GENERAL SIMON PERKINS

 was born at Norwich, Connecticut, on the 17th of September, 1771.  His father was a captain in the army of the Revolution, and died in camp.  He emigrated to Oswego, New York, in 1795, where he spent three years in extensive land opera­tions.  A portion of the Western Reserve in Ohio having been sold by the State of Connecticut, the new proprietors invited Mr. Perkins to explore the domain and report a plan for the sale and settlement of the lands.  He went to Ohio for that purpose in the spring of 1798. He spent the summer there in the performance of the duties of his agency, and returned to Con­necticut in the autumn. This excursion and these duties were repeated by him for several successive summers. He married in 1804, and settled on the Reserve at Warren.  So extensive were the land agencies entrusted to him that in 1815 the State land tax paid by him into the public treasury was one-seventh of the entire revenue of the State.

For twenty-eight years he received and merited the confidence of the department and the people.  At the request of the Government, in 1807 he established expresses through the Indian country to Detroit. His efforts led to the treaty of Brownsville, in the autumn of 1808 when the Indians ceded lands for a road from the Reserve to the Maumee or Miami of the lakes. In May of that year he was commissioned a brigadier-general of militia, in the division commanded by Major-general Wadsworth. On hearing of the disaster to Hull's army at Detroit, he issued orders to his colonels to prepare their regiments for active duty.  To him was assigned the duty of protecting a large portion of the northwestern frontier.

"To the care of Brigadier-general Simon Perkins I commit you," said Wadsworth, on, parting with the troops of the Reserve, "who will be your commander and your friend.  In his integrity, skill, and courage we all have the utmost confidence." He was exceedingly active.  His scouts were out far and near continually.

His public accounts were kept with the greatest clearness and accuracy for more than forty years. “No two officers in the public service at that time," testifies the Hon. Elisha Whittlesey, “were more energetic or economical than Gener­als Harrison and Perkins."  When, in 1813, General Harrison was sufficiently reinforced to dispense with Perkins command he left the service (February 28 1813) bearing the highest encomiums of the commander-in-chief of the army of the North­west, President Madison, at the suggestion of Harrison and others, sent him the commission of colonel in the regular army, but duty to family and the demands of a greatly increasing business caused him to decline it. General Perkins was entrusted with the arrangement and execution, at the head of a commission, of the extensive canal system of Ohio.  From until 1838 he was an active member of the "Board of Canal Fund Commissioners."' They were under no bonds, and received no pecuniary reward.  In the course of about seven years they issued and sold State bonds for the public im­provements, to the amount of $4,500,000.

Among the remarkable men who settled the Western Reserve, General Simon Perkins ever held one of the most conspicuous places, and his influence in social and moral life is felt in that region to this day. He died at Warren, Ohio, on the 19^th of November, 1844.  His widow long survived him.  She died at the same place, April, 1862.

Biography above taken from “The pictorial field-book of the war of 1812 : or, illustrations, by pen and pencil, of the history, biography, scenery, relics, and traditions of the last war for American independence” by Benson J. Lossing, New York, Harper & Bros., 1868, WRHS

GEN. SIMON PERKINS,-- born in Lisbon, Conn., September 17, 1771; located in Oswego, N.Y., 1795; in 1798, employed by the Erie Land Com­pany to explore the "Connecticut Western Reserve" as agent of the company, spent his summers in Ohio and his winters in Connecticut, until his marriage, March 18. 1804, with Miss Nancy Anna Bishop, of Lisbon, born January 24,1780, when he permanently settled in Warren; post­master of Warren from 1801 till 1829, also special agent of Government in establishing local offices, treating with Indians, etc.; as Brigadier Gen­eral of militia. August, 1812, took command of troops in defense of northwestern frontier; at close of campaign, Feb., 1813, warmly com­mended by Gen. Harrison, for ener­getic and faithful performance of duty; tender of Colonel's commission in regular army by President Madi­son declined by reason of pressing private and fiduciary duties; in 1813 organized Western Reserve Bank, and its President until 1836; Ohio Canal Fund Commissioner from 1826 to 1838; in connection with Paul Williams, in 1825, founded the village of Akron, and in 1831, in connection with judge Leicester King and Dr. Eliakim Crosby, that portion since known as North Akron, liberally donating grounds for public buildings, ­parks, churches, etc. General Perkins died at Warren, November 6, 1844, aged 73 years, 1 month and 19 days, Mrs. Perkins dying April 24,1862, aged 82 years and 3 months.

 (Samuel A. Lane, 50 Years and Over of Akron & Summit County, Akron, Ohio, Beacon Job Department, 1892, p. 34.)