This section is taken from the book "Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Muskingum County, Ohio" by Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1892, Columbus, Ohio. It is a wonderful source for Muskingum history and seems to be a source that Ione Bradford Supplee found much informastion in. I have found some errors and contradictions but that is to be expected especially since the author seemed to have gotten much of his information from the residents of the county as well as documented records.

    This township, organized in 1812 from the "Military district" and named in honor of Commodore Perry, is bounded north by Salem, east by Union, south by Salt creek and Wayne, and west by Washington. The surface is undulating; the soil is limestone clay with sand and yields good crops. The township is drained by Salt creek and Little Salt creek, White Eyes run and numerous smaller streams. The National pike was completed through the township in 1820. The Central Ohio division of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad crosses the township with a station at Sonora.

    James Brown Sr., sometimes called Luke Brown, is credited with having been the first settler within the borders of Perry township. He had come out from Massachusetts to Waterford, Washington county, but in 1801 built a cabin and opened a tavern on Salt creek at the crossing of the old Zane trace. He had some means and much intelligence and those gave him a prestige that made him a formidable competitor to Isaac Prior, who kept a public house farther west on the road. Just west of Mr. Brown, James Comstock settled in 1804. In 1807 came Abraham and Reuben Gabriel, father and son, from Franklin county, Penn. Buying 500 acres of land in the Johnson 4,000 acre purchase, they located where the R. H. Atkinson place was afterward known. The Samuel Bowers place was settled the same year by Amasa Davis. About this time John Echelberry, from Green county, Penn., entered the northeast quarter of section 6, but being unable to pay for it, he sold it, about four years later, to George Border, and made a new home for himself on the southwest quarter of the same section. In 1807 Jacob Livingood came to this township from Washington township, and located in section 12. It is believed that Joseph Dicker located on section 9 in 1808. John Wartenbee, from West Virginia, located on section 22 in 1810. Peter Livingood located on the Howard Dunn place, on the "trace" in 1810; Jacob Van Pelt on the George Little place; Simon Merwin on the Elijah Eaton place; Philip Baker on the Irvin Winn place; Christopher Schuck on the northwest quarter of section 9; James Brown Jr., on the northeast quarter of section 20; Alexander Armstrong, from Ireland, on the "trace." About the same time came Samuel Connaway. In 1811 Aaron Vernon, from Washington township, located on the northeast quarter of section 5; one Harris, from Pennsylvania, on the northwest quarter of section 20; Mr. Engel on the northeast quarter of section 16, on the "trace." The Zane trace, called also the "Old Wheeling road," enteredthis township on section 20 and passed out near the southwest corner. As was natural, the pioneers located along this road. The first cabin was that of James Brown Sr., erected in 1802. Eli Walls built the first brick house in 1819. The next was Kaufman's, built in 1820 and afterward occupied by Michael Sauerbaugh. The first tavern of James Brown Sr., opened in 1802, has been referred to. His son, Major James Brown, also kept tavern on the Wheeling road in 1810 and later. James Brown opened the first store on the Wheeling road in 1834; six years later, Philip Bastian opened one on the National road, west of Bridgeville, which has had numerous proprietors down to the present time. Jacob Wisecarver, who lived on Peter Livingood's land, southwest of where Sonora now is, was the primitive blacksmith, about 1811. By some it is claimed that the operations of Amasa Davis, another disciple of Vulcan, antedated those of Wisecarver. The earth was first opened in the township to receive the remains of one of its pioneers in 1808, when Abraham Gabriel died and was buried on the George Orr place. The first marriage was that of Christopher Schuck and Mary Livingood. The ceremony was performed by Christian Spangler. The first log schoolhouse was erected on the Comstock place, and Simon Merwin, who was the first teacher, taught in 1811. Soon after he came (1807) Jacob Livingood built a sawmill and gristmill on Salt creek on section 12. In 1810 John Wartenbee built a small sawmill on Salt creek, in the southwest quarter of section 22. In 1812 he he built a small gristmill. The Livingoods later built several mills on Salt creek, but one after another they all fell into disuse and eventually disappeared. Dr. J. S. Halderman was the first resident physician in the township.

    The original proprietor of the town site of Sonora was John Brown. It was platted by Isaac Stiers in 1812. Evan Crane was the first postmaster. The office was established in 1855. Sonora has a population of about 200, and the usual variety of business places and small manufacturing interests, with good telegraph, express and railway facililies. The Postoffice at Bridgeville was established twenty-two years earlier. Andrew Hughes was the primitive postmaster. The population of this hamlet is about seventy-five.

    The Wesley Methodist Episcopal church grow out of a class formed in 1808, of which John W. Spry was class-leader. Until 1816 the meetings were held from house to house. Then they were held in a log schoolhouse until 1823, when a hewed-log meetinghouse was built on the Bowers place, for many years called the "Bowers Meeting-house." A frame church was erected near Sonora in 1846. The Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1827, by Rev. Joseph Carper. A hewed-log, plastered and weather-boarded church was built the following year. In this structure Rev. Gilbert Blue preached the first sermon. Rev. Samuel Kaemmerer formed a class at George Border's about 1830. George Border and Robert Dickinson deeded an acre of land to the organization for church uses, on which a log house of worship was erected. In 1856 another plat of ground just east of the old site was secured from John Culbertson, on which a frame church was built, which was dedicated by Rev. James Ryan and Rev. A. Bartholomew.