Biographical Sketch of Charles A. Perry, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, MO

>From "History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881, St. Joseph
Steam Printing Company, Printers, Binders, Etc., St. Joseph, Missouri.
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Charles A. Perry, a native of Montgomery County, Maryland, was born
December 6, 1818.  He was there reared and educated in the mercantile
business.  Upon attaining his majority, in 1839, he emigrated to Clay
County, Missouri, where he resided until 1841, when he moved to Platte
County, and located in Weston, then the great frontier trading point
of Missouri.  There he engaged in mercantile business with his brother
E. A. Perry.  In 1842, the Perry's established a branch house in the
then incipient village of Blacksnake, or as it is so called today, St.
Joseph.  In 1843, they erected for a store house the first brick build-
ing in the place.  This was on Main Street, near Francis.  It was 
stocked with domestic goods, queensware, etc.  They were also extens-
ively engaged in the Salt Lake trade.  The cattle which hauled their
wagons to that point were afterwards they were driven to California,
where they commanded a good price.  At a subsequent period they sub-
stituted mules for oxen in this traffic.  They continued actively en-
gaged in the freighting business till the completion of the railroad
to the Pacific Coast, when their once lucrative occupation became 
numbered with the things of the past.  Mr. Perry, in his long and 
active frontier career, has achieved no small amount of good.  In 1845,
he was the sutler of General Alex. Doniphan's command in his celebrated
expedition.  In 1854, he went through to Salt Lake in the same capacity
with Colonel Stephens, and was engaged in furnishing Government supp-
lies until 1857.  During this period his life was one of almost cons-
tant excitement, and many were the thrilling adventures and hair
breadth escapes which he encountered.  When the post was established
at Fort Riley, Mr. Perry took the contract for furnishing it supplies.
The better to facilitate this end, he purchased a steamboat, on which 
he shipped them up the Kaw River.  He was the pioneer and only success-
ful navigator of this stream.  At the breaking out of the late civil
war, he took the contract for supplying the army of the plains with
corn.  The magnitude of this undertaking may be inferred from the fact
that in fifteen months, it amounted to two and a half million dollars.
He had in his employ at one time 1,200 teams.  During the period of his
engagement in these enterprises, he continued to maintain his interest
in St. Joseph, where he is at present engaged in the commission and
storage business.  Of all the pioneer settlers of St. Joseph, none have
passed through more active and stirring scenes, or experienced greater
variety of fortunes than Charles A. Perry.  His sympathetic nature is
remembered by many who experienced in the early days of St. Joseph, his
liberal assistance.

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