Chapter IV

JACKSON TOWNSHIP
Pg. 18

     John and William Moss, two brothers, natives of England, purchased lands from the government, built a small cabin on the banks of Blue creek, in section 26, and in 1836 became the first actual settlers of Jackson township.  Jesse Fox and Edmund Barker also date their coming into the township at about the same year.  Among other early settersw, ho came afterward, the names of Edward McQuestion, Deliverance Brown, John Anderson, Abram Bennett, Jacob Myers, Jotham Rollins, John Loar, William Hays and Henry Barchus may be mentioned.  The township was organized in 1851.  Prior to that date it was attached to Brown.  The first election was held at the residence of Edward McQuestion, on what was afterward known as the Dague farm, in the spring of 1851.  Ten ballots were cast at this election.  The names of the voters were:  Deliverance Brown, John Anderson, William Moss, William Stillwell, David, David Barnhill, William Hoover, Edmund Barker, Robert Barnhill, Joseph Reed, Sr., and John Barker.  Deliverance Brown, John Anderson and William Barker were elected the first trustees; William Moss, clerk; Joseph Reed, treasurer; William Moss and John Anderson, justices of the peace, and John Barker, constable.  The farm settled by the Moss brothers is now owned by John Bowholtz.  The first white child born in the township was George Moss, son of John Moss.  He grew to manhood in the county, married Miss Anna Stair, settled in Charloe as a merchant, and afterward moved to Pawnee City, Pawnee county, Nebraska, where he yet resides, a wealthy and influential citizen.  His eldest son traveled in Europe, became an eminent artist and now has a studio in New York city.  The first marriage contract legalized in the township was that of Edward McQuestion and Jane Barker.  There are thirty-six sections in the township, none of which are fractional.  The principal stream of the township is Flat Rock, flowing through the northern part.  Blue creek flows through the southern part.  The soil of the township is generally a black loam and very fertile; along the streams clay formations are to be found.  There are no stone quarries in the township.  The principal timber is oak, ash, sycamore, cottonwood, elm, maple and beech.  Some poplar and black walnut was found in early days.  No flouring mills were ever built in the township; and no saw mills until within the past few years, when several were built along the line of the Nickel Plate railroad.  The first school taught in the township was by John D. Carlton, in 1852, in what is known as the Keck district.  The building was a log cabin and seven pupils were in attendance.  It was the first school house erected in the township, and stood on the north bank of Blue creek in section 26.  There are now seven sub-districts in the township, and the special district of Hedges and Broughton.  All the districts have good frame houses excepting the building in the Hedges and Broughton district, which is a large two-story brick.  The villages are situated about three-fourths of a mile apart, and this building is located about equi-distant between the two.  It has four departments, but only three teaches have as yet been employed.  The first sermon preached in the township was by a U. B. divine named Abraham Miller in the year of 1840.  He held meetings at the cabins of the settlers.  The first church society was organized by him about the year of 1850.  The names of the first members are Deliverance and Julia Ann Brown, John and Rebecca Anderson, Joseph and Mary Jane Crosby, Ward Dart, Mrs. Ann Dart, Mrs. Henry Barchus, William Barker and wife, John Barker and wife, Edmund Barker and wife, Elizabeth Fry, William Stillwell and John Owens. For many years this society was the largest in the township.  Meetings were held in the Anderson school house, and often in summer, its members gathered beneath the umbrageous shade of the forest trees, and poured forth their souls in pious prayer, or sang their sons of praise and thanksgiving to the Most High.  In 1875 the society erected the first frame church in the township, on the bank of Blue creek, in section 26.  It is yet standing and is the largest church building in the township.
     The first church erected in the township was of hewed logs and was on the south bank of Flat Rock, in the northern part of the township.  It yet stands and is known as "Elm Chapel".  A neat frame church was erected at Hedges in the year 1888.  These constitute the churches of the township.  The first Sunday-school was organized by Rev. Abraham Miller, assisted by John Anderson, in the year 1854.  There are now four in the township.  There are two villages in the township - Hedges and Broughton.  They are both situated in the south part of the township, on the Nickel Plate railroad.  Hedges was located in 1872 by W. C. Hedges, and named by him.  It contains a good hotel, the Parrish house; three or four business houses, the principal of which is the mercantile establishment of H. S. Hipkins; church, depot, Bell & Co.'s hoop factory, saw mill and several residences.  Broughton was laid out in 1881 by the Washington afterward the Vanderbilt Stave and Lumber Co., of Washington, D. C., who located a large factory at this place.  it was sold in 1888 to the firm of Edwin Bell & Sons, who yet control it.  Connected with the factory is a large general store, now under the charge of M. E. Heller, and is the principal mercantile enterprise of the place.  The village contains a fine depot building and several residences and business rooms.  Axel White is the proprietor of the only drug store of the village.  Prior to 1881 there were no postoffices in the township, the citizens receiving their mail at the Paulding, Junction and Charloe offices.  The present offices of the township are located at Hedges and Broughton, and named the same as of the villages.  The county infirmary is located in the northern part of this township, two miles northeast of Paulding.  By an act of the legislature, in 1889, the township was divided into two voting precincts, respectively: the north precinct and the south precinct.  In May, 1891, the number of voters in the township was returned as follows:  North precinct, 215; south precinct, 300; total, 515.  The census of 1880 gave the township a population of 976; in 1890 it was returned as 2,266, an increase of over 132 per cent, during that decade.
 

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