BIOGRAPHY: Perry, Adam
From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875

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Honorable ADAM PERRY was born in Greenbriar County, Virginia, April 24, 1804.  His 
grandfather, Swift Perry, Was a native of Dublin, Ireland, and came to America before the 
Revolution, and settled in Virginia.  His maternal ancestor was a Swift, a distant relative 
of the celebrated Dean Swift.   He married in Virginia, the widow Moorhead, and by her 
had two sons, and two daughters.  His father, Swift Perry, the oldest son was born 1775, 
in Virginia, and was engaged in agriculture.  He married Mary Bowman, and had Joseph, 
Elizabeth, Adam Lewis,  John, Anderson D., and Mary.
At the age of seven, young Adam moved with his parents to Monroe County, Virginia, 
where he remained until 1833 ; thence to Ohio, and in 1834 to Stark County, Illinois, 
where he conducted the first school in the county ; thence to Hancock County, Illinois in 
1845 ; thence to Van Buren County,Iowa, in 1846 ; thence to Linn County, where he 
bought lands and established himself permenantly.  In 1849 he was employed in the 
Government Survey in Western Iowa, and continued in that service for several years, and 
has since been county surveyor of Linn County, also county supervisor.  In 1868 he was 
elected a member in the lower house of the legislature, and served to the satisfaction of his 
constituency.  He is now a  stockholder and vice-president of the Farmers' Insurance 
Company of  Cedar Rapids ; was one of the prime movers in securing the location of the 
Western College at Western ; surveyed the Town of Western, and donated 40 acres of 
land, upon which the college stands.
He married Catherine A. Guthrie, of  Ohio, by whom he had the following family : Eliza, 
who died in infancy ; Virginia H., now wife of A.D. Collier, a lawyer residing in Cedar 
Rapids ;  William Swift, who served three years in the Iowa Cavalry, and died at Memphis, 
Tennessee ; James A. and Joseph S., who died in childhood ;  and Sally S., a graduate of 
Western College, and wife of Rev. C. J. Kephart, of Toledo, Ohio.