Jefferson Township

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP

This township occupies a place in the west tier of townships. It is bounded on the south by Jackson, on the west by Montgomery County, on the north by Sugar Creek and Washington Townships, and on the west by Center. A part of it was originally embraced in the Indian reserve. Jefferson contains about forty-six sections, two sections and a half out of the northeast corner makes that much less than forty-eight square sections. The township is drained by Wolf Creek and Walnut fork of Sugar Creek. The former flows in a northwestern direction entering Sugar Creek Township. The latter flows west, leaving the township at section thirty, entering Montgomery County near the town Shannondale. Dover, near the center, is now and has been for years the voting place and trading point in Jefferson. The trade is, however, divided between Lebanon, Thorntown, and Shannondale. To say the township, as a rule, is well cultivated would not be saying too much. Naturally of good soil, assisted by good husbandry, good crops are annually gathered, unless drought or wet weather preventing.

It was first settled about the year 1829, and in the fall of that year James Scott entered the first land. Next came Wm. Young. In 1830 Michael D. Campbell, Alle Lane, Ed. Cox, Wm. Hill, John G. Thompson, Lewis Denny, Wm. M. McBurrows, Abraham Utter, R. Cox, Clayburn Cain. A little later came the Caldwells, Taylers, John Hill, Adam Kern, John Stephenson, Wm. Darrough, Thom. M. Burris, Samuel Moore, Gid. Jackson, Rual Jackson, Sampson Bowen, Erkins, Threilkelds, Jas. A. Thompson, James Davis, Irwins, Samuel Hollingsworth. Later came Nathan Cory, Manial Heistand, the Bowmans, Styhes, Wm. Sanford, Jesse Jackson, W. G. Cory, La Folletts, Matthew Harris, Elias Garner, J. H. Potts, George F. Campbell, Madison Erskin, M. B. Porter, W. W. Alexander, David Caldwell, Elijah M. Denny.

Clayburn Young conducted the first religious services at his brother's house (Wm. Young) in the year 1831. For many years, there was no church here, and the meetings were held at the private houses of the early settlers. There are now many good, commodious edifices located in various places in the township. A separate account will be given in another part of this work.

William Young was the first justice elected in the township. The first election was held at the house of Michael D. Campbell, in the spring of 1833, at which time William McBurrows was elected Justice of the Peace. The population of the township in 1870 was 1,675, in 1880 it was 1,998. Number of schoolhouses in 1884, 1,095; number of voters in 1886, 560. The Indianapolis, Cincinnati, & Louisville Railroad crosses the northeast corner of the township, or rather the corners, first on one corner and then a shot distance across the southwest corner of Washington then across another corner of Jefferson, perhaps not more than a mile in length in the township, entering Sugar Creek at the extreme southeast corner.

The following persons have served as township trustees: James H. Potts, Manial Hustand, J. V. Young, J. M. Erskin, Wm. A. Harvey, Joseph A. Campbell, F. M. La Follett, Lee H. Miles, and George T. Young, elected April, 1886.

Source Citation: Boone County History [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2006. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: Harden & Spahr. "Early Life and Times in Boone County, Indiana." Indianapolis, Ind. Carlon & Hollenbeck. 1887.