Collins School

Jamestown Township lies in the north tier, adjoining the State of Michigan, which bounds it on the north. To the east lies Fremont Township, to the south Pleasant, and to the west Mill Grove. The township is a little less than six miles east and west, and a little more than four miles north and south. It thus contains about twenty-four square miles, or about 15,500 acres, of which say 2,000 acres are covered by water. The township contains some of the finest lakes in the county, and offers unrivaled advantages to the sportsman who desires a successful fishing trip, to the city man who needs a few weeks quiet amid attractive scenery, or to the farmer who wants to locate in as beautiful a region as is in Indiana. Lake James, the largest body of water in the county, stretches from the south line nearly to the village of Jamestown, covering half of sections 28 and 33, and parts of 21, 27 and 34. Lake Jimerson covers half of section 32. Lake George lies on sections 14 and 15, near Jamestown, and stretches into Michigan, as does Hog Lake, on section 17, and Lake Pleasant, in the northwestern corner, on 18. Others are Upper and Lower Otter lakes, on sections 26 and 2Y; Green's Lake, on 26; Failing Lake, on 35; Marsh Lake, on 25; Mud Lake, on 22, and Walters's Lake, on 13.

Passage source: History of Steuben County, Indiana, Together with... Biographies of Representative Citizens, published 1885.

As mentioned in the history of Fremont Township, the first settlers arrived near Willow Prairie on one of the last days of August, 1835. Jamestown Township received some of its first permanent settlers only a few days later. Dennis Depue, John D. Depue, John Wilkins and Jared Fox were among the pioneers ot the township. They arrived Sept. 8,1835. Six weeks later, when the forests were gorgeously arrayed in all the bright and beautiful colors peculiar to the northern woods in autumn, the population of the settlement was materially increased by the arrival of Henry Depue, Sr., Michael Depue, Benjamin Depue, Henry Depue, Levi Depue and Mary Hoxter. Henry and Levi Depue settled in Orland, and John D. and Benjamin Depue located in Branch County, Mich. John Wilkins and Dennis Depue, settled in Jamestown Township, near the village of that name. Jared Fox settled in Gilead, Branch Co., Mich.

Passage source: History of Steuben County, Indiana, Together with... Biographies of Representative Citizens, published 1885.

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