From law practice to rail cars to politics, Henry Drushel Perky (1843–1906) was a man of many pursuits. His drive to succeed in whatever he aimed to do led him to change the most important part of everyone’s day: breakfast.
Born in 1843 in Holmes County, Ohio, Perky’s childhood life appears rather obscure. When he was 18 years old, however, he did participate in the Civil War for the Union, according to the Worcester Historical Museum. His time in the war appears rather brief: He was honorably discharged in 1862. In 1865, he married Susanna Melissa Crow with whom he had one son, Scott Henry Perky (1880–1958).