Union County, Ohio - Chapter 27: Jackson Township, 1915

Chapter 27: Jackson Township

This is the extreme northeastern township of Union county and is bounded as follows : on the north and east by Marion county, on the south by Claibourne township, on the west by Washington township. The first land surveys were made in 183 1, tract No. 3,473, of four hundred acres, for John \\'iilianis, being the first to be surveyed. Rush creek is the only stream of much importance \\ithin this ci\il township. It enters from Washington township on the west, flows southeastwardly until it reaches the interior of the township and then turns northward and crosses over into Marion county. It was named for the large quantities of wild rushes found growing along its banks at an early day. Lime rock and gravel is found along this stream. The surface of the land in Jackson is slightly rolling, though by no means considered rough or very hilly. The few ponds or swamps found by the pioneers in the township ha\e all long since disappeared and their beds have become productive fields of corn, wheat and grasses common to this latitude. Drainage has been very successful in this part of the county. Beaver Pond was a large sheet of water in the northwestern portion and originally contained about forty acres, but no traces of the pond can now be seen. Few springs abound and the water supply is known as limestone water. The father of this township, so to speak, was Ebenezer Cheney, who petitioned the county commissioners March 3, 1829, for a new township. The prayer of the petitioners was granted and the bounds set forth as follows: "Beginning at the countv line eight miles south of the northeast corner of Union county : thence running west parallel with the north line of the county of Union to the east line of Liberty township ; thence with the Lilierty township line to the northern boundary of the county of Union; thence south eight miles to the place of beginning." At the same date it was ordered sun'eyed by Levi Phelps.

Tune 3, 1829, the following entry appears of record : "The commissioners of Union county reconsidered the order for the running of the township of Jackson, and ordered that the said townshi]) shall be laid of¥, beginning two miles and rme-half north of the first mile-tree north of Bokes creek on the eastern boundarv of the county of Union ; thence west parallel with the south- em boundary of said county of Union to the boundary line between Liberty and Leesburg - all north to be considered as tlie township of Jackson." The same day an election was ordered to be held June i6, 1829. As thus constituted it will be observed that the new township embraced the greater part of what is now Claibourne township, as well as the Miller settlement in York township. The township was reduced to its present form and size by the erection of Claibourne township in 1834.

Just where the first election was held is n<it now known, but no doubt in some one of the pioneer houses in what is now styled Claibourne township. In 1832 the election was held at the house of David Carr and in 1838 it was ordered that the township trustees should call the election at the house of Michael Blue. In 1843 the school house at Essex became the regular voting place and so continued for many years.

The Indians

Before referring to the white settlement in this part of Union county it Avill be interesting, no doubt, to mention some items connected with the race that preceded the white race. The Indian tribe here found was the VVyandots. These Indians, with possibly other friendh' tribes who from time to time visited this tribe, lingered hereabouts until 1833. Se\Tral burying grounds of this race reveal their former occupancy. On the old farm of Jason Chapman, in a gravel bed situated between the road and the creek, six skeletons were dug up in 1834 and other evidences were found of the Indian occupancy and a regular camping ground. On the farm settled by Joseph Cameron, later owned b}- \\'. F. Chene}-. was a large mound that had served as an Indian grave-yard. The mound or knoll was composed of sand and gra\el and on the north, east and south rose quite abruptly, while on the west it sloped gradually to the loamy soil below. It covered about two acres. When the gravel and sand were remo\-ed f<:)r reads and building uses a number of human skeletons were exhumed. Arrow heads and otlier trinkets were found.

The Wyandots were expert bee-hunters. Ebenezer Chene}', while on a bee-hunting expedition, once found a large bee tree. The hive was in an upper limb and hence inaccessible to him without chopping down the tree, which was the usual course adopted by white hunters. While deliberating whether it would pay to cut down the giant oak, an Indian hunter approached and obligingly offered to procure the coveted honey for him. The offer was gladly accepted. The brave drew his tomahawk and felled a small sapling so that its top fell against the lower branches of the bee tree. He ascended on this to the lower branch of the oak and then proceeded to cut and trmi a hnib with a hook at one end. He caught the hook in a Hmb overhead and dimbed up to it hand over hand. Throwing away the hooked Hmb he cut of? the branch containing the hone\-. Then balancing himself, he leaped down to the lower limb and descended to the ground by the same means he had employed in ascending.

On another occasion an Indian appeared at the cabin of Ebenezer Cheney and desired to obtain a gun-lock to replace his own which was lost. He exchanged a cotton shawl for one and when he had finished hunting returned to the cabin and wanted to trade back. Onl_\- a daughter of Mr. Cheney was then present and to the demand of the red man she exclaimed "Xo swap." "Swap anyhow," said the hunter and taking the shawl from the wall, he threw down the gun-lock and strode out of the door. Miss Cheney, displeased with this procedure, set the dogs at the retreating Indian, but the boys working in the field, not knowing the cause of the disturbance, called them off.

Man}' of the Indians became christianized. After the race had about disappeared from the township, an Indian minister named Manonku, camped out in the woods and while here attended a Methodist meeting then in progress, and at his own invitation, participated in the religiovis exercises.

When grain was first grown here the only market was at Lake Erie. The only highways were mud roads. Wheat brought from sixty to seventy cents a bushel, and farmers usually hauled it to Portland, taking forty bushels at a load, and consuming an entire week to make the round trip. The first ground prepared for the seed in this township was by John Cheney, who used a mattock. He sowed the land to beets. Daniel A. ^^'hite brought the first joint of tile into the township.

Early Settlement

Benjamin Carter was undoubtedly the first white settler in Jackson township. He was born in Tennessee in 1787 : emigrated to Ohio in 1805. settling in Champaign county; there he married in 1812, served a short time in the War of 181 2. Christmas day, 1826. he landed with his family in Jackson township, purchasing a hundred acres of land in survey Xo. 9.889, southwest from Essex. He spent the remainder of his life in clearing up and cultivating the soil of his own farm. He died in March, 1866, and his wife in 1871. They had a large and highly interesting family of sons and daughters.

Ebenezer Cheney made tiie ne.xt settlement. He was born in Virginia in 1777; emigrated to Ohio in i8'07 and to Jackson township in 1827. He was attracted hither on account of the wild game then found here. The route by which he and Mr. Carter before him reached this country was by an Indian trail from Fulton creek north to Rush creek, which almost followed the line of the present pike road. They came by ox-team and were often obliged to stop and cut logs away in order that their team might pass. Their cabins were reared by the aid of men from far and near. Cheney was a famous hunter in this township and killed hundreds of deer. He had the ill luck to lose one eye by being hit with a brush while working in the timber. He died in 1833.

Jacob Reed, born in Virginia, 1807, came to this township in 1829 and erected his cabin a mile or so west of Essex. He did not move his family here until 1830. Subsequentl_v he became a merchant at Essex. He sold out his store in 185 1 and then emigrated to Mahaska county, Iowa, where he died in the spring of 1880.

Joseph Cameron's permanent arri\al in the township was in 1830. He came with his brother-in-law Reed. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1807 and when two years old accompanied his parents to Ohio. The family settled in Champaign county where he grew to man's estate.

Samuel Sanders, lx)rn in Maryland in 1766, was married in 1785 to Nancy Reed. They settled in Jackson township in 1830 at a point about one mile north of the village of Essex. He died in 1846 and his wife in 1851.

Jacob Collins in about 1829 built himself a cabin two and a half miles west of Essex. He was not a land owner, but a squatter. He built a small blacksmith shop. When not engaged at the glowing forge he hunted. He sold his squatter's rights to Ebenezer Davis, moved to Washington township and later moved to unknown parts.

David Carr was born in Bradford county, Pennsyhania, in 1802, and emigrated to Champaign county, Ohio, in 181 7. He married Mary Cheney in 1826 and in 1831 moved into Jackson township, settling southeast of Essex, where he died in 1874.

with his parents in 1818 to FrankHn count}-, Ohio, making the journey by teams from Xew York state. He taught a term of school in Mill Creek township in 1825 and later in Jerome township. He married Elizabeth Cheney in 1832 and settled west of Essex. He farmed, taught and clerked in Essex a number of \ears. In 1854 he was elected clerk of the courts for Union count}'. He lived in ]klar}'s\'ille fifteen years and held other county positions at Alarysville.

James Bell, born in Pennsylvania in 1801, was married in 1822 to ]\Iargaret Sanders. They settled in 1832 in Jackson township. He farmed and run a blacksmith shop until he removed to Marion county, where he died in 1872.

Ira Bennett effected his settlement in the township in 1830; a few years later he wended his wa\- on to the west and was lost sight of in this county.

Albert R. White, born in Bradford count}', Pennsylvania, in 1801, came with his parents to Alill Grove, Warren count}', Ohio, in 1819, and the following year mox'ed to Franklin county, Indiana. He moved to this township in 1 83 1. He lived to be past eighty.

Jason Chapman, of Frederick county, Virginia, born 1793, married in 181 3, came to Ohio in 1825, and in 1833 removed to Jackson township. He made an excellent citizen and did his full share of hard work as a farmer. He died in 1880. He was a strong \\'hig in the days of that political party. He belonged to the Methodist Protestant church. During the War of 1812, he served eight months in the Northwestern army under General Harrison. He was present at the building of Ft. ]Meigs. He had eleven children and one son, Joseph, was killed at the battle of Missionar}- Ridge during the Civil War.

Michael Blue, born in \'irginia in 1801. married in 1820: came to Jackson township in September, 1833. settling a .short distance northwest of the village of Essex nn a. farm of one hundred and fifty acres. He purchased the place before his removal here. He died in 1857 and his wife in 1876.

Southworth Mather, a native of Xew Jersey, when a young man moved to Virginia, and from there the family came to Ohio. He was married in Union township, in this county, to Philona Rice, and in about 1831 moved to Jackson township. He became a squatter a mile west of Essex village. He later purciiased land in Wasiiington township, but finally removed to Iowa, where he died.

The names already given, together with the following, all came in before 1840: Henry Bennett, Francis Baldwin, Ira Bennett, Jesse Bowen, John and Henry Baldwin, Benjamin Bradshaw, Daniel Bell, Michael Deck, John Dixon, Absalom Forbes, Samuel Grant, Jacob Honaker, Peter Hinkle, David Jones, William Lockhart, Hiram Keeler, George Knightlinger, Samuel Alerritt, Reuben Redding, Thomas Temple, Nicholas Van Buskirk, David Washburn, David, Dennis and Benjamin Welch.

The Early Mills

Is'otwithstanding Jackson was settled much later than any of the other townships, its milhng facilities were poor for many years. It was no unusual thing for a number of families to band together and send a four-horse wagon tilled with grain to a mill near Mechanicsburg, thirty miles distant. Mills came in later and they greatly helped the pioneers. While these mills were nut in the townshii). they were within eas}- driving distance from home, one being sixteen miles distant, at jMilhille, on the Scioto river. There were numerous "corn-crackers" put in by which corn meal was produced in abundance. These were only used when wheat grinding mills could not be reached on account of high water ur bad roads. In 1840 William Britt built a small grist mill and had a saw-mill attachment on Rush creek, a mile below Essex. Later, Warner Bridge constructed a saw mill two miles west of Essex, and soon had a rude pair of burrs set in motion by which a poor grade of flour was made.

A stationary steam saw mill was constructed at the village of Essex by John B. Stout. Later, it was sold to Sprague & Haynes, who added a distillery.

Essex

At what is now st}'led Rush Creek postoffice. in the central portion of Jackson township, once flourished the little village of Essex. It was surveyed September 2. 1836, by William C. Lawrence, deputy surveycir, for John Cheney, the proprietor. There were but forty lots platted. At that date it was hoped by the citizens of that section that a new county might be organized and Essex hoped to be named the county seat. The first cabin was erected by Dr. David Welch in 1838. Tabor Randall was the first postmaster, the office being called Rush Creek. ]\I. P. Camp succeeded him as postmaster. Other postmasters there were Sidney Hogden, John A. Peasley, Richard Davis, S. E. Williams and Richard Davis for a second term. The office has been discontinued and mail is received over the rural free delivery route out from Richwood. The \illage now has a population of about one hundred. It is a small trading point.

The first store at Essex was the stock put in by L. H. Hastings, then a merchant at Richwood. Thomas Cheney operated it for a year or two for its owner. Other merchants were James Stout, Jacob Reed, William Wurl, Camp & Search and possibly a few others. A flour and saw mill was operated in 1881 by W. A. Hall & Son. At one time Lewis Hack, son-in-law of Dr. operated a potash factory there.

Woodland

This postoffice village is in the eastern part of the township. It is a station on the old New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio railroad line. As early as 1882 it contained a large planing mill, operated by Henry Hazen. A store was started about 1866 and run several years by Ed. Hazen. The village has a population of about one hundred and twenty-five and is nicely situated.