Perry Township

Perry Township

Perry Township is composed of two fractional original surveyed townships, bounding on the Scioto, range nineteen. It is ten miles in length, north and south, and from one to three miles in width, varying with the meanders of the river. It was originally a part of Liberty Township ; afterward a part of Washington ; then a part of it was attached to Norwich ; and in 1820, it was set off and organized by its present name and boundaries. There is no village nor post office in this township. Part of the township receive their mail matter at the Dublin post office ; part at Worthington, and part at Columbus. Some years since, Mr. Simon Shattuck, who lives near the middle of the township, having disposed of part of his farm in small lots, it brought some half dozen families in close proximity, and the place has since generally been known as " Shattucksburg," though it was never laid out nor intended for a town.

About the years 1813 and '14, Thomas Backus (fjither of the Lite Elijah Backus) erected mills on the Scioto, which for some years bore his name ; then for many years known as McCoy's mills, and more hitterly as Matere's mills, and Marble Cliff mills. Between forty and fifty years, these mills have been a constant benefit to the neighborhood, and reasonably productive to the proprietors. Not f^ir below the mills, in a cliff of rocks, Avere the noted rattlesnake dens, which were a terror to the neighborhood, and particularly to the mill boys ; and about which many large " snake stories " have been related. These dens were openings in the rocky cliff; one was large enough to admit a person to walk into the cavern, which has never been fully explored. The snakes have of late years entirely disappeared.

In the north part of this township are the Kosciusko lands. In 1800, a patent was issued by the United States Government to Thaddeus Kosciusko for 500 acres of land in this township, on account of his services in the Ptevolutionary War. lie attempted to transfer these lands by an assignment on the back of the patent, like the assignment of a note or bond. They were afterward claimed by a distant heir. After the conclusion of peace in America, Kosciusko returned to Poland, his native country, which, not long after, became involved in war with Russia. Kosciusko was appointed com- mander in chief of the Polish army, which was defeated, and he was severely wounded, and carried captive to St. Petersburg ; but was finally released, and he returned to France, where he lived in retirement until he died, in October, 1817. General Harrison, in delivering his eulogy in Congress, on the arrival of the news of his death, when speaking of his defeat and fall, uses the following beautiful and highly complimental couplet :

There are in this township four churches : The Union Church, owned by the German Reform and the Episcopalians, near the farm of Mr. John Legg, a painted frame, erected about the year 1852 ; a Methodist stone church, on the Medary farm, erected about the year 1847 ; a Methodist brick church, on the form of Mr. Jacob Wright, erected about the year 1844 ; and a neat wdiite painted frame Methodist Church, near 'Squire Brown's, erected in 1849 - ground donated by Mr. Dennis Fares. They also have a town or township house, on the farm of Mr. Joseph Henderson, near the center of the township, erected about the year 1854, in which to hold elections and transact township business.

twelve school districts, and an aggregate of 520 youth between the ages of five and tw-enty-one years. In 1857, it contained, according to the returns, an aggregate of 496 such youth.