Election in 1847--Cemetery laid out--Election in 1848-- Completion of the Canal--Effect on Peru--Diversion of Trade to La Salle--Establishment of the "Peru Telegraph" --Erection of the first Grain Ware House--Great Freshet.
At an election held on the 5th April, 1847, Churchill Coffing, Wm. Chumasero, Geo. W. Gilson, Joseph P. Turner and Daniel O. Sullivan were elected Trustees. Whole number of votes 63. This Board elected Wm. Chumasero, President; S. W. Raymond, Clerk; James Elliott, Street Commissioner; H. S. Beebe, Treasurer; Geo. Low, Assessor; David Perry, Collector; Joseph P. Turner, Fire Warden; and H. W. Baker, Clerk. Soon after, Raymond resigned and E. S. Holbrook was elected in his place.
The Cemetery, one mile north of the town, was purchased and laid out by this Board.
At an election held in April, 1848, Erasmus Winslow, P. M. Kilduff, I. C. Day, John Morris and S. N. Maze were elected Trustees. Whole number of votes 128. This Board elected Erasmus Winslow, President; David Perry, Clerk; James Elliott, Collector; H. W. Baker, Street Commissioner; F. S. Day, Treasurer; J. P. Thompson, Constable; and Dennis Dunnavan, Fire Warden. Thompson was subsequently elected Street Commissioner, in place of Baker who failed to qualify, and Fire Warden in place of Dunnavan who was removed.
The completion of the Canal, in the Spring of this year, forms an era in the history of the town, and indeed of the State. Its effect upon the town, however, was not so marked and immediate as upon the sister town of La Salle, which then, for the first time, attracted general public attention, and became a formidable rival to her older sister. Upon the latter its favorable effects were more apparent in the course of the two or three following years, when the increased prosperity of the country reacted upon it. The travel, which had always centered at Peru, was mainly diverted to La Salle. Although the waters of the Canal and River were united at Peru, it was soon found, that in consequence of the Steamboat and Canal Boat Basin being at La Salle, the practical junction was there. The forwarding business, after a long and ineffectual struggle on the part of Peru to retain it, finally settled at that point.