Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1960 on and old-book passages.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Perry Township’s history is told.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Perry Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Perry Township is one of fifteen townships in Wayne County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 835 and it contained 325 housing units.
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 835 in 2010, 820 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Passages that mention Perry Township, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Nathan Proctor came from Virginia to Perry Township in about 1820. Dressed cheaply, was a very peculiar character, of wild, roving disposition. Went back to Virginia, after a short time and returned again in 1825, showing indications of wealth in his dress, etc., and in 1828, after securing confidence and financial support of many citizens, built a saw and grist mill at the village of Economy ; ran the mill a few years.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
carried on a distillery, but, subsequently, on account of tlie troubles incident to the war of 1812, he went to Ohio, remaining there nine months, when he again came to Wayne County. He built a distillery in Perry Township and ran it till 1834 or 1835, and then went to Randolph County and remained three or four years. He returned to Wayne County and located in Cambridge City, and in 1840 moved to Miami County and settled near Peru. In 1851 he returned to Wayne
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Perry Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Perry Township.
Nobody well known was born in Perry Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
