Perry Township, Muskingum County, Ohio

Perry Township is one of the twenty-five townships of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The 2020 census found 2,728 people in the township.

Perry Township, Muskingum County, Ohio
Township
Salt Creek Covered Bridge, northwest of Norwich
Location of Perry Township in Muskingum County
Coordinates: 39°58′26″N 81°52′3″W
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Muskingum
Area
• Total	25.6 sq mi (66.3 km2)
• Land	25.6 sq mi (66.3 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation [1]	866 ft (264 m)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	2,728
• Density	110/sq mi (41/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code	39-61994[3]
GNIS feature ID	1086730[1]

Geography

Located in the east central part of the county, it borders the following townships:

• Salem Township - north
• Highland Township - northeast corner
• Union Township - east
• Salt Creek Township - south
• Wayne Township - southwest
• Washington Township - west

No municipalities are located in Perry Township.

Name and history

Perry Township was established in 1812, and named after Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819), an American naval officer.^[4] It is one of twenty-six Perry Townships statewide.^[5]

By the 1830s, Perry Township contained three churches, four flouring mills, and five saw mills.^[6]

Government

The township is governed by a three-member board of trustees, who are elected in November of odd-numbered years to a four-year term beginning on the following January 1. Two are elected in the year after the presidential election and one is elected in the year before it. There is also an elected township fiscal officer,^[7] who serves a four-year term beginning on April 1 of the year after the election, which is held in November of the year before the presidential election. Vacancies in the fiscal officership or on the board of trustees are filled by the remaining trustees.