The population of the township had decreased slightly, from 1057 residents in 1840 to 1048 residents in 1850. Females still outnumbered males living in Perry Township. Five hundred and thirty-two females, or 50.8% of the population, lived in the township. Five hundred and sixteen males lived in the township, constituting 49.2% of the population. No free colored persons lived in the township.
Family size had also decreased. The average country household had approximately 6 members. The average town household, however, only had about 4 members. Twenty-one people lived inside the town of Bridgeville in Perry Township.
Perry Township's economy still remained primarily agricultural. One hundred and sixty males were employed as farmers, approximately 57.6% of the entire male work force. Seventy-three males, approximately 27.2% of the male work force, were employed as laborers. Many of these laborers worked for the Central Ohio Railroad and the mills along Salt Creek. The rest of the male population were employed in various trades, including six carpenters, five shoemakers, five blacksmiths, three tailors, a gunsmith, and a doctor.
Thirty-nine individuals were listed as adult illiterates. Thirty-six of those individuals lived in the country, and three lived in the town of Bridgeville. The illiteracy rate among country adults was approximately 6.4%, an increase from the 1840 average. The illiteracy rate among town inhabitants was even higher. Approximately 25% of adults living in Bridgeville were illiterate. The average illiteracy rate for Perry Township was 6.8%.
The overwhelming majority of Perry Township residents, 68.1%, had been born in Ohio. Other common places of birth included Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Germany, Ireland, and France. Fifteen percent of all Perry Township residents had been born in Pennsylvania. Nearly six percent of the township's residents had been born in Virginia. Altogether, 191 individuals had emigrated from Middle Atlantic states, 61 had emigrated from Southern states, 5 had emigrated from New England states, and 2 had emigrated from Western states.
Seventy-five individuals who lived in Perry Township had been born in another country. Altogether, 27 individuals had emigrated from Germany, 21 had emigrated from Ireland, 17 had emigrated from France, 7 had emigrated from England, 2 had emigrated from Scotland, and one had emigrated from Switzerland. Although some individuals had emigrated from their homeland with their family, it was more common for lone foreigners to immigrate to Perry Township. The highest foreign ethnic group, the Germans, comprised 2.6% of Perry Township's population. Nearly 10% of all French-born individuals living in Muskingum County were located in Perry Township.
Perry Township would face many changes in the next decade. The township would officially gain a new platted town, Sonora. The railroad would bring new jobs, and new people, into the township.
1850 Census
Sutor, J. Hope. Past and Present of the City of Zanesville and Muskingum County, Ohio. Chicago, IL: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1905.
Wilhelm, H. G. H. The Origin and Distribution of Settlement Groups: Ohio, 1850. Athens, OH: Ohio University, 1982.
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