Perry County, (population 43,602) originally part of Cumberland County, became the 51st county in Pennsylvania on March 22, 1820 and is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the American hero of the naval engagement with the British on Lake Erie in the War of 1812. Part of the Appalachian Mountain Region, Perry County is bordered on the north, west and south by the Tuscarora, Conococheaque and Blue Mountains. On the east Perry County is bordered by 28 miles of the Susquehanna River.

The county's forests and woodlands are recognized as exceptional hunting areas, especially for whitetail deer, turkey and squirrel. The steams, rivers and Lake Holman at Little Buffalo State Park provide excellent fishing sites for trout, bass and muskie.