George Albert Perrigo, was born in Burdett, New York in 1845. His father owned a prosperous foundry and machine shop, but the business was demolished by fire in 1856. Unwilling to rebuild in the same location, the Perrigos to Novi Township in Oakland County, Michigan. As a young man, George Perrigo purchased a farm near Wixom, Michigan. He married Emma Baker in 1869, and became the travelling representative for the Groton Manufacturing Company of Groton, New York, a company specializing in the production of bridges, structural iron, and threshing machinery. Perrigo expanded the Company's sales and established of a Michigan office, located in Owosso. George and Emma Perrigo moved to the city in 1888. There, he designed and constructed this house for his family in 1891. Perrigo continued to work for the Groton Company until 1897, when he founded his own business on bridge building, contracting, and the selling of threshing equipment. In 1901, Perrigo purchased a handle factory in Owosso. Perrigo was also involved in local government, serving two years as an alderman, five years as a member of the Board of Public Works, and seven years as Supervisor.[2]
