Editing Peru, Indiana (section)

==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2023}}
[[Image:Peru-indiana-courthouse.jpg|thumb|Miami County courthouse]]
[[Image:Peru-indiana-high-school.jpg|thumb|[[Peru High School]]]]
On August 18, 1827, Joseph Holman bought land near the confluence of the [[Mississinewa River|Mississinewa]] and [[Wabash River|Wabash]] rivers from [[Jean Baptiste Richardville|Jean Baptiste "Pechewa" (Wildcat) Drouet de Richardville]], the chief of the [[Miami people]]. The sale was approved on March 3, 1828, by President [[John Quincy Adams]]. On March 12, 1829, Holman had the land surveyed and laid out the town of Miamisport.<ref name=Bodurtha>{{cite book |last=Bodurtha |first=Arthur L. |title=History of Miami County, Indiana |date=1914 |publisher=Lewis Publishing Company |location=Chicago and New York |url=http://history.rays-place.com/in/miami-peru-1.htm}}</ref>

Peru was founded in 1834 by William N. Hood, who had bought {{convert|210|acre|ha|abbr=off}} of land from Miamisport's founder Joseph Holman five years earlier.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://enjoymiamicounty.org/history/ |title=History of Miami County (archived) |publisher=Miami County Tourism Office |access-date=August 22, 2015 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212103312/http://enjoymiamicounty.org/history/ |archive-date=February 12, 2015 }}</ref> By 1835, court was being held in Peru rather than Miamisport, and the name "Miamisport" quietly disappeared as Peru became the dominant community in the area.<ref name=Bodurtha /> [[Frances Slocum]] was reunited with members of her family near Peru in 1837, after nearly sixty years of living among [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]].

Early in the 20th century, Peru was home to a pioneering automobile maker, [[Model Automobile Company]];<ref>Clymer, Floyd. ''Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877–1925'' (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.57.</ref> like many other early automobile manufacturers, Model did not survive.

In 1913, Peru suffered a [[Great Flood of 1913|massive flood]], the worst of its time. Between March 24 and March 27, {{convert|6|in}} of rain fell on Peru, and sent water from the [[Wabash River|Wabash]] and [[Mississinewa River|Mississinewa]] rivers rushing down its streets at speeds of {{convert|20|mph}}, destroying everything in its path. Before the flood of 1913, Peru was a busy town, full of activity and jobs, with 15,000 inhabitants, 100 factories, a trolley service, railroads, a new hospital (Duke's), a circus (which employed 1,000 people on the road), and a new concrete bridge (largest of its kind in the world at the time). The total loss for Peru was estimated at $3,000,000 (1913 figures). Many people died, as well as many of the circus animals.

[[Public enemy]] [[John Dillinger]] and his gang robbed the Peru police department armory on October 21, 1933. They acquired one [[Thompson submachine gun]], two [[Winchester rifle]]s, two shotguns, four .38 revolvers and a half-dozen bulletproof vests.

On June 23, 1972, Martin J. McNally hijacked [[American Airlines]] Flight 119 while in flight from [[St. Louis]] to [[Tulsa]]. After receiving a ransom of $502,500, he jumped out of the back of the [[Boeing 727]] in what was the ninth copycat hijacking in the style of [[D. B. Cooper]]. The entire ransom as well as a weapon were found near Peru. A fingerprint led to his arrest.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_1aac5de6-6eb4-5245-a126-7adf324d5eb2.html |title=A Look Back • Airline hijacking at Lambert in 1972 turns bizarre |first=Time |last=O'Neil |work=St. Louis Post Dispatch}}</ref> The money was found in a {{convert|45|lb|adj=on}} sealed canvas mail bag by local farmer Lowell Elliott while he was working in his soybean field. Another farmer, Ronald Miller, discovered a Spitfire [[submachine gun]] in his corn field when a blade hit it while applying liquid nitrogen fertilizer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19720627&id=oQoQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2YoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2757,602320 |title=The Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search |website=news.google.com}}</ref>

The movie ''[[Little Big Top]]'', which starred [[Sid Haig]], was shot and directed in the town of Peru by Peru native Ward Roberts who also wrote the movie. Scenes show the famous drive up to the "Mr. Weenie" restaurant and the Circus building.

The [[Brownell Block/Senger Dry Goods Company Building]], [[James Omar Cole House]], [[Miami County Courthouse (Indiana)|Miami County Courthouse]], [[Peru High School Historic District]], and [[Shirk-Edwards House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

===Circuses===
Peru was the winter headquarters for several famous circuses, including [[Hagenbeck–Wallace Circus|Hagenbeck–Wallace]], [[Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show]], and others.<ref>Adkins, Kreig A. ''Peru: Circus Capital of the World'' {{ISBN|9780738560717}}</ref> The [[International Circus Hall of Fame]] is located in Peru. Annually during the third week of July, the Peru Amateur Circus<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.peruamateurcircus.com |title=Peru Amateur Circus - The Circus Capital of the World! |website=www.peruamateurcircus.com}}</ref> holds performances for the whole week, ending with the Circus City Festival and Parade. All of the performers are amateurs, ranging in age from 7 to 21 years. Peru is also the home of the world's only remaining manufacturer of steam [[Calliope (music)|calliopes]].

[[Maria Rasputin|Mariya Rasputina]], daughter of [[Grigori Rasputin]], was mauled by a bear in Peru while working for the Hagenback-Wallace Circus, but survived.<ref>Barry, Rey (1968). "Kind Rasputin". ''The Daily Progress'' (Charlottesville, Virginia, USA). http://www.freewarehof.org/manahans.html. Retrieved February 18, 2007.</ref>