JACKSON TOWNSHIP
Hancock County
Jackson township was organized at the May term, 1831, of the board of commissioners of Hancock county, and was
made to include all of what is now Jackson and Brown townships. At the September term of the board, 1832, Green
township was organized, which was made to include all of what is now Green and Brown townships. This left Jackson
township with its present dimensions. At the June term, in 1850, the hoard of commissioners organized Worth township,
which included twenty-four square miles, or all of what is now included in Jackson township except a strip two
miles wide crossing its south end. Thus from 1850 until the March term, 1853, of the board of commissioners, Jackson
township consisted of a narrow strip two miles north and south by six miles east and west. This included, however,
the more thickly settled portion of the former township along the National road, and gave Jackson township probably
as many inhabitants as were included in Worth township above. Since March 11, 1853, Jackson town-ship has had its
present boundaries. It is six miles square. The civil town-ship of Jackson lies in two congressional townships,
Sections I, 12, 13, 24, 25 and 36, along the west side, lie in congressional township 16 north, range 7 east. The
remaining part of the township, consisting of thirty square miles, is located in township 16 north, range 8 east.
Its natural drainage consists of Six Mile and Little Six Mile creeks, both flowing south through the eastern part
of the township. Nameless creek, formerly known as Straight creek, flows southwest through the central part of
the township, and Brandywine creek drains six or eight sections in the northwest corner of the township. The township
has also been well drained by a system of artificial drainage, including the large open drains with their covered
arms. The first land entry was made by William Oldham, who on November 20, 1824, entered the northwest quarter
of the northwest quarter of section 23, township 16, range 8, which lies about two and one-half miles north of
Charlottesville. Other entries followed in rapid succession, and on the entry book may be found a number of the
family names still familiar in the township and county. Among them are included, Margaret R. Bracken, James Davis,
Elisha Earls, Francis Craft, George W. Hatfield, William Hawkins, Robert McCorkhill, John Kirkpatrick, Ezra Miller,
Samuel Smith, Benjamin Cooper, Lemuel D. Fort, James Oldham, Edward Lewis, Jacob Brooks, Jacob Slifer, John Lewis,
Robert Earl, Andrew Pauiey, Edward Barrett, James Dille, William Oldham, William Leamon, James Sample, Abraham
Watson, William Hazlett, Thomas Hatfield, William Cox, David Scott, Elijah Ballenger, Robert White, John Wood,
Calvin Roland, James Steele, David Priddy, John It Jacobs, James Lowney, Samuel Longnaker, Vanmeter, James P. Foley,
James Fort, Jordan Lacy, Thomas Craft, Issac N. Hill, Samuel Dille, William Scott, Robert H. Wilson, John Sample,
Moses Braddock, William Ramsey, Rebecca Snodgrass, Henry Wilson, Men Gosney, John Stephens, Samuel Overman, Moses
McCray, Michael H Richard R. Earls, Ebenezer Gohle, William Kirkpatrick, George Craft, Jacob S.Hewey, Sovereign
Earl, John Catt, Joseph Lewis, Joseph Fort, James Williams, James Hinchman. Solomon Hull, Joseph Pauley, Basil
Meek and Tames Templeton.
Nameless creek furnished water power for several mills at a very early date. Of the mills established in Jackson
township were the following: Grist-mill, erected by John Port, in 1827, at about the middle of section 26, town-ship
i6, range 8, stood about one mile north of Charlottesville. A saw-mill was erected by David Longnaker about 1833,
on Six Mile creek about the middle of section 23, township 16, range 8. A saw-mill was erected about 1855 oil the
west half of the northeast quarter of section 26, township 16, range 8, on the place known as the Henderson McKown
farm. It was operated by different parties and was finally moved to the northeast corner of section 7, township
16, range 8, on a farm owned by Joseph Higgins. Another saw-mill, erected in 1860 by Walton & Rule, on the
southeast corner of section 13, township 16, range 7, at what is commonly known as Leamon's Corner, was operated
here until probably in the early seventies, when it was moved to Cleveland. In 1881. it was purchased by a Mr.
Mingle and moved to Eden.
A tannery was erected about 1844 by James R. Bracken, probably along the east side of the northeast quarter of
section I, township 16, range 7, or just a short distance south and west of what is now Willow branch. A tile factory
was erected in 1869 by Thomas L. Marsh and William Draper, just below the northwest corner of section 8, township
16, range 8. Draper finally bought the interest of Marsh and operated the factory until during the eighties. A
blacksmith shop was operated during the thirties by Abraham Huntington, on the northwest quarter of section 7,
township 16, range 7, or in the extreme northwest corner of the township.
The first nursery in the county was established immediately north of Charlottesville about 1840, by Isaac Barrett.
SCHOOLS
The first school houses in the township were erected along the National road. The first school house was probably
erected somewhere in the south half of section 31, township 16, range 8, in the extreme southwest Part of the township.
These of course were private schools. The first public school seems to have been erected at what is now known as
Leamon's Corner. Another very early school was erected immediately north of Charlottesville, and a school that
was very prominent in the early township was Cleveland Academy, erected one-half mile north and one-fourth mile
east of Cleveland. The teachers of the county held their institute at this school a time or two, all of which has
been discussed elsewhere.
The first school, at Charlottesvillle was erected on the bluff of Six Mile creek south of the National road. After
the free school law was enacted, in 1852, the township was divided into nine districts. Later, two extra schools
were built.
The first brick school house in the township was constructed at the northwest corner of section 17, township 16,
range 8, then known as district No. 11. The second brick house was constructed at the northwest corner of section
19, township 16, range 8, which has ever since been known as Leamons corner.
Later, brick houses were of course constructed in all of the districts of the township.
Several 1 of them were entirely destroyed by the storm of June 25, 1902.
Among the very early teachers of the township were James Loehr, Edward B. Sample, Burd Lacy, A. T. Hatfield, George
VA Sample, William Sager, Jesse Leonard, John A. Craft, James Sample, Thompson Allen, C. C.Sample, H H. Ayers,
Nathen Fish, John McIntyre, John H Scott., George W Hatfield, Milton Heath, Penelope Heath and Catherine Stephens.
Among the later teachers that will he better remembered by the younger generations are William M. Lewis, A. V.
B. Sample, who also served several years as county examiner of Hancock county, J. H. Landis, E.W. Clark, Ancil
Clark, F. A. Lewis, George Burnett, S. C. Staley, Richard Warruin, George Williams, Vinton A. Smith, Edward P.
Scott and Edwin Braddock.
During the eighties a county normal or two were held at Charlottesville. The regular high school work that was
the beginning of the present system of high schools was installed in the fall of 1896, during the principalship
of Charles Mauck. The school has been maintained since that time with the following principals Charles Mauck, 1896-98;
Ora Staley, 1898-1907; William Stafford, 1907-08; Roscoe Thomas, 1908-13 ; Sylvester Moore, 1913-14: Walter Orr,
1914 to present date. Before the close of the term of 1912-13 the high school was commissioned by the state department
and has been a commissioned high school since that time.
MISCELLANEOUS
The population of Jackson township is 1,45O. as shown by the United States census report of 1910. In the spring
of 1915, 425 children between the ages of six and twenty one years where enumerated for school purposes.
There were 338 pupils enrolled in the schools, of which 53 were in the high school and 285 in the elementary grades.
The average daily attendance in the elementary grades was 238; in the high school 48. The total cost of maintaining
the elementary schools for the year 1914-1915 was $5,109.58. The total cost of maintaining the high school was
$2,962. The teachers in the township were paid for the school year of 1914-195, $7,128.60. The estimated value
of all school property belonging to the township, as reported by the township trustee on August 1 1915 is $35,000.
The total assessment of taxables in the township as represented by the assessor in 1914 was $1,615,000. During
the school year of 1914-15, 34 children were transported to school at a cost of $857.50 to the township.
Source:
History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman,
B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Pages 513-525.
last updated
February 07, 2003