294:. On March 25, 1815, he purchased 1,298 acres from Samuel Parkman for $ 2.08 an acre. This tract would become most of downtown Akron. When he learned of plans for a canal system that would run from Cleveland to the Ohio River, he immediately began to make more purchases of more land in this area. Some of this land was located near Summit Lake, located in what is now south Akron. He hoped that the new canal would be routed through this lake, increasing the value of the land. In 1825, he was successful in convincing the other canal commissioners of this route and therefore donated land to the state for the canal right-of-way. Also in 1825, he and Paul Williams (a settler from Connecticut) donated 100 lots of land to the state, thus founding the City of Akron. It was recorded on December 6, 1825, at the Portage County seat of Ravenna. Due to its location at the highest point on the new canal, Akron quickly became a prosperous town. However, Gen. Perkins never lived in Akron. His oldest son,
25:
101:
262:
Perkins established the
Western Reserve Bank of Warren on November 24, 1813. This bank had 64 stockholders and a capital of about $ 100,000. He also assisted in founding other banks in Painesville and Norwalk. Additionally, Perkins co-founded the Brier Hill Iron & Coal Company, later the Brier
267:. He served as a trustee of Warren Academy, agent for Aetna Life Insurance Company, and stockholder and president of the Trumbull and Ashtabula Turnpike Company. Most importantly he served as state canal commissioner from 1826 to 1838, being one of the main planners for the route of the
212:
during the
American Revolution. Simon was descended from one of the oldest English Puritan families of New England, and his ancestry went back to John Perkins who came to the new world with Roger Williams in 1631. His mother was a descendant of William Douglas, one of the founders of
313:
Perkins married Nancy Ann Bishop on March 1, 1804. They had nine children, Simon, Anna Maria, Olive
Douglas, Alfred, Martha, Charles, Joseph, Jacob and Henry Bishop. Joseph became president of the Bank of Commerce in Cleveland and president and co-founder of
221:, where he surveyed and worked in land sales for three years. In late 1797, he was employed by the Erie Land Company to become the company's land agent in Ohio. The Erie Land Company was organized by General
236:
In 1801, he was appointed the first postmaster in the
Connecticut Western Reserve, remaining in the position until 1829. In 1807, he established a mail route to
397:
303:
282:, records of 1815 show that he paid one-eleventh of all state real estate taxes from the county. Some of the townships listed are in present-day
407:
54:
306:. Col. Perkins also operated a large sheep farm and wool business, among other concerns, which for a time was managed by the abolitionist
208:
from his mother. He was the oldest son of Capt. Simon
Perkins and Olive Douglas. His father died at age 41 in 1778 while serving in the
319:
351:
318:. He was also known for leading reform movements in Ohio jails and infirmaries. Jacob became manager and builder for the
417:
402:
76:
47:
412:
286:. Most of these holdings were acquired through outright purchases. Some of his holdings were in what is now
329:. His wife died April 24, 1862. Original oil portraits of General and Mrs. Simon Perkins are on view at the
173:
298:, moved to the Akron area in 1834 to oversee his father's holdings in the area. His large house, the
307:
37:
226:
41:
33:
233:, where he lived the rest of his life. He remained an agent of the Erie Land Company until 1831.
214:
58:
172:(September 17, 1771 – November 6, 1844) was an early settler, businessman and surveyor of the
330:
299:
295:
272:
251:, he defended the northwestern portion of Ohio from Native American and British attack after
392:
387:
287:
279:
197:
128:
8:
283:
268:
240:
by negotiating a treaty with Native
American tribes after urging from Postmaster General
315:
229:. He surveyed the company's land holdings in 1798 and established his headquarters in
205:
302:, was completed in 1837 and remains to this day, now operated as a house museum by
264:
222:
218:
209:
201:
241:
381:
326:
252:
230:
184:, with Paul Williams in 1825. He served as a brigadier-general during the
147:
291:
248:
185:
181:
247:
In 1808, Perkins became a brigadier-general in the Ohio militia. In the
217:. At a young age, Perkins learned how to survey and in 1795 he went to
256:
237:
100:
160:
109:
by Samuel A. Lane, from the original oil portrait by Jarvis.
177:
278:
Perkins was one of the largest land owners in the state.
259:
in the fall of 1812. He commanded approximately 400 men.
304:
The Summit County
Historical Society of Akron, Ohio
196:Simon Perkins was born on September 17, 1771, in
379:
46:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
372:Fifty Years and Over Of Akron and Summit County
107:Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County
398:Military personnel from Norwich, Connecticut
367:The Summit County Historical Society, 1952.
99:
77:Learn how and when to remove this message
105:Engraving of General Simon Perkins from
408:American militiamen in the War of 1812
380:
176:, which would later become northeast
131:, Connecticut Colony, British America
349:
204:though he also had small amounts of
18:
13:
325:Perkins died November 6, 1844, in
14:
429:
320:Cleveland & Mahoning Railroad
271:. He also served as auditor of
23:
343:
174:Western Reserve of Connecticut
1:
336:
374:Beacon Job Publishers, 1892.
191:
16:American settler (1771–1844)
7:
350:Orth, Samuel Peter (1910).
10:
434:
418:American militia generals
225:and other members of the
155:
136:
114:
98:
91:
403:People from Warren, Ohio
227:Connecticut Land Company
32:This article includes a
365:Akron and Summit County
215:New London, Connecticut
61:more precise citations.
413:History of Akron, Ohio
263:Hill Steel Company in
253:General William Hull's
331:Perkins Stone Mansion
300:Perkins Stone Mansion
296:Colonel Simon Perkins
275:, from 1810 to 1812.
273:Trumbull County, Ohio
288:Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
280:Portage County, Ohio
200:. He was of mostly
198:Norwich, Connecticut
284:Summit County, Ohio
269:Ohio and Erie Canal
316:Lake View Cemetery
125:September 17, 1771
34:list of references
370:Lane, Samuel A.
363:Grismer, Karl H.
206:Scottish ancestry
180:. He co-founded
166:
165:
87:
86:
79:
425:
356:
355:
347:
265:Youngstown, Ohio
223:Moses Cleaveland
219:Oswego, New York
210:Continental Army
143:
140:November 6, 1844
124:
122:
103:
89:
88:
82:
75:
71:
68:
62:
57:this article by
48:inline citations
27:
26:
19:
433:
432:
428:
427:
426:
424:
423:
422:
378:
377:
360:
359:
348:
344:
339:
202:English descent
194:
151:
145:
141:
132:
126:
120:
118:
110:
94:
83:
72:
66:
63:
52:
38:related reading
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
431:
421:
420:
415:
410:
405:
400:
395:
390:
376:
375:
368:
358:
357:
352:"Biographical"
341:
340:
338:
335:
290:, and western
242:Gideon Granger
193:
190:
164:
163:
157:
156:Known for
153:
152:
146:
144:(aged 73)
138:
134:
133:
127:
116:
112:
111:
104:
96:
95:
92:
85:
84:
42:external links
31:
29:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
430:
419:
416:
414:
411:
409:
406:
404:
401:
399:
396:
394:
391:
389:
386:
385:
383:
373:
369:
366:
362:
361:
353:
346:
342:
334:
332:
328:
323:
321:
317:
311:
309:
305:
301:
297:
293:
289:
285:
281:
276:
274:
270:
266:
260:
258:
255:surrender of
254:
250:
245:
243:
239:
234:
232:
228:
224:
220:
216:
211:
207:
203:
199:
189:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
170:Simon Perkins
162:
158:
154:
149:
139:
135:
130:
117:
113:
108:
102:
97:
93:Simon Perkins
90:
81:
78:
70:
60:
56:
50:
49:
43:
39:
35:
30:
21:
20:
371:
364:
345:
327:Warren, Ohio
324:
312:
277:
261:
246:
235:
231:Warren, Ohio
195:
169:
167:
150:, Ohio, U.S.
142:(1844-11-06)
106:
73:
64:
53:Please help
45:
393:1844 deaths
388:1771 births
292:Akron, Ohio
249:War of 1812
186:War of 1812
182:Akron, Ohio
161:Akron, Ohio
159:Founder of
59:introducing
382:Categories
337:References
308:John Brown
121:1771-09-17
192:Biography
67:July 2024
168:General
257:Detroit
238:Detroit
129:Norwich
55:improve
148:Warren
40:, or
178:Ohio
137:Died
115:Born
384::
333:.
322:.
310:.
244:.
188:.
44:,
36:,
354:.
123:)
119:(
80:)
74:(
69:)
65:(
51:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
