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122 HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
which Avere well preserved. Near the south line and north of Bloomingville,
on the farm of Solomon Jarrett, there Avas found an Indian grave,
Avhich had been covered by tAvo large slabs of stone three feet long, the
upper ends of Avhich rested together and the loAver ends apart. BetAveen
these AA'ere ashes and charcoal, and on them lay a claAv hammer, worn
and battered. This may have been obtained at the old French fort
at Venice.
The toAvnship derives its name from Hon. Elias Perkins, a resident of
NeAV London, Connecticut. Almon Ruggles made the first survey in 1808.
Huron County was created in 1809, and Perkins became one of its
townships. Previous to the/year 1810 no actual settlement had been
made. It is true that oneVr two settlers were living within the limits,
but they were transient and only remained a year or tAvo. In the year
just mentioned, Rev. John Beatty, then a resident of Connecticut, purchased
of the Firelands company nearly all the land in Perkins township.
After the purchase was completed he, in company with Thomas James,
who wished to purchase land, started immediately for the "Great West."
They traveled through Pennsylvania, where they were joined by James
Forwyth, Mr. Beatty's brother-in-law. Their line of travel carried them
through Pittsburgh and Cleveland, which were only small villages. After
a long, tiresome trip, traveling with ox-teams, and with many hairbreadth
escapes, they arrived at Perkins. Soon after Air. James bought
land of Air. Beatty in the south part of section 4, and immediately built
a log cabin, thus becoming the first actual settler. The next settlers were
Christian Winters and John Freese, who arrived from Canada in 1812,
and settled in the northeast corner of the township, living there many
years. At the close of the War of 1812 Mr. Beatty, who had looked well
over the township, selected Perkins as his future home. He accordingly
removed his family to the township, accompanied by the following persons:
Julius House, Jesse Taylor, Holly Akins, Roswell Hubbard,
Harvey Covell, Eleazer Bell, Joseph Taylor, Plinney Johnson, Richard
Christopher, William R. Beebe, and Joseph Taylor, Jr. These all purchased
land of Mr. Beatty, and erected log cabins on the ridge road leading
to Bloomingville, and known as "Yankee Settlement.'/
The following tables show the original owners of the township and
those Avho acquired their claims:
PERKINS, TOAVN NO. 6, RANGE 23
Classification No. 1, Section 1
Am't Loss Am't Classed
Original Grantees £ s. d. Classified by £ s. d.
Na 'han '1 S. Perkins,
Tho's S. Perkins, Lu-
Nathan & Thomas Shaw.2,834 5 0
cretia AA'. Perkins and
Ellen E. Perkins 944 15
Jonathan Douglass 1,44(5 14 7 Elias Perkins 397 3
V., Mget Harris 24 19 0 Elias Perkins 5 3
Miclnel Melally 94 4 7 Elias Perkins 7 6
Footing of Classification No. 1 1,344
0
5
0
0