Perry County was formed in 1821 from parts of Clay and Floyd counties. Both the county and Hazard, its county seat, were named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, 1785-1819, the commander and hero in the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, which he reported in the famous message, "We have met the enemy and they are ours." The victory gave the United States control of the lake and advanced its claims to the great Northwest.