Peru Township

Peru Township

Peru township was in the early settlement called Vredenburgh, after a Mr. Vredenburgh who had bought up the claims of the sufferers until he owned the second, third and fourth sections of the township. The first section was owned by other persons in the east, from whom the first settlers of that section bought their lands.

In the winter of 1820, the settlers held a meeting at the house of Joseph Ruggles, for the purpose of changing the name of the township, when the name of Peru was chosen by vote, and the name of the township has since been Peru.

The south and east portions of the township are rolling, with some bluffs along the streams. The northwestern part is more level, with considerable low lands. The principal timber was white oak, black and red oak and white wood, mostly on the first and fourth sections, black walnut and butternut along the Streams, and mixed with some beech, maple, hickory, basswood, buckeye and some sugar maple near the streams. There were some small marshes in the early settlement, but they have been reclaimed.

The wolves were very numerous in the early settlement, and would frequently howl around the cabins by night in different directions at the same time, though in the day time they were quite shy and kept concealed most of the time.

There was no Indian village in the township at the time of the first settlements, although at that time and for a number of years after, the Indians would come twice a year or oftener and encamp near by to hunt for. deer, turkey, raccoons and any other kind of game that suited them, staying several weeks at a time.

Its principal stream is the river Huron which, rising in Richland county, enters the township about half a mile east of the southwest corner, runs for the most part a general northeasterly course, and leaves the township on lot eight, section three. The east branch of the Huron has its source in Fairfield, enters Peru from Bronson on lot eighteen, section one, flows a northwesterly direction, and unites with the present stream in the township of Ridgefield, about a mile north of the town line. State run comes into the township from Seneca county, flows a northeasterly course into Ridgefield where it unites with the Huron. The streams afford excellent water power privileges which are more or less improved.

The earliest settlements the township were made on the first section. The first white settlers were Elihu Clary, Henry Adams and William Smith, who together arrived on lot number five in section one on the 15th day of June, 1815. Adams, who was from Marlborough, Vermont, had come to Cleveland in the winter previous with team and wagon, and remained in the vicinity at work until his removal to Peru, then called Vredenburgh. At Cleveland he was joined by Clary and Smith in the spring of 1815 who came from Deerfield, Massachusetts, on foot. From Cleveland the journey was made by all three on foot. They entered the township on the east line, crossed the east branch of the Huron river, a few rods below the bridge that now crosses the stream in Macksville.

The first township election was held at the house of Joseph Ruggles on lot twenty-eight, on the third day of April 1820. James Vantine, Elijah Clary and Richard Eaton were elected trustees; Elihu Clary, township clerk; Daniel Mack and Newell Adams, fence viewers; Joel Clark and Alexander Pierce, overseers of the poor; Thomas Tillson and Eli Nelson, appraisers of property ; and James Ashley, treasurer.

On the tenth day of October, 1820, the first state election was held at the house of Joseph Ruggles. Wyatt Cook, Hibbard Smith and Newell Adams were judges, and Elihu Clary and Henry Adams, clerks. The number of votes polled was twelve.

A. school was opened on the center road, lot number twenty-nine, at the residence of Henry Adams, in the winter of 1820 and 1821; Henry Adams, teacher,

The first school in the township was kept by Nancy Adams, daughter of Bildad Adams, of Greenfield, in the summer of 1818. She taught in Macksville, in a log house.

The first house kept for the accommodation of travelers was opened by Henry Adams, in the fall of 1816. Joseph Ruggles built an addition to the Tillson cabin in the fall of 1817, when he opened it as a tavern. His sign was a pair of deer horns, and the tavern was called "the Buck Horn."

The first apple orchard planted, was set out by Henry Adams in the spring of 1817, the seed being brought by his brother, Newell, from Vermont.

The earliest burials were in private burying grounds. Some twenty or more bodies were interred on the farm of Henry Adams, but were subsequently removed to the center burying ground.

Dr. Sanders was the first doctor in this township, and also the pioneer doctor of many of the surrounding towns. He was born in Milford, Massachusetts, the year 1790. He came to Peru in August, 1818.

The first postoffice was established in 1818, under the name of Peru. Thomas Tillson was appointed postmaster, and kept the office in his own house, on lot twenty-eight. The location of the office was unsatisfactory to the residents of Macksville, and Mr. Tillson, after serving a few months, was superseded by Moses C. Sanders, and the location of the office changed to Macksville, where it has since remained, the name being Peru. The village is now generally known by that name.

Mrs. Polly Pierce used to relate many incidents of pioneer life in Peru, only one of which, however, touching her own experience, has been preserved. In the summer, 1816, accompanied by her little dog, she went through the dense forest on a brief visit to her father-in-law, Alden Pierce, in Greenfield. The family supplied her with a quantity of provisions, which she carried home with her, and, when within a mile of her cabin, she encountered a huge bear, which seemed intent on making a meal, either of the traveler, her provisions, or the dog. The heroic woman, however, was determined that old bruin should have neither, and taking her provisions under one arm, and the dog, crouched through fear at her feet, under the other, ran for dear life to her home, which she reached in safety, but not a moment too soon, as the brute was but a few rods behind her when she arrived at the door of her cabin.

It was sixteen feet square, with a roof of "shakers," puncheon floor, and a door made also of puncheons. His bedstead consisted of two poles, some eight or ten feet in length, one end of which was stuck into a log in the wall of

Macksville, the only village in the township, is situated on the east branch of the Huron, near the east town line. It derived its name from Daniel Mack, the original owner of the land on which the village stands. The town site was subsequently owned jointly by Moses C. Sanders, John Nelson, John Atwater and John G. Taylor. Dr. Sanders kept the first storé here in a small log house. Macksville was formerly a place of considerable activity. At one time there were four stores, two distilleries, three breweries, two asheries, and a hotel which frequently kept twenty to twenty-five teams and teamsters over night. This was before the time of railroads and when the wagon trade was something immense.

In the summer of 1822, an academy was established at Macksville. The principal promoters of the laudable enterprise were Dr. Moses C. Sanders, Harry O. Sheldon, Robert S. Southgate, Eben Guthrie and Elijah Clary. The institution was incorporated under the name of the "Lima Academic Society of Peru, Huron county." The first annual meeting was held on the first Tuesday in August, 1822, at which the following persons were elected a board of trustees for the then current year, viz.: Rev. Alvan Coe, president; Dr. Moses C. Sanders, Dr. William Gardner, Major Eben Guthrie and Robert S. Southgate. Harry O. Sheldon was elected clerk.

The building was a two-story frame, unpainted, and stood where the brick school house does now. The institution was called Lima academy, because of the fact that it was then expected the name of the village would be changed to Lima. The academy had an existence of only one year. The building was afterwards used for a common school, and as a house of worship by some of the religious societies.