Surrounded by Perry Township, the city of Perry, Michigan is in southwest Shiawassee County, in the Lower Peninsula.
The city is south of I-69. Other routes to and from the city include M-52 (Main Street), Lansing Road, Britton Road, and Beard Road, which forms its southern border. Cities and villages within twenty miles of Perry include Morrice, Bancroft, Laingsburg, Williamston, Webberville, Owosso, Vernon, Durand, Byron, Corunna, East Lansing, Fowlerville, Ovid, and Lennon.
The first European-American settlement in Perry Township was in the fall of 1836, when Josiah Purdy acquired and moved onto land in the area of the current village of Morrice. Several others came in the following months, while others became discouraged and left.
Among those who remained were Horace Green and Dr. Joseph P. Roberts, whose homes were near the center of what is now the village of Perry. The first school was also located in that area and taught by Miss Julia Stevens.
In 1850, William P. Laing opened the first store in the township. It was a small building located in what is now known as Old Perry Centre. Later, Richard Elliot came to Perry from Lansing and opened a small dry good and grocery store in a room rented from Mr. Laing. The settlement became known as Perry Centre. However, when a post office was established on January 17, 1850, it was named simply Perry, and Mr. Laing was the first postmaster.
Before long, Perry had a hotel, a mercantile store, a doctor's office, a sawmill, harness shop, and a wagon shed, as well as a Methodist Church and an Odd Fellow's Hall. The village site was platted in 1875. Dr. and Mrs. Marshall came from Ohio in 1865, building a home and a doctor's office. Later, the Marshalls also opened a mercantile store.
When the Grand Trunk Railroad came through about one mile north of Old Perry Centre in the 1870s, many of the original businesses were moved to be nearer the railroad, including the Methodist Church, which was moved to the new area on rollers. With the railroad, also came a grist mill and other businesses. Shortly after the railroad came, Perry had two general stores, two hardware stores, two drug stores, a hotel, a livery barn, two harness shops, three blacksmith shops, a wagon shop, and a planning mill. In 1877, another doctor, Dr. Henry P. Halsted, came to Morrice and practiced there for fifteen years before moving to Oklahoma, although he later returned to Perry.
The section of Perry east of Main Street was known as the Charles Calkins Addition, for Mr. and Mrs. Charles Calkins, who built a large home just east of the water tower.
In the early 1890s, the Perry Glove and Mitten Factory opened. The Reverend F. Lamb had designed and built the knitting machines used by the factory, which employed about a hundred people. Other early industries were grain elevators, a pickling station, and a livestock yard.
Perry was incorporated as a village in 1893 (a city in 1964), and named for Oliver Hazard Perry, an American naval commander who served during the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.
In 1911, an electric interurban line passed down Polly Street in Perry, connecting Owosso to Jackson. It was discontinued in 1929.
In early July of 1913, a spark from a passing train started a fire at the Starks and Company Elevator. Although the fire was still small when it was discovered, the hand pump for the firefighting apparatus failed, and there were no ladders long enough to reach the top of the building. It was a dry, windy day, and the fire soon spread to the hotel barn, a blacksmith shop operated by Walter Hough, homes owned by Walter Hough and H. Sparks, the Barnes Hotel, and into the downtown district. The Lansing Fire Department responded to assist, bringing the fire under control, but not until many businesses, homes, and other buildings were destroyed.
The fire spurred the approval of a waterworks system for Perry, which was completed by the summer of 1914. The village recovered from the fire, as buildings were rebuilt and new businesses came to town. The new elevator building was larger and more efficient, and the downtown district was rebuilt with modern structures, some of which were made of brick. Shortly after the fire, the Perry Opera House opened and operated until 1921 when it was sold for an auto repair shop. The Liberty Theater opened in Perry in 1920.
At the time of the 1920 census, Perry had a population of 734, and its population increased each decade until 2000, when it declined by 4.5%, only to increase by 6.0% in 2010. The following census saw a decline of 4.4%, with a current population of just under 2,100.
The focal point of this portion of our guide is on the city of Perry, Michigan. Appropriate resources for this category include websites representing the municipal government, local businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, and events.
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Recommended Resources
Located in Shiawassee County, Perry was incorporated as a village in 1893 and became a city in 1964. The official municipal website features an overview of the city, along with demographics, links to local utilities, a history of the city, and a guide to businesses, organizations, places of worship, libraries, historical places, and services. City and county officials are introduced, departmental contacts, council meeting agendas, minutes, and council meeting videos are posted on the site.
https://perry.mi.us/
Established in 1999, the Perry, Michigan industry produces monuments, markers, and benches, including standard single and double monuments, artistic color etched monuments, artistic shaped monuments, sculpted monuments, and laser-etched monuments, as well as single and double slant markers, and a variety of benches, each of which is pictured, with descriptions, prices, and other information. Its office location, directions, a map, office hours, and telephone number are posted.
https://store.greatlakesmonuments.com/
The Perry, Michigan restaurant barbecues with locally sourced woods, including apple, cherry, and hickory from local Michigan farms, and cherry fruit is infused into its signature sauces. An introduction to the proprietors, an overview of the restaurant, and its menu are published on the site, along with its catering policies, options, menus, and prices. Its address, hours of operation, telephone number, email address, and an online contact form are provided. Orders may also be placed online.
https://johnnyvs.com/
Offering a PK-12th-grade public school curriculum, Perry Public Schools operates Perry High School, Perry Middle School, Perry Elementary School, and an early childhood program, each of which is highlighted here, along with its academic programs, athletics programs, and extracurricular programs. Its Alumni Association, the Board of Education, food services, and Human Resources are featured, with contacts, parent-student handbooks, and calendars of events are included.
https://www.perry.k12.mi.us/
Perry Township, Shiawassee County, Michigan
The civil township surrounds the city of Perry, although the two are administered autonomously. The village of Morrice and the unincorporated community of Forest Green Estates are within the township. The official township website presents the township's agendas and minutes, and offers election information, tax and assessing data, election notices, township reports and other documentation, hall rental policies, and contacts for township administrative and departmental offices.
https://perrytownship-mi.us/
