from Kentucky, in 1801, and settled a mile and a half below Dublin bridge, on the fourth quarter of the township, lot ten, in 1804.   He was a soldier during the Revolutionary war, and served six years.  His eldest son, Thomas, was a captain in the war of 1812.  He was killed by a fall from a bridge near his home.  Captain Daniel Mickey had several sons and daughters.  They were named Thomas, Daniel, John, William, Betsey, Anna, Nancy, Polly, and Sally.  Daniel died when about twenty years of age; John never married - was crippled in one leg, caused by a white swelling; William married, and went to Illinois, where he died; Betsey died in Illinois; Anna married, raised a family, and died in Washington township; Nancy married, and moved to Mechanicsburg, where she died; Polly married John Thomas, and lived in Perry township many years; they finally went to Illinois, and from there to St. Joseph, Missouri, where both died; Sally married Griffith Thomas, and settled in Perry township.  He died in 1859.  They raised four children - Daniel, James, John and Eliza.  Mrs. Thomas lives with her son, James, on the pike, east of Dublin; her son, Daniel lives near Dublin bridge, and John lives south of Dublin tollgate; Eliza married James Jimison, and lives on the Dublin and Worthington pike.

     John Shepard came from Washington county, Maryland in 1816, and located, with his family, consisting of a wife and two children, in Perry township, where he bought one hundred acres of land, in fractional section number one, of township one, and range nineteen.  This was located near the Scioto river, on the upland, and five miles south of Dublin bridge.  There was a cabin on the premises when he purchased, that had been built by Jacob Gray, a Canadian, who left his home there, on the breaking out of the war of 1812, preferring to cast his lot on the side of freedom.  He had purchased three hundred acres of this tract, and had partly girdled the timber on the bottoms, and cut away the pawpaw and thorn bushes.  After selling, he moved to Madison county, where he died.  Mr. Shepard improved and cleared the land, and built a frame house above a spring of excellent water.  They had two children, when they first settled, and two more were born in their new home.  Mr. Shepard was thrown from his horse, in 1826, and in the fall struck against a log, instantly killing him.  His wife died in 1868.  Their children were: Alexander, who married Elizabeth Adams, in Hamilton township, and now resides at the old homestead; Sarah, his sister, who remains single, and lives with him; Ruhamah, who married Nathan House, of Licking county, and, while visiting her brother, in 1869, died suddenly; Jane, the third child, lives single, in Dublin.

     Anthony Courtright settled on the Kosciusko lands in 1819.  He bought a tract of this land at the tax sales, and cleared and improved it.  There was no timber cut when he came on the land.  He raised a family here.

     Joseph Smith emigrated from Ovid, Seneca county, New York, in 1816, with his wife and seven children.  They journeyed by the way of Marietta, coming from that place through Columbus by wagons.  He bought a tract of three hundred acres of land from John Sells.  There was a small log cabin on the land, but no clearing.  He improved the land, with the help of his children, and after a time bought five hundred acres in the Kosciusko tract, at tax sale.  The purchasers of this tract had to stand a great deal of litigation, as parties claiming to be heirs to the land presented their claims to it, but were eventually unable to establish a title.  The land is now owned under tax deeds which is considered a good title.  Mr. Smith sold his purchase after owning it a short time.

     David Smith came to Perry about 1816, and located east of the Scioto river, and about a mile north of Dublin, where he improved a farm.  He had four sons and four daughters.  One daughter, Mrs. Matilda Bethard, still lives in the township.

     Eleazur Piper settled on lot eight, in 1818.  He also owned lot nine, but did not clear it.  The lot on which he lived, he cleared and improved, and there he died about 1832.  Mr. Piper was a good scholar and a surveyor.  The property was bought, about 1843, by three brothers, named Mathews.

     Daniel Bowers came to Ohio, from New York State, in 1816, and first settled on the Pickaway plains, where

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he remained about eleven years.  In 1827, he moved to Perry township, with his family, and settled nor farm from the present location of Olentangy station.   His children were:  Daniel, Allen, Wheeler, Eleazur, Lyman, Clark, William, Polly, Julia, and Philena  All are now dead.

     The early settlers on the Kosciusko tract were the Marshs, Smiths, and Courtrights, all of whom bought the land at tax sale.

     Benjamin Marsh came from the east, and settled at Marietta, at an early day.  From that place he moved to Franklinton, and then to the Kosciusko lands, where he settled before 1816.  He brought a family of four sons and four daughters.  They were: Josiah, Joel, Esther, Patsy, Lucinda, and three others.  None of the family are living in the county.  Josiah lives in Union county.

     John Smith, son of Joseph Smith, settled on lot four, near the Scioto river, in the north part of the township.  He improved this land, which he then sold, and settled on a part of his father's farm.  He again sold, and this time moved to Allen county where he died.

     Robert McCoy came from Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1815, accompanied by his wife and five children, and first settled above Columbus, where he remained three years.  In 1818, he removed to Perry, where he bought one hundred acres of land, on the hills above the Scioto river, and some five miles below Dublin bridge.  He afterward added one hundred acres to his original purchase.  The land was originally owned by Dr. Ball, of Franklinton.  John Hiner had a lease on the tract, and sold to Samuel James; he selling to McCoy.  Hiner had a cabin and small clearing when McCoy came.  There were many hogs running wild in the woods, fattening on mast and turkey peas, a root which was abundant in the forest.  On his arrival, Mr. McCoy planted a field of corn, and was successful in raising enough to supply the needs of his family for the first season.  He cleared and improved his land, and here two of his children were born, the names of all being: James, Hugh P., Mary Ann, Nancy, Eliza, Rebecca, and Sally.  James married Zippora Richards, and lives with his children, on the home farm.  None of his brothers or sisters live in the State.  Some emigrated to Indiana, while that State was yet a territory, and have since died there.

     Abraham Preston came from Otsego county, New York, in 1817, and settled, for a year, in Columbus.  He then lived two years in Mifflin township.  In 1823 he moved to Perry township and bought a small tract of land near Olentangy station, where he built a cabin and made an improvement.  He had four children Lora M., Lovisa, Ira A., and Mary Ann.  Laura M. married Allen Bowers, who died in 1868, and she lives near Olentangy station; Ira lives in Iowa; Lovisa married a brother of Allen Bowers, and lives in Clinton; Mary Ann married Hiram Case, and lives in Perry.

     Joseph Ferris came to Ohio in May, 1818, when a young man, and stayed a few weeks in Chillicothe, where he worked at his trade, that of a carpenter.  From there he came on to Circleville, and worked about six months.  He then came in Perry township, where he married Sarah Smith, in May, 1819, and settled on a part of her father's farm, about a mile north of Dublin, where they now live.  He has always worked at his trade, and never farmed but little.  They had four children - Sherman, Leroy, Catherine, and Joseph.  Sherman died in New Orleans; Leroy lives in McLean county, Illinois; Joseph is dead; and Catharine married Edward Wright, and lives near her parents, and farther up the river.  When a young man, Mr. Ferris helped make a corduroy road between Dublin and Worthington, his pay being eighteen cents a rod.  These corduroy roads were made by laying logs and brush across the track and covering with dirt.

     John Kenney came from Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, to Ohio, in 1819, arriving in October of that year.  He settled in township one, section four, now included in Perry township, the southern part.  There he bought three hundred and thirty acres of land in the Johnson tract, which he cleared and improved, and where he eventually built a fine brick house.  With him came his wife and two children.  Two more children were born after their settlement.  Their names are:  Benjamin Chriswell, James, Hannah, and Eliza Jane.  James is the only one of the family now living, and occupies and owns the old homestead; Hannah married William Fairfield, and went with him to Illinois, where she died; Eliza Jane died of lung disease when twenty-four years of age.

     Samuel Harper came to Ohio about 1819, and settled on section one township one, northwest from the farm of John Kenney.  He cleared and improved this land, after which he sold it, and moved to Illinois, where he died.

     Reuben Skeels came to Ohio about 1820, and settled on the Thomas Johnson tract of land, where he purchased seventy-five acres of John Kenney.  This he partially cleared, and sold back to Kenney.  He then moved, with his family, to Illinois, where he died, and where, also, most of his family have died.  None now live in this vicinity.  They went west at the same time as did Samuel Harper and family.

     Elijah Legg emigrated to Ohio in 1815, coming over the mountains with a large wagon, drawn by a five-horse team, and settled, with his family, near Chillicothe, on the north fork of Paint creek, where he remained some four years, and then removed to Highland county.  After living there three years, he again moved, in 1822, this time locating in Perry township, where he bought fifty acres of land in township one, section one, and erected a log cabin, with shingle roof.  When he purchased the land, not a stick of timber had been cut.  He cleared and improved the land, and died in 1852; his wife died in 1847.  The place is now owned by James Walcott.

     Thomas Legg came at the same time as his father. with whom he remained several years, then living on the north fork of Paint creek, about eleven miles distant from Chillicothe, and near Old Town, or Frankfort.  While living there, in 1820, he married Amelia Lane.  They raised three sons and five daughters.  In 1828 they moved on the McCoy farm, near the mill in Perry township, and on the Scioto river.  There they remained one year, when they moved to the place he now owns.  He bought land, and commenced the hard work of hewing a home

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out of the forest.  Not a stick of timber had been cut.  The first work was to provide a shelter for the wife and five children.  A place had first to be cleared on which to erect a cabin, which was done as quickly as possible.  The nearest neighbors were more than a mile distant, and when informed of his determination to make a home in that location, they discouraged him as much as they could, by saying that he and his family would starve before he could provide food for them there.  He was possessed of an indomitable energy, and was determined to succeed.  The prospect certainly looked dark to a most sanguine temperament, as he had no money, and was two hundred dollars in debt for his land.  But perseverance and hard work conquered every obstacle.  The first year he cleared and deadened ten acres, which he planted in corn.  The work of clearing was continued until late in the night, and often twelve o'clock saw him busy, burning brush and log heaps.  The second year he had twenty acres under cultivation, and the very neighbors who had told him he would starve, were glad to come to him for a portion of the grain he had raised.  Thus he continued at his work, until he has secured a good home an many broad acres.  As his children grew, they were of great assistance to him in his labors; and now, that he is unable to do hard labor, he has the satisfaction of having secured a competence, and the right to a quiet old age.  He has provided homes for several of his children, and still has a good farm, on which he resides.  The wife of his younger days gave him eight children, and then passed away, Aug. 15, 1852.   In 1854, he married Hannah Wetherbee, his present wife.  All of his children were by his first wife, and are as follows:  Nancy, Elizabeth, John, Lucinda, Elias, Louis, Amelia, Ann, and Minerva.  All but one are married, and all live so near him that he can visit them in one day  He is now in the eighty-fourth year of his age.

     Joseph Slyh came from Virginia to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1828, and bought one hundred and fifty acres of land from B. Hess, paying therefor one thousand dollars.  There was a good house and an orchard on the place when he bought it.  He had eight children, five of whom are now living.  D. M. married Roselpha Griswold, and lives in Perry township, where he has a farm and a stone quarry; Jacob E., married Louisa Walcott, and lives in Clinton; mrs. Rebecca I. Walcott, a daughter, lives, a widow, in Franklin township; Mary E. married E. M. Walcott, and lives in Perry township, near Olentangy station.

     Samuel Billingsly came from Maryland to Ohio, in 1830, and purchased ninety-two and one-half acres of land on what is called the saw-mill road, in the north part of the township.  There was a cabin on the land, which had been built by a man named Thorp, but there was no clearing.  He improved the land, and died at this place in 1864.  Two sons and one daughter live in the county.

     Jacob Pawpaw owned the adjoining land.  He came some years previous to Billingsly, and had quite a clearing in 1830.  He remained there quite a number of years and further improved the land, which he afterwards sold.  After disposing of his land he moved to Delaware county, where he died.  None of his descendants now remain in this vicinity.

     Pleasant Litchford came to Ohio from Virginia in 1831.  He was formerly a slave, and bought his freedom from his master, who was also his father, by money he saved from extra work, paying therefor fourteen hundred dollars.  He then worked until he had obtained the means to purchase the freedom of his mother, an old woman, for whom he paid five hundred and fifty dollars.  When he came to Ohio he bought two hundred and twenty-six acres of land, on which he built a cabin.  He brought his wife and children with him, and raised them on free soil, his own land.  He cleared and improved his place, and died there in 1879, leaving eight children, who now occupy the property.

     J. S. Fogle came from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1836, with his family, consisting of a wife and three children.  He bought sixty-eight acres of land a short distance south of the present Olentangy station, on which was a small frame building and a clearing of fifteen acres..  In 1859 he built a substantial brick house, and has his farm well cleared and improved.  Three children were born before their settlement, and three since, who are living.  Their names are: Savina, Leah, Rebecca, Sarah Jane, John Adam, and Rachel.  All are married, and three live in the township.

     R. H. Armstrong moved into Franklin county in 1856, and settled in Brown township, wher_ he remained twenty-three years.  He now lives in the north part of Perry township, near the Scioto river.

     Thomas Johnston came from Virginia to Ohio in 1805, and settled about five miles below Columbus, in Hamilton township, where he brought a large tract of land.  His wife also had a tract of six hundred acres in Perry township, which was divided between two sons, Edwin and Thomas.  In 1837, both settled on their land, which they cleared and improved.  A small clearing had been made when they came on the land.  Thomas Johnston married Eliza Brobeck, and died in Perry township.  His widow lives with her daughter on the property.  A son, H. F. Johnston, lives in the north part of Washington township.

     James Bickett settled in Perry in a831 or 1833.  He bought a piece of land just north of Kenney's, which he improved.  He died on the place.  His wife and daughter reside in Delaware, and a son, Dr. W. W. Bickett, practices medicine at Worthington.

     Rudolph Pheneger and wife came from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1837.  He bought land in the south part of Perry township about two years after he came to Ohio.  When he bought the land there was no clearing, and on road.  The two years following his arrival he lived in Mr. Bickett's house, who boarded him, working a part of the time on Bickett's farm.  He was a carpenter by trade, and followed that business until his health was such that he was obliged to give it up.  He cleared and cultivated his land, and has had a good farm and home.  He was married in 1836 to Elizabeth Galbraith, and has six children.  The oldest son is in Kansas; one is in

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California; two live in the north part of Perry township and two are at home.

     Samuel Galbraith came from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1838.,  Immediately after his arrival, he and Rudolph Pheneger  bought a small tract of land, which, at that time, had no improvement on it.  He built a cabin, and cleared and improved the land.  When he came he brought his wife and family of ten children, most of whom are now living in the county.  One is in California, and one in Indiana.  The old home is occupied by Samuel Galbraith, jr.  William, another son, read medicine with Dr. Goble, of Worthington, and graduated from the Columbus medical college.  He is now practicing in Perry township, and lives north of the old home.  He married Georgiana Umbaugh, by whom he has two children living.

     John and Ezekiel Wilson, brothers, together bought one hundred acres of land in the Linn tract, which is located in the north part of the township, about 1838.  They cleared the land, or a portion of it, and sold it.  One of the brothers went to Iowa, where he now lives.  The whereabouts of the other is not known.  The land has since changed owners many times.

     Henry Armstrong bought one hundred acre-s near the Wilson settlement, in 1847.  No clearing had been made on this lot.  He built a cabin and improved the land, and now has a comfortable home.

     Joseph Wethrill settled on the east line of the township, and well toward the southern part, near the present Union church, which is located in Clinton township, in 1840.  He made a clearing there, and afterwards sold his farm, and moved, with his family, to Putnam county.

     George Umbaugh came from Pennsylvania, in 1840, and bought a tract of land owned by Samuel Harper, on which a clearing had been made and building erected.  He still owns this property, which he has further improved. Georgiana, his daughter, married Dr. William Galbraith, and lives near by.

     John K. Delashmutt came from Frederic county, Maryland, to Ohio, in 1802, when a young man.  He married Sarah Worthington, in Hamilton township, and after marriage, established a hat shop in Franklinton, where he continued in business until 1812, when he went on a farm in Madison county, where he died in about 1824.  His wife died about the same time.  They had  seven children, three of whom died in infancy.  The four who survived were:  William, Harriet C., Porter B., and Van B.  William married Lois Smith, and farmed in Hamilton township two years.  In 1844 they moved to Perry, and bought wild land, to which he was obliged to cut a road that he might reach it.  As soon as possible, he built a small framed house, and commenced clearing his land.  From time to time he made additions to his house, until he now has a comfortable home, and a good farm of seventy-five acres.  They have raised four children, and lost one in infancy.  All but one of the children are married.  One lives in Auglaize county; the others are near home.

     John Stewart settled in Franklinton very early.  He entered section number one, township one, on an officer‘s warrant, that he had purchased, but never lived on the land.   After his death, which occurred about 1812, the property was apportioned among his children.  One daughter, Mary, married Robert C. Henderson, and settled in Hamilton township, in 1819, where she died.  She inherited five hundred and forty acres of land, in Perry, from her father‘s estate, and, on her death, the property in Perry fell to her two sons, Joseph and John S.  Joseph settled on the east half of the land, in 1851.  It was all a forest of heavy timber at that time.  John S. had the west half of the land.  Both improved and . cleared, and, in 1859, Joseph Henderson built a fine brick dwelling on his land.  He married Martha S. Robertson, and has ten children.  John S. married Mary E. Johnson, and has two children living.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

     The following is a list of the justices of the peace in Perry township from the date of the first election held on an independent township, in 1820:
1820, Asaph Allen, elected;
1821, Chandler Rogers and Uriah Clark, elected;
1822, Robert Boyd, in place of Allen;
1824, Chandler Rogers, re-elected;
1825, Amaziah Hutchinson and Samuel S. Davis, in place of Clark and Boyd;
1827, Chandler Rogers, re-elected;
1828, Amaziah Hutchison, re-elected, and Daniel Beard in place of Davis;
1830, Jacob Leaf, in place of Rogers;
1831, Amaziah Hutchison, re-elected, and Samuel S. Davis in place of Beard;
1832, Richard Gale, jr., in place of Hutchison who neglected to qualify;
1833, John Hutchison, in place of Leaf;
1834, Samuel S. Davis, re-elected;
1835, Chandler Rogers, in place of Gale;
1836, Amaziah Hutchison, elected;
1837, Daniel Beard in place of Davis;
1838, William Mitchell, elected, and C. Rogers, re-elected;
1839, Allen Bowers, elected;
1841, C. Rogers and John Swisher;
1842, William Mitchell and Allen Bowers;
1844, C. Rogers and John Swisher, re-elected;
1845, William Mitchell, re-elected;
1846, Jacob Popaw, in place of Mitchell;
1847, John Swisher and Davis Rogers;
1849, Jacob Popaw, re-elected;
1850, John Swisher and David Rogers, re-elected;
1852, Jacob Popaw, re-elected;
1853, John Swisher and David Rogers re-elected;
1855, Barzillia Billingsly, in place of Popaw;
1845, John Swisher and David Rogers, re-elected,
1858, Isaac Davidson, in place of Billingsly;
1859, John L. Walcott and David Rogers;
1861, W. B. Hays, elected;
1862, Jacob Miller, elected;
1865, Jacob Miller, re-elected;
1867, John L. Walcott, elected;
1868, John Starrett, elected;
1871, John Starrett, re-elected;
1873, H. C. Tipton, elected;
1874, John Starrett, re-elected, and C. R. Seeley, elected;
1878, Hiram J. Cox and J. W. Davis, elected;
1879, Wilmer Wolcott and H. C. Tipton, elected.

BUSINESS ENTERPRISES.

     A brewery was started half a mile below the present Olentangy station, soon after 1830, by John McCoy, who run it several years.  The building was afterward fitted up and used as a dwelling house, and finally caught fire and was burned to the ground.
     A distillery was started near the brewery about the same time, by Simon Shattuck.  The works were in a

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log building, but it was not continued in operation very long.  The still was removed, and the building was afterwards used, for a time, as a place of meeting by a Methodist class.  It was finally torn down, and the timber used in building a barn.
     A mill was built on the Scioto river about 1813 or 1814, by Thomas Backus, which has always borne a good reputation for general and custom work.  It was long known as BAckus' mills, afterward as McCoy's mills, then as Matere's mills, and later, as Marle Cliff mills.  This mill is well toward the southern extremity of the township.
     Another mill was built a mile above Dublin bridge, about 1850, and is run at present by Norris Corbin.
     A man named Brubeck started a distillery a little above Marble Cliff mills, at an early day.  It was an old building in 1832, and ahs long since been torn down.
     Below Marble Cliff mills is a large stone quarry, which has been worked for many years.  The cliffs along the river at this point abounded in rattlesnakes at an early day, they finding a refuge in the seams of the rocks.  One of their dens was closed by some of the early settlers, and many years later, when the stone was removed, a large number of bones of the reptiles were found.  They have been long since entirely exterminated.
     About 1850 Simon Shattuck laid off a part of his farm into small lots, and brought a number of families into close proximity.  The place has since been known as Shattucksburg, though it has never been called a town, nor was it intended as such.
     In 1878, after the Columbus and Toledo railroad was built through the township north and south, a station was built two miles west of Worthington, and called Elmwood.  A small grocery is kept at this place.  A station was also built two miles or more south of this, and called Olentangy.  A post-office was established here the same year, and a small grocery.  The first postmaster was Jerry O. Jewett.  The present postmaster is George Runner.  

CHURCHES.

ASBURY CHURCH.

     A Methodist class was formed near Marble Cliff mills at some time previous to 1840.  It met for time in a log cabin, until 1840, when Rev. Uriah Heath organized a church, and proceeded to build the present stone edifice, near the mill, on the bank of the Scioto river.  Some of the early members were Louis Lane and wife, and James Adams and wife.  Services are kept up at the church, but the membership is small.  A Sabbath-school is also maintained by the congregation.

FLETCHER CHURCH.

was also organized by Rev. Uriah Heath, about the same time as Asbury church.  A class had been organized some years previously, and meetings were held in an old school-house.  A Sunday-school was first started at this place, by members of the Presbyterian society.  The early members of the church were: Mary Wright and two daughters, Mary Mathews, Mr. Toy and wife, John Mathews, wife and two daughters, William Gray and wife, Amos Belford and wife, and others.  A stone church was built about 1848, near the residence of Mr. Wright, on the Scioto river.

BETHEL METHODIST CHURCH

was organized about 1840, by Rev. Uriah Heath, in the east part of Perry township, and near the present location of Olentangy station.  The church was first organized as a Methodist class, at Simon Shattuck’s, half a mile south of its present site.   Meetings were for a time held in a building that was formerly used as a distillery.  The present church is a frame building, and was erected about 1848.   Regular services are held here, and a Sunday-school is sustained.

A PREDESTINARIAN BAPTIST CHURCH

was organized in Perry township, a little south of Olentangy station, in June, 1827, by Elder Adam Miller.  The first members were: Adam Miller and wife, Abraham Preston and wife, Aaron Bowers and wife, Daniel Heath and wife, Alpheus Toll and wife, and several others.  Services were held in a school-house, which is now used as a dwelling house.  Elder Miller preached here some four years, and was succeeded by Elder Mahlon Peters.  A few years later the organization was given up, a part of the members joining the Methodist church.

ANCIENT WORKS.

     On the banks of the Scioto river, in Perry township, are remains of ancient works, which have the appearance of fortifications, and were undoubtedly used as such by some earlier inhabitants of this country, of whom all trace, further than these forts and mounds, is lost.  On the farm of Joseph Ferris, a mile north of Dublin bridge, are to be seen, in a good state of preservation, the out lines and embankments of three forts.  One of these is within a few feet of his house, and is, perhaps, eighty feet in diameter inside, with an entrance at the east side.  The ditch and embankment are well defined.  A short distance northeast of this spot, and within arrow shot of it, is a larger fort, in a square form, and enclosing nearly or quite half an acre of ground.  Although the tramping of cattle for many years has worn down the embankments, they are several feet high, and the ditch, which is inside the works, is now some six feet deep.  When the country was first settled, this ditch was filled with water, and was a bed of mire, a pole thrust into the ground to a depth of ten feet finding no solid ground beneath.  This would tend to show that originally this was a strong place, and that the ditch was quite deep.  Time has filled it with dead leaves, and refuse matter has assisted in obliterating this work.  It is situated on a hill that commands a view of the country for a considerable distance in either direction.  At a little lower point, and nearer the river, is a small mound.  There was also a small mound in the center of the larger fort, which was opened many years since, and found to contain the bones of a large man.  These crumbled in pieces soon after being exposed to the air.  It is possible that by uncovering the ditch of this fort, some relics of the extinct race that built these works might be obtained.  Search of this kind has generally been turned toward the mounds, in

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stead of the inner ditches of the fort, where probably was the habitation of the builders.  A short distance from this larger fort is a smaller one than that first described.  There have been several old works of this kind along the bank of the river, between these works and Columbus, but they are mostly obliterated by the cultivation of the land on which they stood.

GENERAL.

     The north part of Perry Township, as well as several large tracts of land in other parts, was not settled until within the past twenty or thirty years, the land being owned mostly by non-residents and their heirs, who did not see fit to place it on the market until quite recently.  The timber was white oak, burr oak, elm, beech, maple, ash, hickory, and walnut, along the river and runs.
     There has never been a regular cemetery in Perry, although there are many private burial grounds.