The area that is now the Village of North Perry was part of the Connecticut Reserve area . One of the earliest settlers was Eleazar Parmly and his wife Hanna Spear. They traveled here from Vermont to establish a pioneer home in 1817. Their two married daughters proceeded them. The first, Hanna Burridge arrived in 1814 and was followed by Betsey Hurlbert in 1816.

Eleazar and Hanna had four sons that became prominent dentists. One son, Jahial Parmly built `The Mansion` in 1834 on family land overlooking Lake Erie east of the present Perry Township Park. Six years later he built the flour mill that was called `The Red Mill` on North Ridge Road. This was our first major industry. A close look at the roadways in our area, and how they direct traffic toward this site, show how important this mill was to the local communities. Much of the small settlement that grew out of this intersection of Parmly and North Ridge Roads still remains as the collection of older residences, in the creek basin once known as Red Mill Valley. The tributary where this mill was located is now known as Red Mill Creek.

The area of North Perry has long been recognized for its fertile sandy soil and moderate climate caused by the lake shore location, which was excellent for many crops. Some of the early major crops were grapes and onions. The onion sorting barns from the era of the `onion capital` are all but gone. A blight ravaged this specialty agricultural production, and caused the change to other produce crops. One insulated onion storage barn from this era remains on Lockwood Road across from the Village Hall. The area is now known for the excellent nursery plantings that are shipped throughout the east coast. During this time many of the streams were channelized and deepened to help improve the agricultural use of the lower properties. Each property owner helped maintain their section. Some of the older stone rip-rap is still evident.

In 1919 the first residential subdivision was established along the shore of Lake Erie, in the area now known as Lakehurst Drive. The site overlooked the then wide sandy beaches of the Lake Erie shore from a high bluff. This was an excellent location for summer homes used by the residents of the expanding Cleveland area. In 1926 the companion residential subdivision of East and West Hemlock was established. This old school house that stood on this site, was moved closer to the lake and refurbished as a residence. This historical building is still standing and remains in use as a residence at its bluff top location.

Lake shore erosion has not been kind to the preservation efforts of some of our older residential buildings. The grand private home known as the `Castle` that once stood at the end of Townline Road and the double valley dip in the road over sand ridges leading to this building are now only a memory.

During this time the commercial use along North Ridge Road began to increase slowly. The advent of the automobile encouraged gasoline and repair stations to be built as early as 1921. One such site was near where the Cake Box now stands near the intersection of Antioch and North Ridge Roads. During the renovation of this old building and the parking area, the remains of the foundation for this old service station close to the roadway was discovered. Rumors persist that the Cake Box building was originally one of the first school buildings in our village. This small lot can be located as early as 1840 on a map of our area, and may very well have been the first school for the community. Another school for the area was located on the north side of North Ridge Road, midway between Antioch and Call Roads. This was moved to the corner of Antioch Road. It eventually was lost in a fire in the early 1990`s.

In 1925 the Village of North Perry was formed by a committee of local residents. It is interesting to note that North Perry was formed just twelve years after the establishment of the neighboring Perry Village. The first Village Council meeting was held on September 4th 1925. The building presently used as the North Perry Village Hall dates from a much earlier time. It may have been built by the Lake Erie College (Painesville City) at the turn of the century (or earlier) as a summer retreat for college students.

Like many rural areas the Depression was deeply felt in our community. There are many stories of families helping others through this time. During the Recovery Period, there was a WPA Project to install underground drainage tile systems to help further improve the agricultural use in the area. These tile systems remain, but are in poor condition due to the decline in agricultural land use and maintenance. Prior to the establishment of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, the area was slow to develop a retail and light industrial base. The fertile farmland was the prime resource for commercial activity.

The lake shore has always been an attraction for our community. At the northern end of Antioch Road (west of the intersection), there once was a boat livery. This brightly lit commercial spot drew many people to the Village to enjoy the fishing and Lake shore. Another, was the short lived Boat Yard near the present west end cul-de-sac in Lockwood Road. The picturesque wide and winding estuary where Red Mill Creek entered Lake Erie was another popular fishing and vacationing spot in our community. Several large residential homes once graced our shoreline. A few still remain. An example of these grand structures can be seen in the two homes that still stand at the north end of Evergreen Road. Along the lake shore were several camps. Camp Wingfoot, our present Townline Park, was a summer camp owned by the Goodrich Tire Company. Our Lake Erie shoreline still is a major attraction for many. Our two Village Parks, and the County Metro Park facility at the end of Antioch Road, are an example of the enduring popularity and recreational oportunity of our lake shore area.

With the advent of the Power Plant, much of the village changed. The financial stability this industry provided, came at a cost with a permanent change to our heritage. Nearly a quarter of the older residential lands were lost to this major construction project. Also lost were the intersections of Lockwood and Call Roads and the direct east to west link they provided. The Red Mill Valley crossing, the estuary, and the winding and hilly roadway from Lockwood to the intersection at Center Road were also lost. Also removed were the remnants of the old extension of Call road which crossed North Ridge Road, then turned westward and connected with Lockwood, and then went on to connect with Parmly. One large residence that was demolished, was a three story brick house on the historic Woods Farm, located on the last turn in the road that led down into Red Mill Valley. Only a few of the smaller residential buildings from this area were saved and moved to new locations scattered throughout the east side of the village.

The area of the Village that remains is both charming for its rural character, and a pleasant combination of woodlands, farmlands, natural habitats, and a growing residential and commercial community. Our challenge as our village moves forward, is to retain all our best peaceful, rural, natural, and historical village attributes, while we continue to guide our community toward a bright commercial future. By working together we will insure our historical quality of life remains for our future generations.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?

NORTH PERRY NEEDS YOUR HELP IN LOCATING HISTORICAL INFORMATION.

Much of the history of this community has never been collected and displayed. We are asking the cooperation of anyone that may have old photographs or documents of the early settlements in this area, to call and notify us of your historical information. Your consideration in this historical effort will be greatly appreciated.

Would you like to volunteer to help collect and document the remembrances of our older residents? We need your volunteer help.

You may call (440) 259-5525 for information on how you may assist us in recreating this important historical past.