JACKSON TOWNSHIP

     Jackson Township was settled early in the present century, being but a few years behind Pee Pee and Seal.  It was one of the original townships of Pike County being among those formed by the county commissioners at the first session of that body.  Among the early pioneers the names of the following have been remembered: John Pancake, Sr., John Pancake, Jr., Isaac Pancake, Daniel Slain and wife, James Davis, and wife, David Condon, Walter D. Williams and wife, Samuel Corwine and wife, Abraham Rhoades and wife, Alexander McMillan and wife, Jonathan Aldridge, Mrs. Nancy Donahue, Thomas Foster and wife, and Abijah Hartley and wife.  Among those who came to the township in their childhood days, or were born here and are yet living, the following names are given: Saxon and wife, William K. McMiflin and wife, Redmond Condon, Sr., Mrs. Lear Condon, John Corwine and wife, Philip Houk and wife, Mrs. Nancy French, Mrs. Ester Aldridge, John W. Foster, Mrs. Rebecca Gatin, Clark Foster and wife, Mason Jones and wife, John Christy, John Blain and wife, James Brewer and wife, Harvey Pancake and wife, John Still and wife, James M. Winks, John P. Steinhour and wife, Alexander Hartley and wife, and Mrs. Charlotte Steinhour.

ORGANIZATION AND BOUNDS.

     Jackson Township lies in the northeastern part of the county, on both sides of the Scioto River.  It is bounded on the north by Ross County, on the east by Jackson County, on the south by beaver Township, and on the west by Seal and Pee Pee townships.  The valley of the Scioto covers a large portion of the township.  It is second in wealth and its lands are assessed next to the highest, Pee Pee Township leading in assessed valuation only.  The valley is from two to five miles wide, the entire length of the township; the river, however, coming in from the northeast flows southwest through the township with one big bend something in the shape of a horseshoe.  There are numerous tributaries or branches which flow into the Scioto both north and south, or east and west of the river which makes it one of the best watered townships in the county.  This township is not only blest with plenty of water and timber and the finest agricultural lands in the county or State but its eastern part, and has also some iron ore.  The eastern and southeastern portion of the township is hilly and it is there that the coal veins are found and the coal is the celebrated Jackson Hill coal.  Thus in agriculture, minerals, wood and water, Jackson may be said to be the best township of land and resources in the county, and in aggregate wealth the second.  It has an area of 32,160 acres of

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land - very much the largest township in the county.  Its assessed valuation is given for the year 1882 on lands, $523,431; on personal property, $274,757; Sharonville village property, $12,593; total, $810,781.  It has shown the following population:  In 1840, 1,096; in 1850, 1,465; in 1860, 1,395; in 1870, 1,840, and in 1880, 2,067.  It has also the largest colored population of any in the county.

TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.

1853

     Trustees, B. F. Corwine, Eli Brown and Wm. A. Jones; Treasurer, Thomas Day; Clerk, W. D. Williams; Assessor, N. A. Winks; Constables, John Snodgrass and N. A. Winks; Justices of the Peace, S. H. A. Lukens and W. D. Williams.

1883

     Trustees, John Blain, Geo. W. Wood and John W. Overly; Treasurer, W. A. Jones; Clerk, R. S. McCoppin; Assessor, J. P. Talbot; Constables, W. H. Dyke and Thomas H. Smith; Justices of the Peace, R. S. McCoppin and Samuel Brown.

EDUCATIONAL

     Jackson Township has the largest number of schools in the county, among the number being three for the colored children of the township.  These schools are numbered and named as follows:  Sub-district No. 1, Pancake School - Teacher, W. A. Janes; scholars, thirty-three.   Sub-district No. 2, Sharonville School - Teachers, J. R. Heath and Miss Hutt; scholars, seventy-five.  Sub-district No. 3, Corwine School - Teacher, Miss Jennie E. Jones; scholars, thirty-two.  Sub-district No. 4 (colored), Johnson School - Teacher, J. D. Walker; scholars, thirty-five.  Sub-district No. 5, Foster School - Teacher, Loremza Brewer; scholars, twenty-seven.  Sub-district No. 6, Hickson School - Teacher, Mr. Freeman; scholars, forty-two.  Sub-district No. 7 (colored), Vier's School - Teacher, Chace Coleman; scholars, thirty-three.  Sub-district No. 8 (colored), Crocker's School - Teacher, Mr. Roberts; scholars, sixty.  Sub-district No. 9 (colored), Big Run School - Teacher, M. B. Smith; scholars, fifty-seven.  Sub-district No. 10, Holmes School - Teacher, ____; scholars, sixty-five.  Sub-district No. 11, Mt. Sinai School - Teacher, Samuel Walker; scholars twenty-six.  Sub-district No. 12, Vonschriltz School - Teacher, Vacancy; scholars, seventy-eight.  Sub-district No. 13, Erich School - Teacher, E. E. Marshall; scholars, twenty-seven.  Sub-district No. 14, Hay Hollow School - Teacher, O. Hazelbaker; scholars, forty nine.  Sub-district No. 15, Reisinger School - Teacher, Miss Kate Straten; scholars, fifty-one.  Sub-district No. 16, Lime Hill School - Teacher, M. M. Wallace; scholars, forty.

TRANSPORTATION

     The transportation facilities are on the west side of the river.  These are the Scioto Valley Railroad and the canal.  Sharonville, the only hamlet in the township, is located on the Scioto River, and the railroad station is not far away, the canal, however, lying still beyond the railroad to the west.  There is a place called Chimney Rock, but it has not acquired the dignity of a hamlet.

SHARONVILLE

     This hamlet lies on the north bank of the Scioto River, and on the outer edge of the Great, or Horseshoe Bend of that stream, an few miles south of the Ross County line.  It is the most thriving town in the county, excepting Waverly, and has, perhaps, a population of some 300 people.  It is an old settlement, one of the earliest in the north part of the county, and in 1860 had a population of 115.  It is situated at the mouth of Wilson's Run where it empties into the Scioto, and not far east of that is Moore's Run.

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ITS BUSINESS INTERESTS.

     There is quite a large business done here, there being no less than eight general stores, owned by J. F. Condon, R. S. McCoppin, W. K. McMillan, Aldrich & Steitenberger, T. M. Hayes, Jas. M. Bowdish, J. M. Pancake and Jos. Taylor.  The two former are also lumber dealers.  The postoffice is at W. K. McMillan's store, who is also called Postmaster.  There are two blacksmith shops, owned by Mr. J. Steitenberger and W. D. Campbell.  D. T. McKinney is the boot and shoemaker; John Walker, tailor; James Wimbush, barber; John P. Seinhour, wagon-maker and J. H. Williams, saloon.  The only resident physician is Dr. J. J. Steitenberger.
     Its manufacturing interests are represented by C. W. Marshall & Co.'s Tile Works; Blain & Pancake's Spoke and Rim Factory, and the flouring mill, Redmon Condon, proprietor.  The tile works, started in 1878, have changed hands a few times, but are now owned by C. W. Marshall & Co.  They are filled with orders from Pike and surrounding counties, and have a capacity of 40,000 miles of tiling per annum.  The spoke and rim works command a good trade.  They were originally started by J. & C. Blain in 1880.
     The flouring mill is an old institution, starting out in a small way, with only one burr, in 1825, by George Corwine and receiving its motive power from Wilson's Run.  After the canal was built they put a culvert under it doing away with it when the State granted them a wasteway from the canal.  When Slain & McAllister purchased the mill in 1849, they purchased water-power from the canal for thirty-five years, of the State, paying a yearly rental of $100.  The mill has changed hands some half dozen times or more since then, until its present owner took possession about the first of 1877.  It has now  three runs of burrs, two wheat and one corn, and is doing a good and profitable business.

CHURCHES.

     The Sharonville Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1842 by Rev. James Laws.  They erected the church the same year, a frame building on Main street, at a cost of $1,500.  The Trustees were: John Wilson, John Foster, Thomas Day and Richard Ragan.  The present pastor is the Rev. Wm. Morris, and the membership is about thirty.  Trustees, Joseph Foster, Joseph W. Corwine and John Blain.  Regular services every three weeks.

     The Omega Christian Church was organized in 1877, by the Rev. Nathaniel Nelson.  The Deacons were: Benj. Coy and S. M. Hatfield with a membership of sixty-four.  They hold their meetings in the Hay Hollow Baptist church, but at this time are building a church on Sand Hill, near Hay Hollow.  The value of the property when finished will be about $850.  The pastor is the Rev. F. E. Evans; Deacons, Philip Howser and George Green, and a membership of 160.  The members of the building committee are:  Isaac Miller, George Green and Remus Miller.  Services one a month.

     The Hixon Run Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1879 by Rev. Mr. Wakefield, with about forty members.  The Class-Leader was Benj. Hixon.  The church was built the same year, at a cost of $500.  Trustees, Benj. Hixon, Griffeth and John Allen.  The present pastor is the Rev. J. W. Seabrooks, and the trustees are the same with the exception of John Allen who has moved away.  Regular services are held every two weeks.

     The Bethesda Christian Church of Sharonville was organized Jan. 3, 1860, by Rev. E. W. Shortridge, with a membership of forty-five.  Wm. Marshall and J. W. Hayes, Deacons.  The church was built in 1864.  Before they built the church, meetings were held at the Davis School-house.  Their member-

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ship is now forty-five, and the pastor, Rev. S. H. Bingman.  Regular preaching once a month.

     Mt. Vernon Baptist Church - This church was organized by the Revs. Wm. Holmes and Thomas in 1860.  It started with a membership of forty-two and held their meetings at the Holmes School-house for several years, or until 1866, when they erected a church building on a branch of Hay Hollow Creek.  The Deacons of the church were:  Charles Gatlin, G. W. Fitzpatrick and Richard Sherwood.  At present G. W. Fitzpatrick is the only Deacon.  They hold regular service once a month, the pastor being Rev. H. Adams.

     Jerusalem Christian Union - The church of the above name was organized in 1877 by the Rev. J. E. Redfern.  Sixteen persons joined and George Ervin, William Anderson and William Quincil were chosen Elders.  They erected a neat and pleasant church in 1882, which was dedicated in June of the present year, 1883, by the Rev. G. W. Pilcher.  They now have a membership of forty-five, and the church is improving in numbers and influence.  Rev. Ira A. Redfern is the present pastor, and Elders, Maquil Manering, Charles Collins and Albert Riley.

     Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, Colored, is located in the northwestern part of the township, and is the oldest colored church society in the county, having been formed in 1855, by Revs. William Evans and Nelson Satterwhite.  There were but ten members at the organization and they had no church edifice of their own until 1872.  They erected their present church building that year and dedicated it, the Revs. Andrew Hunt and Benjamin Sailors conducting the service, the former being the regular pastor.  The Trustees in charge are:  Aaron White, James Hendricks, Bradford James, Joseph Davis and Frank Brown  Members, thirty-two.  They hold service three Sundays in each month.  The Rev. James Hendrick is pastor and Aaron White, James Bryant and Cary Netter are the present Trustees.  The membership is now fifty-two.

     United Brethren in Christ, Colored. - This church was organized with fifteen members, by Rev. George Livingston, in 1859.  In 1866 they erected their church, which was dedicated by Bishop Edwards.  They had then twenty-five members and their pastor was Rev. Valentine Zimmerman.  It has grown steadily, has now thirty-eight members, the Rev. William Samson being the minister in charge; Elder, William McDaniels.  Services are held every three weeks, and a Sabbath- school every Sunday.

     Philadelphia Missionary Baptist, Colored. - This church society was formed with fifteen embers, and organized under the direction of Rev. William James, in 1858.  It was not until 1882 that they were able to erect a church building for their own use.  The membership had only increased to twenty-five in all these years.  The pastor was Rev. Benjamin Sailors, followed the past year by Rev. Kendall Carter.  The Trustees are:  S. P. Newman, August Zimmerman and Henry Carter.  Since the erection of their church they have fairly prospered, and they now have thirty-five members and have service once a month and Sunday-school six months in the year.

BIOGRAPHICAL