Early Residents

Perry Township

Noble County

             Previous to the year 1844, there had resided in Perry Township the following men: Hugh Allison, William G. Allison, Edward Bouser, Daniel Bouser, Sebastian Bouser, Valentine Burris, John Billman, John Buzzard, Edward Bailey, Andrew Bailey, William Bailey, Jacob Baker, William Bouzer, Allen Beall, Hartwell Coleman, John L. Conrad, Adam S. Conrad, Jeremiah Carstetter, Levi Carstetter, Isaac Caven, James Christie, Jonathan Caldwell, James Crook, R.D. Coldren, Francis Danner, William Denny, David Dungan, Francis Dungan, George Engle, Henry Engle, John Engle, Andrew Engle, Felix Grimes, James Gordon, James Givens, Christian Heltzell, Henry Hamilton, William Hamilton, William J. Hamilton, George Hamilton, Solomon King. Samuel Kirkpatrick, James Latta, Perry Lee, Thomas W. Morrow, James Marker, George W. Miller, Seymour Moses, John Morrell, Philip Miller, John Miller, Ambrose Miller, Solomon Miller, Henry Miller, Dickerson Miller, James McMann, James McKinney, Henry May, Linderman May, Perry McMann, Alexander McConnell, Andrew Newhouse, Jonathan Newhouse, Josephus Neff, North Neff, Hiram Parks, James Ramsby, Levi Reeves, Thomas Stone, Daniel H. Stukey, Jacob Stage, Gideon Schlotterback, Elijah Shobe, Daniel Shobe, Silas Shobe, Henry Shobe, David Smalley, James Smalley, John Summers, Isaiah Thomas, George Teal, Joseph Teal, John Tomlinson, Jacob Wolf, Jeremiah Wolf, Jacob Vance, Harrison Wood, Hamilton Wilmeth, Joseph H. Woodell, Reuben Warner, James Wilmeth, George Welker, and several members of the Harsh family. There were many others who resided in the township during the interval mentioned; but their names, unfortunately, cannot be remembered, those given having been placed on record at the county seat as owning land and entitled to their vote. The first settlement in the township, and, indeed, the first large permanent settlement in the county, was made in this township, beginning in 1830, at which time Levi Perry, Isaiah Dungan and Richard Stone settled on Perry’s Prairie (named for the first settler, Levi Perry).  In 1831, there came in Jacob Wolf (yet living), Henry Hostetter, Sr., and his family of boys, Adam Engle, and his family, Jacob Shobe and family, Joseph Smalley and family, Henry Miller and family, and a few others. These arrivals (all being excellent people) assured the permanency of the settlement on Perry’s Prairie. Large crops were put in; and within two years these families had an abundant supply of grain and provisions. Those who located in the heavy woods in other portions of the county had a much harder time, as the forest must be cut down and consumed before crops of any consequence could be raised, and, even then, for many years, the growth was scanty and sickly, owing to the stumps, roots and re-appearing underbrush. The granaries of the new settlement became filled, like those of Egypt, with corn and other grains; and the impoverished pioneers throughout the surrounding country made pilgrimages to Egypt (as they called it) to buy corn and provisions. Thus Perry’s Prairie became a famous place –famous for its excellent families –famous for its hospitality –famous for its generosity to those who came to buy or trade. Here, the first post office in the county was established; and here it was that selections were made for the first county court and for the first township officers. Others came in 1832 and 1833, during which time all the land of value on the Prairie was entered, and turned up by the plow. The land was filled with tough roots of brush, etc., but heavy plows, capable of turning over nearly a yard of earth, and drawn by eight or ten yoke of oxen, soon transformed the wild and irregular surface into smooth fields of growing grain. John Hostetter was perhaps the first to settle in the extreme northern part; but, in 1836, he was followed by many more, each selecting his home where it best suited him, and all going to work in earnest.

Source: Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana. Historical and Biographical. Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor. Charles Blanchard, Biographical Editor. F.A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1882.