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Jefferson township ~on the
north, Washington on the east, Dixon on the south,
and the Indiana line on the west, define Jackson
township. In the original division of Preble county
into townships, Jackson was embraced in Jefferson
and Dixon townships. On Dec. 18, 1816, it was
ordered that the eighth township, first range, be
incorporated into one township for county and other
purposes, and that Jackson become a distinct
township. The first election was held at the
house of Adam Starr. William
Stephens, who was elected clerk, soon
afterwards moved to Louisiana. John
McCord and John Starr were the
first justices of the peace. The present
officers are as follows: William C. Mills,
C. W. Baker and John B. Kelly, trustees;
J. C. Adyelott, treasurer; William A.
Arrasmith, clerk; James Morrow, of New
Hope, and L. C. Young, of Florence Station,
justices. The elections are held at
Campbellstown.
The surface of the township is for the most part
rolling, the only considerable level area being in
the south ern part. The dividing ridge which
determines the general course of the streams,
crosses the southern boundary in section
thirty-five, passes in a direction a little west of
north, branches east and west at a point in section
sixteen, just north of Florence station, and
continues north across the Eaton and Richmond pike,
about two miles northwest of New Hope, leaving the
township not far from the center of the northern
boundary.
This division of the surface directs the water courses
in four general directions. The eastern half
of the township is drained by the tributaries of
Seven Mile creek, the streams converging in the
northeast and south east quarters of the township.
The north Dry fork rises in section twenty-nine, and
the south dry fork in the low land southwest of
Frames’ graveyard, in what is called the Rich woods.
The declining slopes of the southwest quarter direct
the courses of the east, middle and west branches of
Four Mile creek, which flows south into the great
Miami river, not far from Hamilton, Butler county.
Elkhorn creek draws its supply from the northwestern
quarter of this well watered t0wnship, and flows in
a westerly direction into Indiana and empties into
White water river.
The soil in the northern and northwestern part of the
township, is known as clay upland, and produces
average crops of corn, wheat, oats, flax, barley,
and tobacco. The timber is plentiful, and
consists of beech, white and bur oak, ash, sugar,
poplar, and walnut. The low lands in the southern
part of the township, especially in Four Mile valley
and the Rich woods, are black with rich loam which
yields enormous crops of corn, and consequently
makes the raising of hogs a specialty. The
area of nearly four hundred acres southwest of Union
chapel is called the Rich woods, and is certainly
one of the richest tracts of land in the county.
These low lands were at first densely wooded with a
heavy
growth of small gray and blue ash, and oak trees,
and the work of clearing and draining the land was
enormous, but the reward of this labor is seen in
the in creasing wealth of the land owners.
SETTLEMENT.
In the year 1805
Ayres Taylor, a Kentuckian, bought one
hundred and sixty acres of Government land, and
erected a rude log cabin near the confluence of the
three branches .of Four Mile creek, in section
twenty-nine, forty rods south of the present
residence of Ebenezer Paddack. At this
time the Government was selling land to settlers
upon the following conditions: For tracts of one
hundred and sixty acres, eighty dollars down, eighty
dollars in two years, and eighty dollars in each of
the two years following; the land and previous
payments to be the forfeit of any failure to comply
with these conditions. The little farm
purchased by Ayres Taylor was in the
midst of a lonely wilderness, and the labor of
clearing the forest was too great for the solitary
worker, and at the end of the first year he found
that it would be impossible to meet the second
payment, and he longed for the coming of a friend
who would purchase the claim. He found this
friend in Henry Paddack, who emigrated
from Kentucky in the beginning of the present
century, and lived for a short time in Butler
county, five miles north of where Hamilton now
stands. Aug. 1, 1801, his son Ebenezer was
born. Apr. 5, 1806, he, with his family,
consisting of his wife and three boys and one girl,
arrived at the cabin of Ayres Taylor,
who sold his property to the newcomer for eighty
dollars, and immediately went back to Kentucky.
Mr. Paddack raised the first crop in
the township, and soon afterwards he set out the
first apple orchard. The brick house now
occupied by his son Ebenezer was the first in
the township. Mr. Paddack lived
to see his children grow up and settle around him.
He died at a ripe old age, and lies buried in an
Indiana graveyard.
Ebenezer Paddack was about five years old
when his father came to Jackson township. From
his earliest years he was inured to the hardships of
pioneer life. He with his brothers had a boy’s
love of adventure, and many a good hunt did they
have after turkeys, deer, and
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smaller game, with
which the surrounding forest teemed.
Occasionally they would meet with a bear, though
bears and elk had nearly all been driven away by the
Indians, whose hunting parties frequently encamped
on the Paddack farm. In 1825 he
was married to Susannah Swain, and
there were born to them eight children—Daniel,
Jacob, Rachel, Sarah,
Elizabeth, James, Reuben, and
Phebe. In December, 1837, his wife died,
and in 1838 he married Malinda Gard,
the widow of Lorenzo Gard. She
was born in 1813, in Green county, East Tennessee,
and her father settled in Preble county in 1822.
Five children were born of this union—William,
who married
Nancy Swisher; Harvey married
Frances Paddack; Lucinda
married John Oxer, of Jackson
township; Miriam married William
Weist, of Jackson township, and Mariah,
who died young. Mr. Paddack
removed to Indiana in April, 1838, and came back to
the old homestead in June, 1841, where he has lived
ever since.
About the time of the Paddack settlement,
John McCormick settled on a farm one half
mile north of Henry Paddack’s.
He was at one time one of the township officers.
In 1806 a squatter, named Robert McCormick,
built on Four Mile, in section thirty-two, a hewed
log cabin with a clapboard roof, and being obliged
to return to his native Kentucky, rented his place
to Rice Price, a Quaker, who became
one of the substantial citizens of the township.
He afterwards moved to the farm in section
seventeen, now occupied by Elisha Smith.
He lies buried at the southeast corner of Mr.
Smith’s barn, and for many years the spot has
been fenced in, though at present there is nothing
to indicate the grave.
ELKHORN SETTLEMENT.
The country
around Elkhorn creek near its intersection with the
Indiana line, was settled by emigrants from
Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia, and soon it
became known as the Elkhorn settlement. About
1807 John Hardin came from Germantown,
Montgomery county, and purchased land in the
vicinity of Elkhorn creek. He lived there for
several years, and sold land to many of the incoming
settlers. But he had invested all of his money
in real estate, and failing to realize the handsome
profit from the sale of his land which he had
anticipated, he and his brother Eliakim sold
out and removed to where the city of Indianapolis
now stands. After his removal he became very
wealthy. David Side well,
John Bozworth, Michael Crowell,
Amos Higgins, William Neal,
the three Wade brothers—Joseph,
John and William - Andrew
Morrow, and others came about the same time that
John Hardin settled.
It was thought at first that the settlement would be
come the settlement of that part of the
country. But about this time a Quaker from
North Carolina, named Jeremiah Cox,
came to the Elkhorn region in search of water power
for milling purposes. As he represented a
large colony of probable emigrants, it was hoped
that he would be satisfied and send back for his
friends, but he soon found the stronger water power
of the White water, and consequently the Quaker
colony settled where Richmond now is. Despite
this disappointment the Elkhorn settlement continued
to increase. It was here that the old Shiloh
church received its strong support. Many of
these early pioneers are buried in the little
cemetery which is situated on the Indiana line.
They took their grain to what was known as the
Spring mill, kept by a Quaker named Comber, and many
a tale did the jolly miller tell to his customers,
while they waited for their grists. The mill
was situated just beyond the State line, near the
junction of the Cincinnati, Richmond & Chicago, and
the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis railroads.
The only saw-mill at that time was also across the
line, on Short creek.
After the War 0t 1812, the settlement of the township
was rapid. The northeastern sections were
settled by the Pennsylvania Dutch.
Michael Crowell
was one of the pioneers of the Elkhorn settlement,
and suffered many of the hardships of pioneer life.
He was born in Virginia, in 1773, emigrated to
Preble county in 1806, and settled in section
twenty. His wife was Hannah Wells, who was
born in 1789, and died in 1879, at the advanced age
of ninety years. Of their nine children,
David, Henry, Jacob and James
are living. Henry and James live in
Whitly county, Indiana, and David is in
Madison county. Jacob Crowell
owns two hundred and sixty-five acres of the home
stead place, and has his farm well improved and
highly cultivated. Miss Emma
Teasel became his wife in 1850, and to them were
born three children: William F. married
Frances Cook, and resides in section
twenty; Josiah M. and Francis E. are
at home.
Andrew Morrow
was one of the earliest pioneers of Jackson, having
settled here in section nine, in 1807. He was
a native of Orange county, North Carolina, and was
born in the year 1767. His wife, Rebecca
Laughlin, was a native of the same county,
and was born two years subsequently. At the
time of their removal to this county they were
living at Wayneville, Warren county, Ohio, and their
son, Richard Morrow, one of the older
residents of the township, and who has lived on the
homestead ever since his settlement there in 1807,
was born in Warren county, Ohio, Jan. 25, 1807.
He was married to Sarah Barr, in 1832,
who was born in Pennsylvania in 1810, and died in
I876. They were the parents of nine children,
five of whom are living. There were seven
other children of Andrew Morrow, sr.,
but only one besides Richard is now living,
namely: Nancy White, living in DeKalb
county, Illinois.
Andrew Morrow,
jr., was born in 1805, and died in 1857. His
wife, Mary D. Small, was born in 1816.
She was the daughter of James and
Elizabeth Small, natives of Pennsylvania,
and who settled in Preble county in 1806 or 1807.
To Mr. and Mrs. Morrow were
born three children. James, who resides with
his mother in Jackson township, was elected justice
of the peace in 1879.
John Wolf
married Elizabeth Welsh in Kentucky,
and emigrated to Ohio in 1811, settling in section
ten of Jackson township. Seven of the thirteen
children are living: Sarah, the wife of
Robert McCord, and Andrew,
[Page 245]
her brother, live in Iowa; Margaret, the wife
of James Shafer, resides in Huntington,
Indiana, and Elizabeth owns forty-seven acres
of land in section ten of Jackson township; Laura,
Elma and Tilla live on the home place.
David Brower
emigrated from Virginia to Ohio about 1800, and
settled in Washington township in 1811, and
afterwards removed to Jackson township, on the farm
in section fourteen, now owned by Adam
Reid. His wife was Mary Unger,
of Virginia. He erected a cabin on his land,
and immediately proceeded to clear and improve his
farm. They had six children, three of whom are
living: David and his sister, Elizabeth,
the wife of Benjamin Hornbaker, live
in Van Buren county, Iowa; Chris. Brower,
now living in Eaton, owns land in section
thirty-six. Of his eleven children, six are
living: Serena, the wife of H. M. Kylander;
Judith, wife of James R. Bennett, and
Susan A., wife of Joshua Williamson,
all live in Indiana. Their third child,
Milton, is in Illinois, and Melissa, wife
of Westly Maddox, resides in Van Buren
county, Iowa. Theodore, who married
Alice Edson, lives on the farm of his
father, who moved to Eaton a few years ago.
Jacob Cline, Sr.
Among the first settlers in Jackson township was
Jacob Cline, sr., and his wife,
Catharine Isley, who emigrated from
Guilford county, North Carolina, in 1813, and
settled in section thirteen, a short distance west
of where New Hope now stands. His house was
near the old State road, and was for several years
the favorite stopping place of passing travellers.
They had two sons, Abel and Jacob.
Abel Cline was
born in 1816, and in 1853 was married to Miss
Barbara Stamback, and to them have
been born two children, one of whom died in infancy.
Their son, Jacob D., married Miss
Emily Deem in 1879, and now lives on his
father’s farm.
Jacob Cline, jr.,
was born in section thirteen, Jackson township, in
1820. In 1842 he was married to Elizabeth
Tomlinson, by whom he had two daughters,
Susannah and Emma, the widow of
William Hawk. Both daughters reside
at home. In 1873 Mr. Cline, in
co~partnership with his son-in-law, William
Hawk, purchased the general store at New
Hope, and upon the death of his partner, in 1875,
became sole proprietor. He is the acting
postmaster at New Hope.
Jacob Swain
emigrated from Pennsylvania in 1814, and settled in
Jackson township, on the land where New Hope now is,
where he and his wife, Elizabeth Bloom,
spent the rest of their days. They had eleven
children, six of whom are living: Hannah
Miller, Dural Swain, in Jefferson,
and Elisha, in Washington township, of this
county; Polly Almonrode lives in
Illinois; Polly Quinn, in Iowa, and
Malinda Ogbern, in Indiana.
John McWhinney, sr., came from Knox county,
Tennessee, in 1815 or 1816, and settled in this
township in section six. His first wife was
Mary Dugan, who was a native of South
Carolina. By this marriage there were born six
children, only two of whom are living. They
are John McWhinney and Mrs.
Crocker. Mr. McWhinney,
sr., married, in 1824, Pamella
Alexander, by whom he has had five children.
John McWhinney, jr.,
was born in Jackson in 1819; married Cynthia
Adams in 1845. Of the four children of
this union only one now survives, viz: Mrs.
Samuel Wolf. In 1855 he married Miss
Sarah J. Moore, his present wife, who was born
in Adams county, Ohio, in 1834. By this
marriage there were five children, four living and
one deceased.
Matthew
McWhinney, sr., was born in Tennessee in 1790.
In 1811 he married Temperance Kendrick,
who was born in the same State in 1792, and about
the year 1815 or 1816 emigrated to Preble county,
Ohio. He settled in Jackson township, where he
entered and cleared up eighty acres of land.
Mr. McWhinney commenced pioneer life
here with no means except a horse and wagon, but by
a life of industry and toil, he accumulated a good
property, his farm finally consisting of three
hundred and twenty acres. He died in 1859,
surviving his wife five years, who died in 1854.
They had twelve children, nine of whom survive, as
follows: William, living in New Paris, this
county; Letitia, wife of Joseph Kelley,
in Butler county, Ohio; Stephen, in Eaton;
LeRoy, in Iowa; Eleanor, wife of W. C.
Emerson, in Indiana; Thomas M., in Warren
county, Ohio; Frank, in Greenville, Darke
county, Ohio; Elizabeth Ann, widow of
DeWitt West, in Indiana, and
Jeannie, wife of Charles B. Cooper, in
Anderson, Indiana.
Jeremiah Frame,
a native of Virginia, removed with his family to
Kentucky, Bourbon county, and in 1815 emigrated to
this county, and settled in Jackson township, in
section twenty-five. His son, Silas,
father of Daniel Frame, was fourteen
years of age at the time of the removal of the
family to this State. He married Miss
Polly Strader, who was born in North
Carolina. Daniel Frame, now
residing in this township, was born May 7, 1826, on
the farm he still occupies, and Sept. 18, 1851, was
married to Hannah Dilman, whose
parents were early settlers of Gratis township,
where she was born Jan. 1, 1830. Her father
died in 1848, but her mother is still living.
Mrs.
Catherine McManus. One of the oldest of the pioneers
of this township is Mrs. Catharine
McManus, now in the eighty-sixth year of her
age, having been born near Brownsville,
Pennsylvania, June 8, 1795. She emigrated to
Ohio with her parents, who settled in Butler county
in 1810. Feb. 2, 1815, she was married to
John C. McManus, her maiden name being Miley,
and in 1819 they removed to this county. Mr.
McManus died here in 1852, and his widow and
seven children survive him. The surviving
children are: Sarah Billings,
Elizabeth Westcut, in Illinois; Jane
Munger, in Indiana; Mary Catharine,
wife of Porter Webb, of Somers
township, this county; Lavina Campbell, in
Illinois; Julia, wife of James
Wilson, in Dixon township, and Charles
H., in this township, his aged mother living
with him. He married in October, 1865,
Martha Wilson.
Martin Sheffer was born in Jackson township. His father,
Daniel Sheffer, was born in 1789, and was
an old settler in the neighborhood. Martin
Sheffer married Sarah Fisher in
1841, who was born in 1823. Ten children were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Sheffer, seven of whom
[Page 246]
are living, viz.: James, John, George, Daniel B.,
Emily F., Amos C. and Oran. Mr. Sheffer
died in 1876. His widow resides on the home
place in section eighteen, on the Indiana line.
James M. Shafer
was born in Preble county in 1847. In 1872 he
married Margaret Lone, who was born in
Ireland in 1846. They have two children.
Benjamin Fisher
settled in an early day in section twenty. He
was born in Kentucky in 1782 and died in this
township in December, 1866. He was at one time
a justice of the peace of Jackson. His wife
was Polly Kessling, who was born in Virginia
in 1786 and died in 1870. They had eight
children, as follows: James (deceased),
John (deceased), Catharine (deceased),
Patsy, who was the wife of William
Campbell (deceased), Malinda, wife of
A. P. Campbell, Sarah, widow of Martin
Sheffer, Susan (deceased) and
Elizabeth, wife of Lewis Paddock, of this
township.
John Campbell,
born in the State of Virginia in the year 1760,
emigrated to Ohio in 1818. He settled in
section twenty-two, Jackson township, and died in
1847. His widow, whose maiden name was
Sarah Vance, born near Philadelphia in
1772, survived him a number of years, and died in
1856. This couple lived to the advanced ages
of eighty-seven and eighty-four years respectively.
They had a family of eleven children, seven of whom
are now living, as follows: Samuel, in
Indiana; James, in Missouri; Robert,
in Nebraska; and Mrs. Mary McCowen,
Andrew, William and Alexander
P., in this township. The last named
was married in 1842 to Melinda Fisher,
the result of which union is five children, two of
whom are deceased. The death of one, Vivinda,
was caused by a painful accident, Oct. 14, 1867, she
then being a young lady of sixteen years of age, and
full of hope and promise. She was killed by a
pistol shot at the hands of one William
Thomas, who shot at the proprietor of a show
that was exhibiting in Eaton on that day, and the
shot missing the intended victim, hit the innocent
girl, who fell dead almost instantly. Her
murderer is now serving out a life sentence in the
State prison.
Andrew
Campbell was born in Tennessee in 1810, and in
1835 was married to Miss Sallie
Morrow, who was born in 1810. Two children
were born to them. Leander married Rebecca
Hileman, and Levi Clinton resides at
home. Mr. Campbell owns
ninety-three acres of land, under a high state of
cultivation. The father and mother of Mrs.
Campbell were George and Sarah
Jones Morrow.
Frederick
Stark emigrated to Preble county from New
Hampshire, in the year 1820, and settled in Jackson
township, section twenty-nine, on the farm now owned
by Henry Swisher. He was born in
Stratford county, New Hampshire, December, 1794; was
married in 1820 to Abigail Doloff, a
native of the same place, and born in 1800.
They had ten children born to them, five of whom
survive, as follows: Mrs. Robert Bell, who
resides a short distance east of Campbellstown;
Mrs. McWhinney, who lives in Franklin,
Warren county, Ohio; John F. and
Temperance L., residing on the home place, and
Benjamin F., in Eaton.
In 1826 Samuel Benner, sr., father of Samuel
Benner, jr., emigrated to this county,
and his father, Jacob Benner, entered
three hundred and fifteen and a half acres of land
in sections fourteen and fifteen of Jackson
township, where Samuel Benner, the
grandson, now resides. Samuel Benner, jr.,
married Mary Dunkerly, and was the
father of seven children, all of whom are living.
His son married Mary Halderman in
1853, who died in 1876. To them were born two
children, one of whom resides with Mr.
Benner.
Joseph Bell came from the State of Tennessee in 1829, and
settled in this township in section thirty-four.
He was born in North Carolina in the year 1792, and
died in 1842. Of a family of nine children
only three are now living, viz.: Robert,
Sophia, and John. Robert
married Mary S. Stark, daughter of
Frederick Stark, whose settlement has
been noted, and resides in Jackson township, a short
distance east of Campbellstown. He has four
children. Sophia is the wife of
William McWhinney, and resides in
Jefferson township; John lives in Kansas.
David Daily,
born in Virginia in 1816, emigrated to this county
from Tennessee with his parents in 1831. He
located in section thirty-five, Jackson township,
and began clearing up a farm. In the spring of
1835 he married Margaret Frey, who was
also a native of Virginia.
She died in 1843, and Mr. Daily was,
in 1846, again married to Phebe, daughter of
John Lewis, who was one of the
pioneers of Preble county. Mr. and Mrs.
Daily have seven children, and they are all
residents of this county.
William Watts
settled in this township in 1831. He was born
in Johnson county, Indiana, in July, 1829, and was
married in 1852 to Rachel Cline.
He has a family of seven sons and three daughters,
who are all living but one, viz.: Levi C., John
E., Sarah E. (deceased), William A., and
Mary J. (twins), Eleanor L., Richard,
James I., Isaac, and Alice.
William
Woolverton was born in Green county,
Pennsylvania, in 1800. Thomas
Woolverton, his father, emigrated to Butler
county, Ohio, in 1804. In 1807 he came to
Preble county, and settled on Seven Mile creek, in
Washington township. Soon after their arrival
they cut a road through the woods to John
McCormick‘s, on Four Mile creek. When
William was sixteen years old, he killed a wolf,
receiving from the county commissioners four dollars
for the scalp. With this money he bought the
cloth for his first coat. In 1827 he bought
the farm of John McCormick, in Jackson
township. In 1828 he married a daughter of
Silas Dooley, she dying in 1847. In
1851 he was married to Maria McComas.
He had four children by the first marriage, and
seven by the last, most of whom are living. He
built the first frame barn in Jackson township,
which he raised without giving the hands whiskey.
He was also among the first to banish whiskey from
the harvest field. He died about two years
ago.
Solomon Wilcox
settled in Jackson township in 1831. He is a
native of Massachusetts, where he was born in the
year 1800. On his removal to Ohio he lived a
few years in Cincinnati, and afterward to Licking
county, from whence he moved to this county.
He married in
[Page 247]
1824 Malinda Collins, who died in
1871, at the age of sixty years.
William McWhinney
was born in East Tennessee, and died in 1823.
His wife, Elizabeth Kendrick, was born
in Virginia in 1788, and died in 1875. They
emigrated to Preble county at an early day. To them
were born five children: Thomas and James
are dead; Newton lives in California;
Lucinda is the wife of Eli Conger,
and Samuel is dead.
Thomas D.
McWhinney settled in section eight in the year
1832. He was born in Indiana in 1810, and was
married in 1829 to Miss Nancy
Alexander. They both died at the residence
of their son, John A. There were born
to them seven children, two of whom are now living.
These are William A., a merchant at New
Paris, and John A., a farmer of this
township. William has been twice
married - in 1834 to Margaret Catharine
Cail (who died in 1876), and in 1878 to Mary
J. Wisenbaugh. John married
Rebecca C. Scott in 1874.
Marcus D.
McWhinney, son of William A. McWhinney,
of New Paris, was born on the farm where he now
lives, in 1835. In 1864 he was married to Sarah
E. Swaine, daughter of Elisha Swaine,
of Washington township. She was born in 1842.
T o Mr. and Mrs. McWhinney
have been born four children—Elmer;
Clarence and Lawrence, who were twins;
and Bertie. Lawrence died in
1867. Mr. McWhinney owns two
hundred acres of land in sections twenty-nine and
twenty.
M. V. Snodgrass was
born in 1836, on the farm in section twenty-four
which his father, Joseph Snodgrass,
entered at an early day. In 1865 he married
Emma Miller, who was born in Washington township
in 1845, and whose mother now lives near New Hope,
Jackson township. Their only child, Lilly
May, is eight years old.
Samuel M. Griffis
was born in Washington township, Dec. 29, 1837.
In 1864 he was married to Rebecca Blinn,
who was born in 1843. They have had nine
children, seven of whom are living at home; the
other two are dead. He owns one hundred and
sixteen acres of land in section two of Jackson
township, about nine miles northwest of Eaton.
Christian
Markey came from Baltimore county, Maryland
(where he was born in 1826), with his parents,
Amos and Jane Markey, in 1838 or 1839.
Amos Markey settled on Twin creek, in Twin
township, the land now being owned by his son,
John. Christian was married in
1848, to Miss Anna Crumbaker
(born in 1830), and began housekeeping on the farm
now owned by John Lesh, in Lanier
township. Two years afterward he moved to
Washington township and bought a farm in section
thirty, which be occupied eight years. He then
came to Jackson and purchased a quarter of section
twenty-five, where he has since resided. He
has, by industry and thrift, become the owner of a
fine property, owning at this time eight hundred and
twenty acres of land, with farm buildings second to
none in the township. His wife, Anna,
deceased in September, 1873, and a year subsequently
be was married to Miss Zilpha A. Barnhart,
widow of William Henry Barnhart,
born in 1841. By his first wife he had twelve
children, eight of whom are living. By his
second marriage he has had two children, one living
and one deceased. Jonas Markey,
born in Washington township in 1851, married, in
1876, Julia Bloomfield, born in 1856.
Mrs. Christian Markey was the
mother, by her first husband, of four children, two
of whom survive.
James Kelley
was born in Gratis township in 1811. George
and Eliza Kelley were the parents of Mr.
Kelley. In 1838 he married Hannah
Goodlander, the daughter of Jacob and
Mary Goodlander, of Fayette county,
Indiana. To Mr. and Mrs. Kelley have
been born fifteen children, eleven of whom are
living, viz.: Elizabeth; Matilda,
widow of Elijah Paddock; James;
Irvin; Lorinda, wife of J. W.
Collins; Ebenezer, who married Sarah
Parks; Martin, who married - Emma
Aydleaott; Emma is the wife of
Petis A. Reid; William, John, and
Addie are at home. Mr. Kelley
owns a fine farm in section thirty three, where he
resides.
Elijah Kelley
emigrated to this county in 1836, and settled first
on Seven Mile creek in this township. Several
years afterward he removed to the place where he now
lives, in section twenty-eight. He was born in
Virginia in 1803, and was married in 1830, to
Margaret Henry, who was born in Virginia in
1811. They have had a family of four
children—41m sons and two daughters, of whom John
B. is the oldest. He was born in 1831, and
married in 1869, Amanda C. Longnecker, who
was born in 1844.
J. B. Kelley, born in
Virginia in 1831, came with his parents to Preble
county in 1836, and settled in Jackson township.
In 1869 he married Miss Amanda C. Longnecker,
who was born in Preble county in 1844. To Mr. and
Mrs. Kelley have been born two children, both
living. Mr. Kelley owns sixty
acres of land in section thirty-three of Jackson
township.
Eli Conger was
born in Dixon township, and is the son of Rev.
Josiah Conger, one of the pioneer
preachers. In 1838 Eli was married to
Lucinda McWhinney, by whom he has had
four children, three of whom are living: Carrie,
the wife of Judge A. L. Harris, of Eaton;
John Newton Conger died in 1843, James
H., married Emma Lockwood, and is
in the grain firm of Cook & Conger, of
Eaton; Elizabeth is the wife of Barnet
Huffman, and resides on the farm in Dixon
township owned by A. G. Collins. The
farm of Mr. Conger, comprising two
hundred and fifty acres, is one of the best in the
township. He pays particular attention to the
raising of fine stock. At an early day he was
elected township trustee of Jackson, and held said
office for nine years. In 1848 he became the
township assessor, and served two years. In
1851, while a resident of Dixon township, he was
made justice of the peace, which office he held for
eighteen years. He became county commissioner
in 1871, and this office he held two terms, in all
six years.
James Paxton, a
colored man, was born in Rockbridge county,
Virginia, in 1802,and emigrated to Preble county in
1838, settling in section two of Jackson township.
His father, William A., and his mother,
Elizabeth Paxton, were both Virginians.
In 1839 James married Anna Eliza
McClora who died in 1878. To them were
born eight children, of whom three sons and one
daughter are living—two in this county, one in
Darke, and one daughter, the wife of William B.
Hogan, in Richmond, Indiana. His son,
Samuel H. Paxton, enlisted in the service of his
country Sept. 3, 1864, joining the Forty-second
regiment, company C, and was discharged at
Chattanooga Sept. 3, 1865. James
Paxton now resides in Richmond, Indiana, and the
farm is in charge of his son.
Lewis B.
Plummer came to this county from Indiana in
1844, and settled near Eaton. He is the son of
Thomas Plummer, who resides in Kansas.
In 1870 he married Mary A. Swain, by whom he
has had one son, James Roddie.
He owns two hundred and forty acres of good land in
section twenty-six, which has been greatly improved
during the last few years.
William H. Weist
is located in section thirty~two, where he owns two
hundred and ninety-three acres of land in a high
state of cultivation. He was born in 1847,
and, in 1872, was married to Miriam
Paddack. She was born in 1851, and has had
two children, Ebenezer, born in 1873, and
Fanny, born in 1877, died Mar. 16, 1879.
Samuel Swisher,
general stock dealer, and one of the substantial
farmers of Jackson, was born in this township in
1848. He married Sarah Campbell, who was born
in 1849. Mr. Swisher was elected township treasurer
in 1876, and held the office one year.
Henry Swisher
removed to this county, from Indiana, in 1848.
In 1862 he was married to Miss Sarah Bulla.
In 1866 he purchased a dry goods and grocery store.
Subsequently he sold out and moved to New Madison,
where he remained two years. He then bought
out S. R. Kelley, at Florence Station, but
only continued the store some six months when he
sold to Samuel Swisher, and moved onto
his farm. In 1877 he again engaged in the
mercantile and grain business, buying out his
brother, at Florence Station, in which he still
continues.
John Melling
was born in Preble county, Ohio, in Twin township,
in 1808. His first wife, Catharine
Shoemaker, born in 1815, died at the age of
twenty. His second wife was Susannah
Melling, daughter of William Melling, who
was born in Virginia in 1815, and is still living.
By his first wife one child, Daniel, was
born. Six children were born to him by his
second wife, two of whom are living.
Harvey Paddack,
son of Ebenezer Paddack, was born in
1847. His wife, Frances, whom he
married in 1872, is the daughter of Lewis
Paddack. Her father is one of the old
settlers of Jackson, and lives in section twenty
one, two miles north of West Florence. They
are the parents of one child, a daughter, Ruth,
born in January, 1880. They live in section
twenty-nine, not far from the old homestead.
John Mills,
the father of William C. Mills, was a native
of Ireland, and married Miss Elizabeth
Comton, who was born in South Carolina.
In 1820 they settled in Monroe township.
William C. Mills
was born in Monroe township, in 1821. In 1843
he married Miss Harriet West,
who was born in Kentucky in 1819. They have
had no children. Mr. Mills now
owns three hundred and twenty-eight acres of land,
well improved. In 1861 he was elected justice
of the peace, which office he held for nine years.
In 1865 he was elected county commissioner, and
remained in that office for six years. He has been
township trustee for nearly fourteen years.
George
W. Dickey, M. D., born in Butler county in 1822, commenced the
practice of medicine in New Hope, Preble county, May
7, 1849, and is at present in a large practice.
He married Miss Lydia J. Tillson in 1850.
She was born in New Paris, Jefferson township, Apr.
15, 1834. They have five children—Frances
Edna, born in 1850, the wife of Dr. O. W.
Tobey, of Pyrmont, Montgomery county, Ohio;
George Oliver, born in 1855, and living
at home; Ida Rosanna, born in 1857,
wife of Dr. W. A. Arrasmith, of
Campbellstown; Lida Zoe, born in 1860,
living at home; Chalfant Cass, born in
1863; and Ross V., born in 1869, also at
home.
Abraham Brower
was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 1792,
and he married Sarah Loy in 1817 who
was born in 1798. In 1859 he married for his
second wife Mrs. Elizabeth
Whitesell, who was born in 1807, and now resides
near New Paris. There were nine children, seven boys
and two girls.
Jacob L. Brower,
son of Abraham Brower, married Miss
Susanna Surface in 1843, who died in
1877. Six children were born to them, and the
four who are living are at home.
Aaron Brubaker
was born in Virginia, as was also his wife,
Elizabeth Flora. They emigrated to
Preble county in 1825, and settled in Gratis
township. They had ten children, five sons and
five daughters.
George
Brubaker was born in 1813, in Virginia, and came
to Preble county with his parents. In 1838 he
married Miss Anna Banta, who
was born in 1818. Eight of then ten children
are living. Peter and Effie
Banta were the parents or Mrs. Anna
Brubaker.
John T. Kempler,
born in 1819, and Mahala Clemmer, born
in 1826, were married in 1844. They have had
three children—Samuel, husband of
Elizabeth Surface, lives in Indiana;
Mary S. is the wife of David Tobey,
who resides near New Hope; and Andrew J., who
married Rosanna Daffler, resides at
New Hope. Mrs. Kempler’s parents
were Virginians, and were the parents of twelve
children, seven girls and five boys.
D. R. Parker, now
residing in section twenty, one and one-half miles
east of Florence Station, was born in 1849, and in
1872 was married to Mary A. Kelley, who was
born in 1848. Joseph L. Kelley and
Lettie McWhinney were the parents of
Mrs. Parker. Their family consisted
of six children: Mrs. Dr.
Hinman, of Cincinnati; Mrs. Eli
Halderman, of Lanier township; L. R.
Kelley, of Richmond, Indiana; Mrs.
Hornaday, living at Red Oak, Iowa; Carrie,
the wife of George Koby, of
Middletown, Butler county, and Mrs. D. R. Parker.
John G. Goldsmith
was born near Eaton in 1828. His father,
William Goldsmith, is one of Preble
county’s
Between 248 & 249 -
ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL
MRS. ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL
|
Archie Campbell, as he was
familiarly called among his friends, was
a descendent of the old Scottish family
of that name, his paternal ancestors
having emigrated to the English colonies
at an early date. The family
settled in Pennsylvania, where they
remained for many years. John
Campbell, the father of Archibald,
grew to manhood and married Sarah
Vance. He soon afterwards
removed to Tennessee, and settled near
Knoxville, where he was engaged in
farming until 1817, when he removed to
Ohio, and settled in the wilds of Preble
county, with his wife and ten children.
He located in Jackson township, about
eight miles northwest of the county
seat. Here he resided until his
death, which occurred in 1847, when he
was eighty-seven years of age. His
widow survived him eleven years, dying
at the age of eighty-six. They
were the parents of eleven children,
named as follows: Samuel, Jane,
Elizabeth, Archibald, Mary, James,
Andrew, Robert, William, Alexander P.,
and Nancy, of which large
family all are living but Elizabeth,
Jane, Nancy, and Archibald.
Archibald was born at the old
Tennessee home on the fifth day of
January, 1803. His early boyhood
was passed in assisting in the labors of
the farm, and in obtaining a limited
education. At the age of
twenty-two he was married to India
Larsh, the only child of Lewis
and Anna Larsh, of whom mention is
made below. After their marriage
the young couple settled on one hundred
and seven acres of land near the home of
Mr. Campbell's parents, and
commenced clearing up a farm. Here
Mr. Campbell resided during the
remainder of his life and engaged in the
laborious and peaceful pursuits of a
farmer. He was widely known as a
man of solid worth and intelligence, and
commanded the respect and esteem of his
acquaintances. Plain and
unassuming in his manners, industrious
and frugal in his habits, never engaging
in the turmoils of political strife, or
the uncertain projects of speculation,
he acquired a comfortable fortune and at
his death left |
|
his widow and children in
easy circumstances. He died on the
sixteenth of March, 1873, at the age of
seventy years.
To Mr. and Mrs. Campbell were born thirteen
children, seven of whom are living.
Cornelius who was born Oct. 24,
1825, married Jane Dalrymple, and
died in Monroe township, in 1871.
Lewis B. born in 1827, died in
the following year. Eldred R.,
born May 2, 1829, married Lavina
McManus, and resides in Streator,
Illinois. Benjamin F., who
was born Jan. 16, 1832, married
Rebecca Stanley, and resides in
Jackson township. George W. and
Thomas J. (twins), were born June
22, 1834. George married,
first, Mary A. Zeek, and after
her death he married Margaret Murray,
and is living in Jackson township.
Thomas, who married Sarah
Thurston resides near Anderson,
Indiana. John V. was born
Dec. 22, 1836, and in 1862 was married
to Mary Reed of Iowa. She
was born in Butler county in 1838.
They, with their four children, reside
with Mrs. Campbell on the old
place. Minerva J., who was
born May 31, 1839, is the wife of
Thomas Bulla, of Jackson township.
Monroe was born Aug. 29, 1842,
and in the fall of 1869 he married
Isabella, daughter of Stephen A.
and Pery Smith, of West Alexandria,
born in 1851. They have five
children, and reside in Jackson
township. Mary Ann Campbell,
born June 24, 1846, married James
Sheffer, and lives in Wayne county,
Indiana. Laura P., born in
1849, and Sarah O., born in 1852,
each died at the age of two years.
Besides the children above mentioned
there was one who died in early infancy.
Mrs. Julia Campbell still resides on the same
spot where, in 1824, she and her husband
commenced housekeeping, and although
death has robbed her of the companion of
her youth. She is surrrounded
by a large circle of children who honor
and revere her with all the love and
devotion of filial affection. |
CATHARINE McMANUS
One of the oldest of the pioneers of
this township is Mrs. Catharine
McManus, now in the eighty-sixth
year of her age, having been born near
Brownsville, Fayette county,
Pennsylvania, June 8, 1795. She is
the sixth and only surviving child of
the eight children born to her parents,
Abraham and Catharine Miley.
Her father was a native of Pennsylvania,
and her mother was born near Hagerstown,
Maryland. In the spring of 1810
Mr. Miley and family emigrated to
Ohio, coming down the Ohio river in a
flat-boat. After tarrying for
about three months in Cincinnati, they
removed to their newly purchased farm
near Gregory’s fork in Butler county,
about seven miles north of Hamilton.
Here Mr. Miley kept a
tavern for some time, which bore the
sign of the cross keys; but not liking
this business, he soon devoted his sole
attention to the care of his farm.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Miley died in the year 1819.
Feb. 2, 1815, Catharine Miley
was wedded to John C. McManus and
in 1819 they removed to Preble county,
and settled on the farm in the southeast
quarter of section twenty-six, where
Mrs. McManus has resided ever
since. When they first came to
this county the country round about was
a wilderness, and although not entirely
without neighbors, they had to undergo
the hardships of pioneer life. Mr.
McManus, who was a prominent
public man, has been fully noticed in
the chapter on the Preble county bar. He
died in 1852, and is buried |
|
in the old Frame
graveyard not far from the Scene of his
activity.
To Mr. and Mrs. McManus were born eleven
children, seven of whom are living.
Abraham I., born in 1811, died
when a child. Sarah Ann,
who was born Oct. 1, 1819, married
William Billinger, and
resides in Woodford county, Illinois.
Mary E., who was born in 1822,
died when a child. John C.,
who was born Feb
1, 1824, lived to manhood, and died in
Preble county in
1854. Margaret J. was born
Oct. 24., 1825, and is
the wife of Dr. Warren B. Munger,
who is practicing in Union county,
Indiana. Elizabeth, born
Jan. 7, 1828,
is the wife of George Wescott,
who lives in Woodford
county, Illinois. Samuel M.,
born July 25, 1830, died
in 1855. Mary C. is the
wife of Porter P. Webb of Gasper
township, and was born Nov. 7, 1832.
Lavina
E., who was born Sept. 28, 1834,
is the wife of E.
Wilson who resides in Dixon
township. The youngest
child, Charles H., now resides at
the old homestead and has charge of the
farm. In October, 1865, he married
Martha Wilson, by whom he
has had two children, Ina L. and
Laura Osa. Mrs.
McManus, though approaching her
four score years and ten, still retains
much of her youthful vigor, both of mind
and body. |
[Page 249]
oldest pioneers. In 1849 he married Frances
Swofford, whose parents settled in this
county in 1830, and now reside in Johnson county,
Iowa. Mr. Goldsmith is the owner
of one hundred and ten acres of land in section
twenty-two, seven miles northwest of Eaton. He
is the father of seven children, of whom two are
dead, and the rest are living in Jackson township.
William Deem,
son of Joseph Deem, was born in 1824,
and emigrated to Preble county, Washington township,
in 1842. In 1850 he married Sarah
Harsh man, who was born in 1830. To them
have been born twelve children, all of whom, save
one, are living. Mr. Deem owns a
large farm in sections thirty—five and thirty six,
of Jackson township. He is one of the
substantial farmers of his neighborhood.
Christian
Flora was born in Franklin county, Virginia, in
1824. His father, Jonathan Flora, was
born in 1792, and died in 1863. He married
Mary Bowman. They had ten children.
In 1831 Christian Flora, in company
with his parents, emigrated to Ohio, and settled in
Gas per township, Preble county. In 1848 he
was united in marriage to Miss Sarah
Potterf, who was born in 1830. She is
the granddaughter of Casper Potterf,
after whom the township was named. Mr.
and Mrs. Chistian Flora
have had four children—Edwin, Alonzo,
Alvina, Perry and Anna.
Thomas
Wolverton and family emigrated in 1804 from
Pennsylvania to Butler county, Ohio, coming down the
Ohio river in a fiat-boat. In 1807 they
removed to Preble county and settled on Seven Mile
creek, in the western part of Washington township.
There were no settlements near them, and only a few
cabins in Eaton. Soon after their arrival they
cut a road through the woods to McCormick’s,
on Four Mile creek. Thomas Wolverton was a
soldier in the Revolutionary war, serving during the
entire conflict. He entered the service as
a-private,~ and rose to the rank of colonel.
His son William, generally called General
Wolverton, from the fact of his service in
the State militia, was a well known resident of the
county for many years. He was born in Greene
county, Pennsylvania, in 1800, and came to Ohio with
his father. When he was sixteen years old, it
is said, he killed a wolf, for the scalp of which he
received four dollars. With this money he
bought of Cornelius Van Ausdal cloth
for a coat, the first coat he ever wore. In
1827 he purchased the farm of William
McCormick in Jackson, and lived there until his
death in June, 1827. He was twice married—in
1828 to a daughter of Silas Dooley, sr.,
who died in 1847, and in 1851 to Mrs.
Maria McComas, who is still living.
General Wolverton erected the first frame
barn in Jackson township, and raised it without
whiskey, which was regarded as an innovation upon
established usage.
Jacob Cooper
was born in Montgomery county, in 1814. His
parents emigrated from Virginia in 1813, and his
father’s name was Joseph Cooper.
He married Catharine Riner. Five
children were born to them - Hannah, Mary,
Daniel, Margaret and Jacob—all
living. Mrs. Cooper, the mother
of Jacob Cooper, is still living, at
the advanced age of eighty-seven years.
Jacob Cooper was married to Harriet
Patten in 1835, and has had eight children,
of whom seven are living, viz.: Elizabeth,
Peter R., Daniel W., Catharine Jane, Jacob M.,
Joseph S. and Emily A. John B. is
dead. Daniel W. is the present county
treasurer.
Temple
Aydelott was born in North Carolina in 1805, and
in 1831 married Jemima Cook, also a
native of North Carolina. They were residents
of this county for many years. Their son,
John C. Aydelott, was born in 1835, near Neil’s
Station, just over the Indiana line. His first
wife was Sarah E. McWhinney, daughter of
Thomas McWhinney. Three children were born
to them. Mary and Emma are
married, and Halstead lives at home.
Mrs. Aydelott died in 1871. In 1873
Mr. Aydelott was married to Mrs.
Juliet Swain, widow of Martin E.
Swain. Her maiden name was McWhinney,
she being the daughter of Stephen
McWhinney, of Eaton. She had one child by
Mr. Swain—Martha J. Two
children have been born since her marriage with
Mr. Aydelott, viz.: Tracy and
Walter. Mr. Adelott is an
enterprising farmer, and has a pleasant home in
section fifteen.
I. N. Aydelott was born
in 1847, on the farm in Dixon township once owned by
the Larsh family. In 1869 he was
married to Evangeline, born in 1849, daughter of
Robert Bell. This union has been blessed
by one child - Letitia May, who was born Apr.
17, 1873. He is the owner of one hundred and
twenty-five acres of land situated in section
twenty-seven, Jackson township.
Buckner Deem,
the second son of Joseph Deem, an old
pioneer of Preble county, was born in 1826, and in
1850 was married to Mary A. Kissling, by whom
he had five children, all of whom are living in
Preble county. Mrs. Deem was born in
1831, her parents being old settlers of the county.
Mr. Deem is a resident of section
three, where he owns two hundred and ninety-seven
acres of land.
James Samuel Wolf was born in 1850. His father,
Jacob L. Wolf, was born in 1818, and his mother,
Eliza C., was born in 1813. In 1871 Samuel
Wolf was married to Mary Elizabeth
McWhinney, daughter of John and Cynthia
McWhinney; she was born in 1847. To Mr.
and Mrs. Wolf have been born one child, Emma
Frances. Mr. Wolf lives
in section ten, where he owns eighty acres of land.
Frank Swisher
was born in Dixon township in 1852, and is the son
of Martin Swisher, who now lives in
Eaton. In 1872 he was married to Alice
McWhinney, the daughter of Matthew
McWhinney; she was born in 1854. To Mr.
and Mrs. Swisher was born one
child, Eddie M., born in 1872. Mr.
Swisher and his mother in-law, Mrs.
Miriam McWhinney, run the general
store in West Florence, which is kept in connection
with the post office by Mr. Swisher,
who is deputy postmaster.
George Scarse,
son of David and Rebecca
Scarse, was born in the State of Indiana, Oct.
25, 1836. His father died at Richmond, in
1866, where his mother still resides. He
settled on one hundred and sixty acres of land in
section seven of Jackson township. His wife
was Miss Cynthia Swisher, whom
he married in 1860, she died in 1874, and was the
mother of three children
[Page 250]
Etta, born in 1863; Vernon in 1865,
and Charles in 1867. The children are
all living at home.
David Morehead,
born in Pennsylvania, in 1825, came to New Westville
in 1851, at which place he has since resided. In
1857 he married Miss Nancy
Kissinger, who was born in 1835. Their
children—Mary and John, are still living with
them. Mr. Morehead has
successfully carried on the huckster business since
1864, and has thus obtained the means to purchase
eighty acres of land. Though he does not keep
a regular store, he supplies his neighbors with many
of the necessities of life.
EARLY EVENTS.
The
wandering tribes of Indians that Occasionally camped
and hunted in Jackson, offered no violence to the
pioneers. Hence there are no Indian raids,
pursuits and bloody encounters to record.
Ebenezer Paddack says that when he was a
boy, the sight of an Indian produced as little
consternation in his youthful breast as the gobble
of a wild turkey, or the swift rustle of a startled
deer. But the sight of a white person outside
the family circle was unknown to young Paddack,
until one day, while exploring the headwaters of
Four Mile creek in company with his brothers, they
were astonished by the glimpse of a pale face and a
shock of red hair half hidden by the bushes.
This meeting was too much for both parties and they
hastily took to their heels. It was afterwards
learned that the stranger was James
McCormick, the son of John McCormick,
who had just settled one-half mile north of
Paddacks.
One of the earliest weddings took place in January,
1818, at the residence of Andrew Morrow,
at which time James Tosh was wedded to
Hannah Morrow, by Esquire John
McCord. As this was the first ceremony
that dignitary had been called upon to perform, he
was much frightened, and eye-witnesses say that he
trembled like an aspen leaf, much to the amusement
of the merry wedding
party.
The first death was that of a young man by the name of
Thomas Hollet, who was killed by the
falling of a tree. He was the first person
buried in the cemetery on the State line, in section
nineteen. This was the first graveyard in the
township.
The first corn was raised by Rice Price,
in section thirty two, he having cleared seven acres
in the spring of 1806. In the spring of 1807,
Henry Paddack cleared twelve acres
just south of his house, near the site of the
present school-house. In this place he set out
over two hundred fruit trees, which he procured from
a man named Ludlow, who lived where Ludlow,
Kentucky, now stands, opposite Cincinnati.
Several of the old apple trees are still standing in
the school yard.
The first wheat was raised about 1810. In those
earliest days, the staff of life was corn bread, and
wheat bread was considered a luxury almost
unattainable.
The first school~house was erected in 1814, where West
Florence now is. Here also was the first
store, kept by John McCowen, and here,
May 17, 1839, was established the first post office,
of which Warren C. Emerson was postmaster.
The first public house was opened at New Westville in
1817, by George Worthington, the
founder of the village.
For several years after the first settlement had been
made there were no roads in the township, and the
bridle-path was the highway. About the year
1810 the State road was built, passing from Eaton
through Jackson township in a northwesterly
direction, in a course almost coincident with that
of the Eaton and Richmond pike. This was the
mail route between Columbus and Indianapolis.
The mail was first carried through on horseback,
then in the old “mud wagon," and afterwards in the
four-horse coach. This road was superseded by
the turns pike which was built about 1840.
This road soon became the thoroughfare from
Cincinnati.
In 1853, the Cincinnati, Richmond & Chicago railroad
was put through the township, entering the east line
in section twenty-five, passing parallel with the
pike, and crossing the State line in section seven.
There are three stations: New Hope, Florence, and
Westville.
The first and only distillery was built by Jacob
Gephardt, in section one, in 1839. He
run it four years, and finding it unremunerative,
gave it up. Since then no whiskey has been
made in the township. There was considerable
drinking in the early days, but whiskey was purer
then. At present there is no saloon in the
town ship.
EARLY SCHOOLS.
The
first school-house in the township was built of
hewed logs, and stood where West Florence now is,
opposite the old store. It was erected in
1814. John Taylor, familiarly called
“the little Scotchman,” offered to become the
teacher, at a salary of one hundred and
twenty dollars per annum. But the sturdy
pioneers found accumulating work for their sons and
daughters, and it was with great difficulty that
twenty-five scholars were at last assembled in the
little log schoolhouse. Under the management
of the little Scotchman the school prospered.
Ebenezer Paddack, the only one of the
original twenty-five scholars now living, says that
the pastime of the boys, when they wanted a little
fun, was to chop and haul wood from the present site
of the old store to the school-house near by.
John Taylor afterwards taught school
in the Elkhorn settlement.
Jesse Hopkins taught the next school in
1807, in a rough log house, with saplings split open
and shaved for seats. This building was
located in the western part of the township.
The next school was in an old deserted log cabin, a
short distance north of Richard Morrow’s
farm. It was continued for only one quarter,
under the management of Alexander Barr,
a Pennsylvanian, who afterwards became the
father-in-law of Richard Morrow, who married
his daughter, Sarah, in 1832.
About the year 1818 a log school-house was built, and
several years afterwards a frame building was put
up, one and one-half miles east of the old school.
It afterwards became a district school. Alexander
Barr taught in the neighborhood for many
years.
According to law section sixteen was reserved for
school land, and, owing to their proximity to this
section,
[Page 251]
the sections numbered fifteen, twenty-one, and
twenty-two were sold at four dollars an acre.
There are at present nine school districts, with as
many substantial and well furnished buildings.
CHURCHES.
Probably
the first preaching in Jackson township was in the
Elkhorn settlement, about the year 1807, by Elder
David Purviance, who was one of the
founders of the Christian church, more familiarly
called, the New Light church. Soon afterwards
Parson Whitehead, of the Baptist
denomination, held meetings at the house of John
Bozworth.
Judge William Curry, now of Eaton,
remembers a meeting held at his house in 1814, by a
Methodist circuit rider, the Rev. James Finley.
The followers of Elder Purviance
organized a society, about 1810, and soon afterwards
built, just across the State line, a frame building
which they dedicated as
SHILOH CHURCH.
which, though beyond the line, was
supported almost entirely by residents of the
township. It was situated immediately north of
what is now the intersection of the Cincinnati,
Richmond & Chicago railroad with the State line.
It has long since fallen into decay, and the old
graveyard, in which many of the first settlers of
the township are buried, is overgrown with bushes.
Among the ministers were William Gordon,
John Adams, Reuben Dooley,
Josiah Conger, and George
Shidler. The church rapidly increased, but
gave way, in later years, to other churches.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
About the
time of the organization of the township, a small
company of Methodists held meetings in section
three, on the farm now occupied by Buckner Deem.
Among the first preachers who visited them was
Rev. John Durbin, who afterwards
became very eminent in the Methodist church.
About 1825 a church was built near by on the
Morse farm. The house has long
since gone to ruin.
NEW WESTVILLE METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
This
church was next founded. Robert McCord,
a local preacher. had much to do with its founding.
It is situated a short distance south of town, upon
land form erly owned by Thomas J. McWhinney,
who lies buried in the adjoining graveyard. In
the early days this church was one of the
strongholds of Methodism, and some of the most
talented ministers have preached to this
congregation.
Rev. Werter Davis, one of the most
active religious pioneers in this county, was among
the first ministers. Rev. W. H. Raper
was the first presiding elder who preached there.
At present there is no regular preaching.
Rev. Young was the last pastor.
NEW HOPE METHODIST EPISCOPAL
CHURCH.
A
great revival took place, in the winter of 1847,
among the Methodists in the vicinity of New Hope.
The meetings were held in the wagon-shop of James
Beggs, which stood nearly opposite the spot
where the present church stands. During the
revival the following
persons became members of the class which was then
formed: Samuel Null and wife, John
C. McManus and his wife
Catharine, John and Jacob Weist,
with their wives; John Wolf and
family, Mrs. Harriet Scott, and
others. In the spring of the same year efforts were
made to build a house of worship, and by fall this
had been accomplished. Services have been held
there ever since, though not in the same house.
Dec. 23, 1878, the old building was destroyed by
fire, and the little band of workers were well nigh
discouraged. But by a strong and united effort
they were enabled to re-build their house of
worship, and now they have a neat and commodious
frame building. Rev. Young has
been preaching for them for several years.
There are about twenty-five active members.
The following is a list of the officers: Trustees,
William Renner, W. L. Mitchell,
and C. W. Baker; class-leaders and stewards,
W. L. Mitchell, and William Renner,
BAPTIST CHURCH.
As has been
previously mentioned, the Baptists held their first
meetings at the house of John Bosworth,
in section nineteen. In 1817 a Baptist church
was built of logs, in the northern part of Dixon
township, in section five, on Four Mile creek.
Soon afterwards the congregation removed their place
of worship, and built a church on the farm of
Marcus McWhinney, in section twenty, west
of William Bulla’s residence. T he
society was known as the regular old-fashioned
Baptist church. Rev. William
Williams was the first minister, and Rev.
Joshua Moore was the last. The
church was deserted in 1845, and at this day there
is not a vestige of it left. Ebenezer
Paddack is the only member living.
There is no other Baptist society in the township.
UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST - NEW
HOPE CHURCH
The United
Brethren of Jackson and surrounding townships were
wont to worship in the barns of Fathers
Bonebrake and Dawald, of Washington
township. In 1815 Revs. Zellers, Jacob
Antram, and Henry Kumler, held meetings
in a log church, which was built about that time.
In 1830 a house was built close to the Jackson town
ship line, in Washington township, not far from New
Hope. This was the second church of the
denomination in Ohio. There were about thirty
members, among whom were John Melling,
David Mason, and Jacob Myers,
of Jackson township. Rev. George
Bonebrake was the minister there in 1847,
when the society concluded to remove to New Hope,
and accordingly the present brick church was built,
and the society removed to Jackson township.
Since then the ministers have been Revs. Isaac
Robinson, George Bonebrake, Henry Kumler, Samuel
Adams, Asa Cohee, Jacob
and Henry Surface, and Henry
Tobey. Rev. Samuel Huddle
is the present pastor.
There was a great revival during the pastorate of
Henry Tobey, in January and February, 1867.
At this time sixty-five persons united with the
church. In 1877, in the pastorate of Rev.
Huddle, about forty were added.
[Page 252]
There are at present one hundred and eleven
communicants. The following are the officers:
Trustees, John
Melling, George Izer, Jacob
L. Surface, Jacob Cline, and
William Bonebrake; clerk, John
Griffis; class-leaders, Jacob Cline
and John Grifiis.
The Sabbath-school organized at the old church in 1836,
now numbers about eighty members. Rev.
Henry Surface and Matthew Brann
were the first superintendents. Daniel
Strader and O. P. Conley now have
charge of the school.
EDWARDS CHAPEL,
in section thirty-four was built by
subscription in 1878, and is under the control of
the United Brethren. A number of Methodists
living in the neighborhood united with them.
They are supplied by the pastor of the New Hope
church. In the spring of 1878 the chapel was
for mally dedicated by Revs. Charles
Miller and Daniel Flickinger,
of Dayton. There are at present nearly forty
members.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH—UNION CHAPEL,
in section twenty-five, was
dedicated to the worship of God, Sept. 21, 1851, and
Feb. 29, 1852, a society was organized with the
following members: Jacob Cline, Michael
Powell, John Spacht, William
Green, Mary Frame, Elizabeth
Street, Margaret Frame,
Elizabeth Ammerman, Welthy
Frame, Susannah Whitsell,
Wilmina and Catharine Miller. Elder
James Neal effected the organization,
and continued in the pulpit fourteen years.
The ministers since then have been Revs.
W. A. Gross, five years; James Neal,
three years; C. C. Philips, one year; and
Rev. Peter McCullough, who has been supplying
the church since last May.
PEOPLE’S CHURCH.
Elder
James Neal, with twenty-four members,
organized the old church at West Florence in the
fall of 1842. The building still stands at the
rear of Frank Swisher’s store.
Rev. James Neal was the pastor for about
seven years, and was followed, after a brief vacancy
of the pulpit, by Rev. T. M. McWhinney, now
of the Herald of Gospel Liberty, at Dayton.
Eli Conger, Matthew McWhinney,
William Kendrick, Thomas M.
McWhinney, John Kendrick,
William McWhinney, Robert
Swisher, with their wives, and Mrs.
Elizabeth McWhinney, were among the first
members. Prior to the year 1859, Rev.
T. M. McWhinney conceived the plan of the
members of the Christian denomination uniting with
the Universalists and Methodists of the neighborhood
in the building of a new house of worship, to be
called the People’s church, and accordingly, in
1859, the commodious brick building which had been
erected by general subscription, was dedicated by
Revs. T. M. McWhinney, of the Christian
denomination, and Rev. James Foster, a
Universalist, of Indianapolis. Naturally
enough, both denominations desired the lead, and on
the day of dedication, upon a vote of the
congregation, it was decided that Mr. McWhinney
be followed by Mr. Foster.
Strangely enough, both ministers had chosen the same
text. There has always been a controversy
between the denominations for supremacy. The
Christian denomination is the stronger element, and
since the dedication of the church they have had
their own ministers, among whom were Revs. T. M.
McWhinney, Joseph Weeks, James Sloan, Hiram
Simonton, W. A. Brodrick, Levi Purviance, Z. T.
Sullivan, and Peter McCullough. For
eighteen months the church has been without a
pastor. The house is situated just east of
West Florence, about three hundred yards from the
old church.
THE NEW WESTVILLE CHURCH
was organized by Elder
James Neal, about eight years ago.
For a time it was very prosperous, but of late years
it has not succeeded quite so well. Preaching
is still kept up there by Rev. Neal.
There was a church of the same denomination at New
Westville more than thirty years ago, but it has
disappeared.
GERMAN EVANGELICAL SOCIETY.
This society was organized in 1859,
by Rev. Philip Swartz, of Darke
county. There were, originally, fifteen
members, but at present there are but seven.
The meetings are occasionally held in the United
Brethren and Methodist churches of New Hope.
They never had a building of their own.
Rev. A. O. Raber, of Indiana, occasionally
preaches for them.
EARLY BURIAL
PLACES.
The first
graveyard in the township is in section nine teen,
on the Indiana line, on the farm now occupied by
Jacob Crowell. It was laid out by
the pioneers of the Elkhorn settlement. The
first person buried there was a young man named
Thomas Hollett, killed by a falling tree.
Here are buried John Bozworth,
Michael Crowell, Elijah Wade,
and others of the first settlers. Recently the
cemetery has been remodelled, and it presents an
attractive appearance.
In the earliest times there was a graveyard in section
ten, on the farm of Jacob Wolf, just
north of the Eaton and Richmond pike. Jacob
Wolf was the first person buried there.
Rebecca Wells and Elizabeth Davisson
were among the first persons buried in this
graveyard, whose only monument is a large wild
cherry tree, which can be seen from the pike.
What is known as the Frame graveyard is situated about
a quarter of a mile southwest of Union chapel.
July 16, 1816, the infant daughter of John
and Polly Frame died, and there being no
graveyard in the neighborhood it was thought best to
bury the child near the house. Accordingly
Silas, the brother of John, and father of
Daniel Frame, dug a grave in a
secluded spot a short distance northwest of the
house. When the little procession of relatives
started for the place of burial, it was with the
utmost difficulty that they could find the grave, so
thick was the heavy growth of bushes. A plain
freestone slab now marks the little grave, which, in
the course of time, has been surrounded by the
silent inhabitants of the silent city that has grown
about the lonely grave of the wilderness. Here
were buried: Jeremiah Frame, Dec. 9, 1828,
aged seventy-six; his wife, Elizabeth, Dec.
9, 1828, aged eighty-eight; Isham Lanier,
Jan. 2, 1823, aged sixty-six; John Frame,
Sept. 26, 1828, aged forty-four; Polly
Frame, Dec.
[Page 253]
30, 1840, aged thirty-nine; Silas Frame,
Oct. 2, 1864, aged sixty-three; John C. McManus,
1852, aged sixty-five; John R. Williams, Apr.
22, 1863, aged seventy-three; his wife, Catharine,
Apr. 15, 1863, aged seventy-two; John
Ammerman, June 22, 1856, aged seventy-nine; his
wife, Rachel, July 19, 1859, aged seventy;
his first wife, Malchariot, July 30, 1849,
aged twenty-five; Rev. William
Williams, a Baptist minister, Feb. 19, 1841,
aged eighty; John Miller, Nov. 26,
1864, aged sixty-nine; Henry Miley,
June 21, 1868; aged seventy; and Henry
Lanier, Oct/ 6, 1879, aged seventy-nine.
The above were the first settlers of the
southeastern part of the township.
In the graveyard adjoining the New Westville Methodist
Episcopal church were buried: First, Lucy
Ann, wife of Henry W. Price, Sept. 8,
1815, aged twenty-five; afterwards, Thomas J.
McWhinney, Sept. 11, 1846, aged thirty-six;
Andrew Morrow, July 21, 1847, aged
eighty; his wife, Rebecca; Dr. W. M.
Jackson, Aug. 2 1, 1849, aged thirty-seven; and
others, whose graves
are not marked.
VILLAGES.
West
Florence, New Westville, New Hope, Campbellstown,
and Crawfordsville are the hamlets of Jackson
township.
WEST FLORENCE.
In 1816 John
McCowen laid off in section thirty-three, at the
middle of the southern boundary of the township, a
plat of ground divided into lots, calling the
proposed town Knoxville, after his native Knoxville,
Tennessee. The plat was not recorded until
Mar. 18, 1835. It was then called Florence,
and at the time of the establishment of the post
office, in 1839, the name was changed to West
Florence. The first store was built in 1816 by
John McCowen, on a spot immediately in
front of Dr. Gans’ barn.
Warren C. Emerson became the first postmaster,
May 17, 1839. Frank Swisher now keeps
the store, and is the deputy of Dr. P. T. Gans,
the present postmaster.
As is stated elsewhere, the first school-house in the
township was built in 1816, opposite the old store.
The old frame Christian church is still standing in
the yard back of Swisher’s store. Until 1850
part of West Florence was in Dixon township, but at
that time William Swisher bought that part
lying south of the line, and the four or five houses
were moved across into Jackson township. There
is now in the village a store, a blacksmith and a
wagon shop. Dr. P. T. Gans is the
resident physician. There are at present fifty
inhabitants.
NEW WESTVILLE.
Until the establishment
of the post office of New Westville, June 4, 1840,
the town was known as West ville, and letters were
sent to McCowen’s cross roads. July 16, 1816,
the west half of section number five was surveyed,
and a plat, containing sixty-four in-lots and eight
out—lots, was acknowledged by Isaac Stephens, J.
P. The store was built by James
McCowen. George Worthington, the founder
of the town, opened the first tavern in the township
in 1817. For a time the projected town grew,
and at first it was ahead of Richmond,
which was founded in 1818. It reached the
zenith of its prosperity soon after the building of
the Eaton and Richmond pike, and after the
construction of the railroad, became dead to
enterprise. The present postmaster is
Nicholas Huth. It now has about one
hundred and twenty-five inhabitants.
NEW
HOPE
was laid out June 11, 1841, by Daniel
Hawk, and additions were made Oct. 15, 1842, in
the southeast part of the present town by Abraham
Leedy, and by Jacob Cline in August,
1847, comprising all that part now lying west of the
intersection of the pike with what is known as “the
short line.” The village is situated on the
Eaton and Richmond pike, about five miles northwest
of Eaton. It contains nearly one hundred and fifty
people. The post office is Upshur, with W.
L. Mitchell postmaster, and Jacob
Cline acting as his deputy. The first post
master, William Brown, was sworn in
Apr. 2, 1844. He kept the first store,
opposite Renner’s hotel. The village
store was kept successively by Adam
Surface, Rev. Asa Cohee, Rev.
Henry Tobey, and at present is kept by
Jacob Cline. Abraham
Leedy opened the first tavern, which being on
the stage line from Dayton to Richmond, was well
patronized by travellers and teamsters.
Stuart Hoon afterwards kept the Five Mile house
where Henry Adler now lives. The
present hotels are kept by William Renner and
George Stemple. There are two
churches - the Methodist Episcopal and the United
Brethren. Dr. G. W. Dickey is
the physician. The blacksmith and wagon shop
is owned by Henry Ashinger and his
son, Edward. James Kinkade
keeps a small store opposite that of Jacob
Cline.
CRAWFORDSVILLE
was laid out Dec. 10, 1842, by Conrad
Frey, and for a time had as bright prospects as
any of its neighboring hamlets. It has now
only seven families. It is situated in section
twenty-four, on the eastern township line.
Daniel Strader is the oldest inhabitant.
CAMPBELLSTOWN
is the name of the post office at
Florence station, on the south side of the
Cincinnati, Richmond & Chicago railroad. Lots
were sold from time to time but they were never
platted. Soon after the building of the railroad
Harvey McWhinney opened a store, and the
packing of pork was very successfully engaged in.
Henry Swisher, the railroad agent, keeps
a store and warehouse. Jacob Cooper
keeps the post office in his store. The first
post office was established June 1, 1854, and
Matthew McWhinney was the first postmaster.
The warehouse kept at New Hope station by
Charles McManus was burned Dec. 22, 1879.
John Williams keeps a store there.
PHYSICIANS.
At the time
of the settlement of Jackson township, there was no
regular physician nearer than Eaton. Richard
Morrow remembers to this day, the fright given
him by a visit from Dr. Walter
Buell, who, though one of the kindest of men,
was by no means the handsomest. Dr.
Mitchell, of West Florence, is the first
resident physician
[Page 254]
in this township, of whom there is any remembrance.
Dr. Warren B. Munger, a graduate of the Ohio
Medical college of Cincinnati, came next, and
remained three or four years. Dr.
Irwin Boyd next came, practicing for;
eight years. He was very active and
self-sacrificing during the terrible ravages of the
cholera in 1849, and was almost idolized by the
whole neighborhood. He died of cholera in
1855, being taken sick at the house of Ebenezer
Paddack while attending to the wants of some
cholera patients. His loss was considered
almost irreparable. Dr. P. T. Gans
began the practice of medicine in West Florence in
the fall of 1854. He has a large practice, and is
universally respected. Dr. George E.
Wilkinson was the first regular physician in New
Hope. He came about 1842, and after practicing
five or six years, was succeeded by Dr.
Theodore Purdy, who leaving in 1849, was
followed by Dr. Cruise, and May 7,
1849, by Dr. George W. Dickey, of the
eclectic school. He is the present
practitioner in New Hope, and has an extensive
practice, being the oldest physician in the whole
neighborhood. He has instructed the following
students who practiced in New Hope a short time
after their graduation: Drs. L. Van Trump,
O. E. Tillson, now of West Alexandria; O. W.
Tobey, now at Pyrmont, Ohio; and W. A.
Arrasmith, who is now located at Campbellstown,
and has acquired a large practice.
In 1877 Dr. Warren B. Munger removed from
Sidney, Ohio, and remained in New Hope for three
years. He is now located in Indiana.
There are no other physicians in the township.
MILLS.
The first
and only flouring-mill in Jackson township was built
about eight years ago, in section thirty-two, by
Martin Swisher. There is a saw-mill
attached.
About thirty years ago there was a saw-mill in section
ten, but it was burned a few years ago. The
mill now then, is owned by Meredith Cox. The steam
saw-mill at New Hope is owned by the Kramer
brothers.
There is also a steam saw-mill at Campbellstown.
Several years ago a tile factory, under the control of
Eli Fisher, was built a short distance
west of New Hope, but it has recently been moved to
Gettysburgh, this county.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD
FELLOWS.
This lodge which is at
Campbellstown, is the only secret society in the
township. The present officers are:
William Parker, N. G.; Frank
Swisher, V. G., William Rhea, recording
secretary; ]. V. Campbell, permanent
secretary; W. A. Arrasmith, treasurer.
The lodge was instituted July 23, 1873.
The Grangers had a lodge of the Patrons of Husbandry in
Campbellstown a short time ago, but it is now
extinct.
BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCHES.
WILLIAM BULLA
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