Jackson Township

Jackson Township

Jackson township is in the southern tier of townships of DeKalb county, centrally located; bounded on the north by Union township, on the east by Concord and Spencer townships, on the south by Cedar Creek township, Allen county, and on the west by Butler and Keyser townships. Cedar creek crosses the northwestern portion of the township,, two branches of Bear creek enter, or leave, the southeastern corner, and Duncan lake and tributaries is located in the southwestern corner. The land is now fairly well suited for agriculture, although at one time it was inferior to the other townships, there being too much swamp land, and a considerable amount of heavy, clayey soil, the latter being still present in large quantities. The land has been ditched and tiled, and has been developed greatly considering the early character. Three railroads - the Vandalia, Baltimore & Ohio, and the Lake Shore & ]\Iichigan Southern meet in the northwestern corner, at Auburn Junction ; the Baltimore & Ohio traverses the entire northern quarter of the township.

Organization

On January i, 1838, the board of commissioners of the county "ordered that township 33 north, range 13 east, be organized as a civil township to be known by the name of Jackson township, and that John Watson be appointed inspector of elections for said township." The first election was afterward appointed for the first Monday in April, 1838, at the house of John Watson.

Early Settlement

The first settler in the township was William Miller, who moved in during the spring of 1836. He and his son, Joseph Miller, cut the first wagon track from the river settlements through to Cedar creek, below Auburn. The road crossed Jackson township from its east line, very nearly to the west one. Joseph Miller was afterward the first county surveyor. Another son, Thomas, was killed by the overturning of a wagon load of cross ties for the Eel river railroad. Another settler who became noted in the county was Thomas L. Yates, the eccentric judge, whom Wesley Park once threatened to put "up the ladder." He sold his land on the river, and settled three miles down the creek from Auburn, on the land which afterward belonged to Alonzo Lockwood. Others in that part of the township were : Leonard Boice, Adam P. Hartle, the Phillips family, and Benjamin Miller. In the southeast there were to be found; James Steward; Samuel Henderson, who came in fall of 1836; John and David Moody, John and William Watson, Srs., and their families; Nathan Wyatt and his sons, then forming three families; Jacob Maurer, once justice of the peace, and Willis Bishop. Northward of these on the east side of the township were: William IMeans. the first justice of the peace in Jackson township; Samuel Farney, Henry Dove, Abraham Johnson, Amariah Johnson, WilHam R. Moore, WilHam McClure, WilHam Squiers, Henry Brown, Matthew George, William George, Samuel Geisinger and Nelson Griffith. In the center of the township the first settlers were : Joseph Walters, Mr. Essig and William McNabb.

Death Of The Means Brothers

The untimely death of two young men - brothers - the sons of Esquire Means, was a distressing incident in the early settlement of the township. They were at work together in the clearing, and one of them came to the well at the house for a drink, and accidentally losing the bucket in the well, he went down to get it. There were damps in the well, and he fell senseless into the water. The women raised the alarm, and the other young man hastened to the well, and perhaps not understanding the matter, went down also, to rescue his brother, and fell senseless with him. Before either could be drawn out, life was entirely extinct.

Hurricane Of 1 84 1

In the summer or fall of 1841, a dark cloud arose, seeming to threaten a heavy shower, but soon the rapid motion and wild confusion of the lowering clouds proclaimed the approach of a wind storm. It struck the forest and leveled the timber. William and Mathew George, Heniy Brown, Nelson Griffith, and some other men were working on the road west of where Karper lived. Karper's cabin had been raised, but he had not yet moved in. The men, startled by the rumbling of the nearing storm, and seeing the air darkened with tree limbs and other debris, ran with all their speed to the home of Henry Brown, about eighty rods distant, where Brown's children and a daughter of William Munroe were, and rushing in, seized the children, and carried them into the open field. Immediately the storm was upon them. They grasped the wiry grass and held on to stumps to keep from being blown away. In the hurry of the moment, one child and the young woman had been left in the house, but fortunately, by some means, fell through the floor. The wind lifted the door from its hinges and threw it over them, and then the logs of the house came tumbling in upon them, until the house was leveled, and even the foundation logs turned over, yet the occupants were uninjured. The weight poles were blown a distance of forty rods. One of the knees from the roof of this cabin struck Leander Brown in the head, making a fear- ful gash. This wound affected the boy's eyesight in later life. The storm swept on over the township, rushing and swirling, and ripping everything to pieces which lay in its path. Fences were scattered, dwellings demolished in the clearing, and striking the forest, the giant trees wilted before the impact. Upon reaching the tract of land owned by William Draggoo, the ominous clouds lifted, and the work of destruction ceased. Articles of bed clothing from Brown's house were found at this point. The width of the path was half a mile and the length three miles.

Mrs. William George, after the fury of the storm, started to the home of Mr. Brown, but was so bewildered by the confusion of fallen timber, that she lost her way, and after exerting herself to the utmost, finally arrived at the home of George Moore, where she swooned from her excitement.

First Officers

Prior to i860, the justices of the peace were : William Means, John C. Hursh, A. D. Goetschius, Henry Brown and Jacob Mowrer. The constables were: William R. Moore, William McNabb, Benjamin Bailey, Frank Bailey, David Mathews, S. Geisinger, Thomas Wyatt, Willis Bishop, William Beatty, A. H. Flutter, John Carper, Burton Brown and John McClelland. Trustees were: Oliver Shroeder, Aaron Osborn, A. D. Goetschius, James Moore, Israel Shearer, Christian Sheets, Samuel Tarney, Joseph Walters, Isaac Fiandt, Peter Shafer, James Woolsey, David Henderson, Elias Zimmerman, Abraham Johnson and James AlcClelland. The assessors were John G. Dancer, Joseph Walters and Alexander Provines.