Mount Jackson, Indiana

William McCaw, the southwest quarter and the west half of the southeast quarter of section 21, township 16, range 3. Lands located near Eagle Creek, northwest of Mount Jackson. He was a native of Westmoreland County, Pa., born in 1787, and came to Marion County in April, 1822.

Passage source: History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, published 1884.

It is said by some who know Mr. Beeler that, though naturally rather slow to act, he is fully in earnest when aroused, and that opinion was. fully verified in this case, for he acted with such promptness and energy that in less than twenty-four hours, he, with the assistance of the city police, had secured the arrest of two of the robbers, while the other (a property-owner in Indianapolis) had fled from the county. In less than a week the robber who had held the horse's head had been tried and sentenced to eight years in the penitentiary. A friend and accomplice (though not one of the three who robbed Mr. Beeler) had falsely sworn an alibi for the one convicted, and in less than another week he was himself on the way to the penitentiary under an eight-years' sentence for perjury. The other arrested robber had a father who was possessed of considerable property, and it was supposed that the criminal fraternity also contributed largely towards his defense. When his trial came on (the prosecuting attorney who conducted the proceedings against the other robber having resigned his office) the prosecution of the case devolved on a young lawyer of good talents, but little experience, and thereupon Mr. Beeler, being determined that the villain should not escape from justice, employed at his own expense an eminent and experienced lawyer to assist the prosecution. After a protracted trial, in which there was a great amount of false swearing, and money freely used to save the prisoner, he was convicted, and sentenced to the penitentiary for three years (the verdict being a compromise one, some of the jury holding out for eight years and others being for acquittal). This ruffian, after serving out his term, returned to Indianapolis, and a short time afterwards was engaged in the attempted robbery of a farm-house, in which he received several severe wounds, was captured, tried, and sentenced to the southern prison for eight years. Shortly after his incarceration there he became the leader in an attempt by a number of convicts to escape, in which attempt he killed one of the guards, for which he received sentence of death, but succeeded in obtaining a new trial, which resulted in a sentence of imprisonment for life in the penitentiary. The village of Mount Jackson, situated on the east line of the township, had its origin in a public-house built by W. C. Holmes and others, about 183Y, on the National road, at that point. Adjoining the place were the lands of Obadiah Harris and Nathaniel Bolton. The village was laid out by Harris and Muir in 1838, and the plat recorded October 27th of that year. A store was opened by Daniel Hoover, and another by Moore & Kempton. The buildings of the Asylum for the Insane, which have been erected just north of the hamlet of Mount Jackson, are more fully mentioned in the history of Indianapolis, though not within the city limits.

Passage source: History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, published 1884.

An old Baptist Church building, erected more than half a century ago (one of the first frame churches in Marion County), is still standing near Mount Jackson, a little west of the Insane Asylum. The first church organization that worshiped here included among its prominent members Israel, Samuel, and Ede Harding, with others of the pioneer settlers of that vicinity. The organization ceased to exist many years ago, and the church building was abandoned as a house of worship.

Passage source: History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, published 1884.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Wayne Township.