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     This township contains thirty-six full sections of land.  The surface is somewhat hilly, soil clay, which is quite fertile.  The farms throughout the township, which are thoroughly cultivated, and contain good farm buildings, give evidence of the thrift of the proprietors, a large portion of whom are Welsh.  An interesting sketch of the early settlement of the Welsh in the county will be found in the accompanying history of Raccoon township.  The timber of Perry township is white oak, hickory, pine sugar maple, black walnut, and considerable buckeye along the streams.  There are some thin veins of coal found in the hills in the vicinity of Poplar Knob, which is mined for home consumption to a limited extent. 
     In 1803, Andrew Friend came to this township and built a cabin on Big Raccoon creek, three miles from the present village of Patriot.  He was a squatter and roving hunter, and in the winter of 1814 he killed three hundred and sixty deer and five ears.  He drew the second county order for wolf scalps - nine dollars for three, on September 1st, 1806 - his companion, James Burford, the same day drawing three dollars for the first Friend occupied a cave on Dirty Face creek, at an early date, in Greenfield township, which is called "Friend's Rock House," and another in Walnut township.  This noted hunter made all his own powder by burning sumack into charcoal, then adding saltpetre and brimstone and grinding them in a mortar.  In early times, he supplied a large portion of the settlers with game.  Andrew Friend married Elizabeth Peragen, and their daughter, Mary, (who married Anthony Boggs) was the first child born in the township.  The first marriage was that of Hannah Friend (Miss Mary's elder sister) to Samuel Allison.
     The following were among the earliest settlers of the township: Alexander Boggs, Abraham Beaver, John Smith (1812); Robert Armstrong (1811); Elijah Carter, Jacob Prose (1811); Samuel Allison, Jacob Roadamour, Stephen Gates, John Prose, (1811); Leonard Weis, Jonathan Danner, Michael Danner, James Porter, Paul Prose (father to Jacob and John), Joshua Ripley (1810); Daniel Prose, George Smith and John Campbell.  Stephen Gates (mentioned above) was a recruiting officer during the war of 1812, for soldiers to go to Lake Erie, under Oliver H. Perry.
     Perry township was organized Mar. 4th, 1816, and in 1880 had a population of 1,329.  The first election was held at the house of Stephen Gates, Apr. 1st, 1816, and from the township records it is found that Norman McLeod was appointed chairman; Stephen Gates and Andrew E. Boggs, judges, and Robert Armstrong, clerk, who severally took the oath  of office, according to the laws in such cases made and provided, and after the ballots were counted out, the undernamed persons were declared truly elected to the different offices: Supervisors, John Bradburn, Stephen Gates, Jacob Roadamour, Henry McDaniel, Isham Garrison, John Lewis; constables, Ignatius Bradburn, Benjamin Harborn,; treasurer, Samuel Boggs; appraisers of property, Stephen Gates, Ignatius Bradburn; fence viewers, Andrew E. Boggs, Elijah Carter; justice of the peace, Stephen Gates.  The number of votes east at this election was twenty-four.
     Big Raccoon creek enters the north line of this township from Perry in the center of section two, runs south, through sections eleven, fourteen and twenty-three, thence east, through twenty-four, whence it flows through Green, Harrison and Clay townships, emptying into the Ohio river.  Symmes creek enters this township from Greenfield in section eighteen, takes a crooked southeasterly course, across the southwest part of the township into Walnut, thence southwesterly into Lawrence county, emptying into the Ohio river.  Sand Fork enters the south line of the township in section thirty-four, from Walnut, runs northwesterly and empties into Symmes creek.  Beaver creek enters the township in section four, from Raccoon, takes a southeast course and empties into the Big Raccoon.  Fork creek takes its rise in section nine, runs a southeasterly course and empties into the Big Raccoon.  North Branch Mud creek enters the east line of the township on section thirteen from Green, runs southwest, emptying into Big Raccoon.  Rocky Fork rises in section thirty-five, runs northeast across the southeast corner of the township into Green, emptying into Big Raccoon.  Trace creek rises in Greenfield township, runs southwest through sections thirty, thirty-one and thirty-two of Perry, emptying into Symmes creek near its south line.
     In 1806, Nehemiah Wood erected a grist mill on Big Raccoon creek, which was built of logs and contained one set of stones, run by water and used for grinding corn.  The first miller was William Cheeseman, widely known as a jovial, jolly good fellow.  In 1814, the first saw ill was erected by Samuel Rawson.  It was a frame building, made of hewn timber and lumber cut with a whip-saw and located on Big Raccoon creek.
     At an early day, Robert Armstrong taught a school of about fifteen scholars in a small log cabin located on what is now the farm of Robert Carter.  The building had openings covered with oil paper for windows.  Wooden pins were used instead of nails, in the construction of the rude furniture used.  The first building erected for school purposes was in 1818, upon what is now the farm of Isaac Fry.  It was made of logs and when school was first taught there, no floor had been laid; the scholars sat upon the stringers, and a pole placed in the chinks between the logs in the corner was the seat of honor, occupied by the teacher.  There are now eleven good frame school houses, well furnished, scattered over the township, with schools aggregating in membership of over six hundred.
     The first postoffice in the township was called Greenville, but there being another of that name in the State, it was changed to Patriot, by which it is now known.  There are three offices now in the township, viz:  Patriot, in the southeast part of the township; Wales, in the northwest part of the township, on section six, and Cora, situated on Big Raccoon creek, near Davies' mills, in section eleven.
     The first religious services were held at the house of Andrew Friend, by Elder Fueston, a Missionary Baptist, who was the first minister in Perry township.  A society was formed, among the first members of which were the following named persons, and their wives:  John Carter, E. Boggs, Abram Brewer, Joshua Ripley, Samuel Boggs, Robert Armstrong, Jacob Prose and John Prose.
     The second society organized was a Patriot, and was called Sand Fork church.  It was afterward moved to McDaniel's settlement, and is still known by the original name.  The denomination is Baptist, and their first minister was Elder Levi McDaniel.
     The Welsh church was organized in 1841, by Rev. J. A. Davis.  Their church building was erected in 1838.  The members of the society were John Jones and Daniel Place, deacons; Mrs. Rodgers, Isaac Jones ad wife, Evan Jones and wife, Evan Evans and wife, David Jones, his wife and two children, David Samuel, L. Evans, and wife, and Mrs. Richards.
     There are six religious societies now organized in the township, all occupying good frame church buildings, viz: the Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, United Brethren and three Congregational.
     The first Sabbath-school was organized by Elder Whitfield, at the house of Stephen Gates.  There is now a flourishing school attached to each of the church organizations in the township, six in all.

THE VILLAGE OF PATRIOT

was organized Sept. 12th, 1827.  It is situated about the center, north and south, of the dividing line between sections thirty-four and thirty-five - one-third in the former and two-thirds in the latter - in the southeast part of the township.  It was surveyed and laid out by Joseph Fletcher, under the name of Greenville, for Jacob Roadamour and John McDaniel, proprietors, Aug. 29th and 30th, 1827; plat recorded September 12th following.  The name was changed to Patriot, for the reason that there was another postoffice in the marshal.  The village now has a population of 125, and contains three stores, three blacksmith and wagon shops, two hotels, two shore shops, two physicians, I. O. O. F., Lodge of Free Masons, a fine school house and a flourishing Methodist church.  The present village officers are as follows:  Samuel Langley, mayor; Mathew Payne, marshal; George W. Eochus, clerk; Marion Carter, street commissioner; H. P. Simmerman, treasurer; Dr. J. Eakins, Dr. Luban Bootor, H. C. Carter, Thomas Davis, John Davis and H. J. Carter, councilman.
     Wales, sometimes called Center Point, is a small village located on section six, in the northwestern corner of the township.  It contains one store, one wagon shop, two blacksmith shops, a fine Baptist church and a well appointed school building.  There is one physician and one justice of the peace in the village.
     The highest hill in Southern Ohio is located a mile northeast of Patriot, and is called Poplar Knob.  It is owned by John Bryan, and has a vein of coal six feet in depth which covers an area of forty acres.  Banks have been opened in three different places from which is produced an excellent quality of coal, used only for home consumption.

See Page XXIII - Greenfield Twp. -

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