Shelby County History

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Perry Township  Location & Features | First Families | Other firsts | Churches (for a larger view of the map, click here)     Perry Township antedates Shelby County by having been organized as a part of Miami county on July 10, 1817.  It is one of the original townships of this county.  The first election was held by order of the commissioners of Miami county, and the house of James Dingman on 28 June 1817.   At the time of Shelby county's organization in 1819, Perry Township embraced all of the territory now included with in the townships of Perry, Orange, Green, salem, Jackson, and a portion of Clinton.    In September of 1819, Orange township separated from Perry township.  In March 1820, Green Township also detached itself from Perry township.
    The North boundary is formed by the Great Miami.  The southwest part is crossed by Mosquito or Tawawa Creek.  The central portion is crossed by Turkey Foot, the eastern part by the Big & Little Indian Creeks, all of which empty into the Miami.  The township's surface along the streams is broken and hilly.  The balance is generally level, especially in the central and southern parts of the township, but is sufficiently rolling for ample drainage.  The soil consists of rich sand clay & black loam and is well adapted to the raising of grass or grain.  Perry township is considered one of the best agricultural townships in the county
     
 

First Families of Perry Twp. 
(this list is by no means complete - others were settled in the area that I do not have listed)

Feb. 1814	First settlement was made by Judge David Henry.
1815	Samuel & William Robinson and their families.
1816	William Marrs.
Aft. 1816 - Bef. 1819	George Chiles, Charles Johnston, Thomas Wilkinson, Peter Musselman, Wm. Richardson, Charles Weeks, Benjamin Manning

  top     Other Firsts  

• 1st Road was Sidney Urbana Rd.
• 1st log cabin and frame house was built by David Henry
• 1st frame barn built by William Marrs
• 1st brick house built by Henry C. Line in 1836
• 1st flouring mill was built by Charles Mason, a colored man.  He built a log mill on Mosquito Creek.  It had corn and wheat buhr and the bolt was turned by hand.
• 2nd flouring mill was built by William Pepper
• 1st carding machine was owned by Peter Musselman in 1835
• 1st birth were twins, David & Sally Henry born February 17, 1815

top   Churches    

Baptist Church	Organized in 1830 by Rev. Willis Hance, Moses Frazer, and Moses Frazer, Jr. at the house of James Wikinson.  In 1835, the Baptists on the border of Shelby and Logan counties built a church in Quincy, Logan county.  This church was used until 1873, when it was destroyed by a tornado. In 1874, a brick church was built in Pemberton.
M.E. Church	Also known as the Indian Creek Church.  Organized in 1833 by Rev. ___ Sims at the house of Booth Burditt.  Meetings were held at member's houses.  In 1843, a small frame church was built on the cemetery ground.  In 1857 a new church was built.
U.B. Church  (or Tawawa U.B. Church)	Organized before 1820 by Rev. Jacob Antrim.  He preached and formed a class at the house of Judge David henry, Mrs. Henry being one of the first members of the society.  In 1863, a frame church was built on Mosquito creek on land donated by samuel Young and is known as the Tawawa U.B. Church. Not much is known about this church and it's members, especially before 1863.

top Information was gathered from the following sources: "History of Shelby County, Ohio" by R. Sutton & Co. 1883    Back to Shelby County OHGenWeb ©1999 by Tina Hursh