Perigo, Ezekiel

Warrick And Its Prominent People, edited by Will Fortune, 1881, pages 80, 81, 82, submitted by Judy.

"Ezekiel Perigo, one of the early settlers and a prominent citizen of Warrick County, was born in Ohio county, Kentucky, August 6th, 1802. His father, Romey Perigo, was a native of Maryland, and was born in that State during the strife with Great Britain. At eighteen years of age he settled in Ohio county, Kentucky1 and in 1800, when twenty-one years old, he was married to Miss Rhodia* Hinman. He died about 1830. Mrs. Perigo was a woman of extraordinary bravery. She could handle a gun or shoot a wildcat as well as a man. She died by a stroke of palsy in 1822. In April, 1819, Mr. Perigo moved to Warrick county and settled south of where Ezekiel now lives. This was one year after Boonville had been laid out and there were not more than a half dozen houses in the place, and these were rudely built log cabins.
Ezekiel's early advantages in instruct ion were limited to a few days each winter for two or three years while in Kentucky, and after his father's removal to Warrick county he attended a school two weeks, taught by George Hathaway. This comprised all his schooling. However, he obtained most of his education after his marriage by pursuing a regular and systematic course of study in the chimney comer at night by the light of a "shell bark hickory" fire.

In 1822 he was married to Miss Peggy Hudson, a life long member of the Methodist church, who died June 27, 1878, at the age of seventy-three. They had one son, Romey, who was killed in the battle at Atlanta, Ga., during the late war.

Until fifty4our years of age Mr. Perigo pursued farming. He engaged in milling for about eighteen months, and then purchased a saddle and harness shop. He began mercantile business in Boonville in 1856 and continued until 1872.

He finally retired from active business life and now lives on his farm south of Boonville, where he will spend the remainder of his days.

During the late war he was a decided Union man and did much to aid the cause by helping to feed and clothe soldiers' families, and otherwise encouraging the work of fighting our battles. Politically, he was a Whig1 having cast his first vote for John Quincy Adams for President, but when the Whig party was succeeded by the Republican he joined the latter. He has been a man of prominence in local politics and has held various offices. He was twice elected constable of Boon township. He has also been treasurer of Boon township four years and trustee four years. He was commissioner of the county seminary for six years and was also appointed commissioner of swam p lands, but there were no duties attached to the latter office. In 1838 he was appointed county collector of taxes and was required to ride over the county and make personal collection. In this he was far more successful than his predecessors. He counted out the silver once after the year's work was done and threw it into one of Jackson's old4ashioned tin cups, which held about three pints, completely filling it. This was two years' salary and consisted of about $200. He has been administrator of forty4ive estates and commissioner in petition of forty others.

He has been a member of the M. E. church for a number of years, and is esteemed by all as an honorable and upright man. H is admirable character appears to better advantage at his own fireside, and none know him but to like him for his sincerity and honesty. His career has been a very useful one, and, although very old, he still retains a wonderful vigor of mind. He has watched the progress of Boonville from the time it was a settlement of a half-dozen log cabins to a thriving town of two thousand population. To use the words of the venerable old gentleman himself, "his highest ambition is to so live that when this life's toils are over it may be truthfully said, he was always honest and honorable."