Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Perry, Joseph Ferris 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com November 10, 2007, 3:50 am

Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County

JOSEPH FERRIS PERRY was for some years connected with the educational 
interests of this county, first as a teacher and afterward as county 
superintendent of schools, in both of which capacities he gave efficient 
service and general satisfaction. Having been fitted by a thorough education 
for the responsible work of training the  young, he devoted himself to his 
duties with zeal, introducing methods of instruction that proved advantageous 
to the schools and keeping constantly in touch with every advance made in 
pedagogy. The schools of the county are still reaping the benefit of his 
faithful and intelligent labors.

In the early days of our country's history the Perry family lived in 
Connecticut, and were known through their connection with the coasting trade. 
In the French and Indian and the Revolutionary wars they were well 
represented. Joseph Perry, our subject's grandfather, was a seafaring man, and 
rose to be shipmaster of a vessel engaged in the West India trade. During his 
last voyage his ship was wrecked and he received injuries from which he died. 
His son, Dr. Joseph Perry, was a native of Connecticut and a graduate of the 
old New York Medical College. He was a colonel of a Fairfield County militia 
regiment, and one of the progressive men in the company. In 1854 he came to 
Illinois and settled in Crete, this county, where he engaged in practice until 
his death in 1887. Fraternally he was a Master Mason. He married Caroline, 
daughter of Hon. Robert Wilson, both natives of Fairfield, Conn. Her father, 
who was a farmer, was elected selectman in early life and served until he was 
too old to continue in the office longer. For several years he was also a 
member of the Connecticut legislature. He was the son of Robert Wilson, a 
Revolutionary soldier. Mrs. Caroline Perry is still living and makes her home 
with her only daughter, Mrs. Mary Browne, in Englewood, Ill. Her other 
children are as follows: Joseph F.; David B., of Quincy, Ill., who served in 
the One Hundred and Forty-first Illinois Infantry during the Civil war; Robert 
W., who died in Montana; George E., who graduated from the Annapolis naval 
academy and is now professor of military tactics and mathematics at College 
Hill, Ohio; and Henry H., who lives near Minneapolis, Minn.

The subject of this article was born in Fairfield, Conn., June 21, 1846. He 
was eight years of age when the family settled in Crete, and his education was 
for some years carried on in the public schools of that village. He prepared 
for college at Bridgeport, Conn., and in 1866 matriculated in Yale College, 
from which he graduated in 1870 with the degree of A. B., the higher degree of 
A. M. being conferred upon him at a subsequent date. In 1870-71 he engaged in 
teaching at Fairfield, Conn. A year later he accepted a position in the 
schools of Madison, Ill., and from 1872 to 1874 was engaged in school work at 
Dolton. In 1874 he received an appointment as superintendent of the east side 
school in Joliet, and this position he held for three and one-half years, 
resigning in 1877 to accept the office of county superintendent of schools, to 
which he was elected on the Democratic ticket in a county that had before 
given a Republican majority of more than a thousand.   He continued in the 
office until December, 1882, when he retired to private life, and the 
following month he accepted a position as bookkeeper with the Joliet 
Manufacturing Company, in whose employ he has since remained, having been 
secretary of the company since 1893. In former years he served for several 
years as township trustee of schools for Joliet Township. He is connected with 
local lodges of Masons and Odd Fellows.

The marriage of Mr. Perry, in Joliet, united him with Miss Elizabeth Bond, who 
was born in Wilmington, this county. She is a daughter of Samuel Bond, who was 
a native of England and served in the British army when a young man, coming to 
Canada with his regiment and serving during the Rebellion there. Mr. and Mrs. 
Perry have four children, Joseph B., Howard S., Ralph G. and Margaret C.

Additional Comments:
Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing 
Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical 
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900

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