Carroll County Historical Society

Perry Township Hall Speaks Out

Leila Stewart McKinney--2003

I am the Perry Twp Hall and I have a story to tell. My structure was built a few years after the Big Perrysville fire of 1900. All the buildings west of me are newly built after that year-to the curve in the road. The Perry Twp 3-yr. high school was housed in my walls when I had 2 rooms. W. D. Kail who was the principal/superintendent established it. He along with Mary Palmer, school board member and Charlie Cogsil, clerk went to Columbus to get finances to support the school. Pupils could choose to go to either Scio or Carrollton for their 4th year if they planned to go on to college. School plays were presented on my stage, which had a drop canvass curtain on rollers and advertising on its face surface. Lights were hanging lanterns and the desks were on 2x4 runners to allow moving for accommodations of space for basketball games. The first English teacher was Miss Vivian Hall from Westerville. She also taught Latin and boarded ad roomed at the Kirby Hotel, years later, moving to the Shambaugh Farm to stay with friends. She retired here and moved to Columbus. Pupils of the school put up horses and ponies in Kirby Stables. The high school left my walls in 1927 to a new building just outside of town.

Farmers Institutes were held in my walls each early spring. The speakers, men and women, were graduates of Ohio University and Ohio State University. They were “put up” at the Kirby Hotel. Covered dish meals were “spread” in my basement. Artists from all over Ohio presented the light side on the programs. The speaker subjects were garden production, cooking and preserving. One was the “Pickle Woman” who planted, raised, gathered and canned her produce. Another was the “Dairy Man” who talked to the farmers about crops and livestock. Another speaker came from Leesville and was a poultry specialist. The entertainment included the blind singers from Shelby, OH accompanied by a seeing artist who sang with them and played piano. Another artist program was the “Accordion Lady” who was teaching her husband to play the saxophone. She got nervous before performing and required a “place of relief”, so Uncle Tom Kirby carried a porcelain chamber in a grocery bag to the Hall for her accommodation. Years after that incident, the trustees built the first “outdoor privy” behind my walls. The Saturday night closing session of the Farmers Institute consisted of the junior-senior high school play. The Community Orchestra, led by P. C. Beatty played before and between acts of the play. Park Beatty had given music lessons for $.50 each to all the orchestra members. His brother, Wade, sat in with clarinet. There was Wilma Tope Longsworth, Leona Umpleby Haugh, Jean Yorke Dowell and Park Beatty playing the violin. Jerry Leggett, Donald Haugh, Don Kennedy, Leila Stewart McKinney and B. Booth played the trumpet. Annie Patterson Burton was the pianist while Ruby McIntosh was the lone cornet player. Mildred Tope Butterfield and Ira Palmer completed the group at soprano saxophone and drums respectively.

The Perry Twp trustees meet in my walls Tuesday evenings (twice a month). The 4H groups meet Thursday evenings every two weeks. The Ladies Fireman’s Auxiliary meets on Monday evenings and serve spigot meals occasionally. Sunday school parties and Box socials are a thing of the past, which have been enjoyed here. Square dances with local string musicians, Harold Walters, fiddle, Mildred Butterfield, piano, and Gene Gavorcik, banjo were also enjoyed here.

My outside appearance has been improved recently with new steps, a handsome handicap ramp, vinyl siding and a new sign. The partitions inside were removed some years ago to accommodate larger crowds. Festivals and school banquets were also held here. My, I have been a busy building, not forgetting the many funeral dinners served by the church ladies. Water has been piped in and a brand new electric stove was donated by the United Methodist Sunday School to ensure hot covered dishes. Carroll Electric replaced the oil lanterns with power in 1941, when streetlights were installed. The latest new event is the Christmas Season Childcare Afternoon to allow parents to shop alone. It is quite a show, with children decorating a tree, making the decorations and being entertained by TV children’s shows and readers of children’s stories. The event is sponsored by the Ladies Fireman’s Auxiliary and ends with a special lunch.

Perry Twp Grange was meeting here until 2000 when they disbanded.

Tidbits

On the night of February 2, 1910 a fire broke out that nearly destroyed the village of Perrysville. It was never determined what caused the fire, but local citizens had their suspicions that it was not an accident. The owners of a fabric store were seen entering their store and moments after they left, the fire began. Since there was no fire department in this or the surrounding areas at the time, the damage was quite extensive. A store owned by Jason Kail, Jason Kail’s home, Dr. Tope’s drug store, a warehouse adjoining the drug store, The Chambers’ home, Milton Dodd’s house and an empty storeroom owned by George Spencer were all destroyed.

The Horse Thief Cave was notable for many years. In the early days, a notable horse thief would steal horses and then hide them in this cave until he could resell them. There are some discrepancies as to the actual location of this cave and it’s quite possible there were two. The shown photo is of a cave at Navengal Hollow. There was another along State Route 332, just north of Perrysville that caved in as a result of the road being built. It too had horseshoe prints in its walls.

Township Hall Speaks

From a person that lived across the highway---Leila McKinney-2003

Perrysville, Ohio

A little old town upon a hill,

Someone named it “Perrysville”.

It has a schoolhouse and churches, too;

But houses number, just a few.

A Township Hall, where all may meet,

And have a social time, and eat.

Where the deep dug wells give water, clear,

To quench one’s thirst, throughout the year.

A General Store, Post Office, too,

Where men may chat and spit and chew.

One thing we do think rather keen,

They changed its name to Lamartine.

A garage, electric and ice cream shop,

Where children returning from school may stop.

Two cemetery plots all covered with green,

Where all must go and rest serene.

But many kind people are living still,

On this beautiful hill called Perrysville.

G. F. M., 1938