At
the division of old Sandy Creek into four townships in 1851, the
southwest township was given the name Mineral. The iron ore and coal
deposits in the township account for the origin of the name. Some years
later the name was changed to Perry, which commemorates the naval hero
of Lake Erie in the war of 1812.
Perhaps the first settler in
this portion of the old Sandy Creek township was the Revolutionary
veteran, Martin Carringer, who built a cabin here about 1796. He was
noted for his generosity. A pioneer community is naturally liberal and
hospitable, and the fact that Carringer was marked for this trait
indicates that his generosity was much above the general average. His
children were Jacob, George, Henry and Joseph, and descendants of these
still live to honor their Revolutionary ancestor.
Perry township
has considerable commercial and industrial history. On the line between
this and Otter Creek was one of the first blast furnaces of the county,
the “Harry of the West.” The ore at this point was one of the valuable
resources of the township until the better ores from the Lake Superior
region came into use. A second furnace was started near this ore bed,
using charcoal as fuel, but in a few years the industry lost its hold
in this part of the county.
The manufacture of lumber early
became an important industry in this and other sections of old Sandy
Creek, and from the introduction of the first steam sawmills about
1855-60 until the timber supply was inadequate to the demands a great
quantity of raw lumber, staves, shingles and other marketable forms of
wood product were manufactured in this vicinity.
Giles
Clark in 1838 established a mill in the east part of the township and
began a milling business which fixed the name Clark’s Mills among the
villages of the county. In the sixties the branch of the Lake Shore
Railroad brought better transportation for the mills and other business
interests of this place. The postoffice of Clark’s Mills was
established in January, 1871, with Jacob M. Vaughn as
postmaster.
David Hadley came to Perry township in
1843. He was a shoemaker by trade, but with his family took such an
active part in clearing his lands and building mills that when the Lake
Shore Railroad was built across the township and a station erected on
land donated by him, the locality was given the name of Hadley in
deserving honor of his worthy life and character. Hadley postoffice was
established in May, i868, with David Pattison as postmaster, and
several years later the town was platted. A barrel factory was the
important early industry, established in i868. Hadley Presbyterian
church was organized in 1875, and its building dedicated the following
year. A Methodist church was organized in 1882 and their building
erected in 1884.
Source: Twentieth
Century History of Mercer County, 1909, pages 162 - 163
| Perry Twp. Cemeteries |
Perry Twp. Census Records |
Perry Twp. Towns & Villages |
Hadley Cemetery
Kelso Cemetery
Long Cemetery
Perry Chapel Cemetery
| 1840 (was still part of Sandy Creek Twp.)
1850 (was still part of Sandy Creek Twp.)
1870 | Hadley
Clark's Mills
Five Points
Camp Perry
|
|
| Transformation of Perry Twp. |
Was formerly Mineral Twp.
|
Formed in 1851
from Sandy Creek Twp |
|
|
