Perryville was established by Perry Carmean (1877–1980),[1] an emigrant from Van Wert, Ohio, who moved to Phoenix in 1922, renting a property at 809 West Jefferson according to voter registration records and working as a laborer according to the 1925 City Directory.

He bought his first property at a homesite in the Phoenix area in the University Addition northwest of 7th Avenue and Van Buren in April 1926,[2] but did not stay long, purchasing the first lot of what would be named Perryville on August 25, 1926.

[3] He established a service station by July 1927[4] and listed his occupation in the 1930 US Census as a carpenter with other income.

Carmean continued to buy and rent property, finally leasing the townsite in 1941 and selling it in 1945.

[5] Perryville grew slowly, eventually reaching a size of two acres at the time of its sale.