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124 HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
In a small log schoolhouse, which had been built on the farm afterward
owned by Dennis Taylor, the first township election was held in
the spring of 1818, which resulted in the election of the following officers:
John Beatty, township clerk; Eleizur LockAvood, John Freese,
Julius House, trustees; William Beebe and RosAvell Hubbard, constables;
John Dillingham and Harvey Covell, fence vieAvers.
After Air. Beatty became settled he had the land surveyed Avhere
Bogart noAV stands, and laid out in town lots, some of which Avere sold,
but afterward reverted again to their original owner. In the spring of
1819 he commenced building a stone residence at Bogart, which AA'as one
of the landmarks of the toAvnship, and Avas knoAvn for many years as
the "Half-Way House." It was occupied for many years as a tavern
and was well known in all parts of the country. Teamsters, in hauling
grain to Sandusky from Afansfield and vicinity, used to stop there, and
THE OLD BEATTY HOUSE, THE FIRST STONE HOUSE BUILT IN PERKINS
as many as forty teams have been seen in the yards at night. The stage,
in making its regular trips from Alilan to Sandusky for tAventy-five
years, also stopped there. In 1817 Air. Beatty was appointed the first
postmaster in the township. He distributed the mails from his log
house, a drygoods box with some shelves being used to contain the mail.
It is said that he never reported to the department, and he Avas removed
and the office discontinued in 1818 or 1819.
The second postoffice was established in 1861, by Addison Mixter, and
called Prairieville; but after one year it was discontinued. After this
the people continued to receive their mail at Sandusky until 1882, when
J. D. Parker was appointed postmaster.
Air. Beatty kept in the stone house a small stock of dry goods. The
first blacksmith shop was erected by Mr. Johnson on the ground afterward
occupied by F. Siegel. Rev. William Gurley kept a shop in which
he devoted himself to the silversmith business. Mr. Kellogg was the