Jackson Township

Jackson Township

This township was set off and organized by its present name and boundaries in 1815. It had originally been part of Franklin Township. Amongst the early settlers in this township were William BroAvn, Nicholas Haun, Jonas Orders, William Badger, Woolry Conrod, William Sinnet, the Brackenridges, the Borers, the Straders and the Goldsmiths.

Until of late years, this township suffered much inconvenience from the want of direct and good roads to market ; but since the construction of the Harrisburg turnpike, the Franklin turnpike and the Cottage Mill turnpike, all passing through this township, that inconvenience has been removed, and the township is increasing in population as fast as any other in the county.

by W. F. Breck, Esq., and ca post office was then established at that place. Mr. Breck was the first postmaster, and held the office until 1857, when he w\as succeeded by Randolph Iliggy, Esq., the present incumbent.

Grove City now contains about thirty flxmilies, tw^o stores, one tavern, one physician, a large school and three churches - a Lutheran, a German Reformed and a Presbyterian. The Methodists also hold their meetings in the same house as the Presbyterians. Beside these churches there are in the township three others of the Methodist denomination - the "Hopewell," on the Jackson turnpike, a wooden building, erected in 1839, the " Concord," a wooden building, erected some years before, near the Shadesville pike, and "Hickory Seminar}-," erected since both the above, for the double purpose of church and school house.

Some thirty years ago. Rev. Benjamin Britton of Norwich Township used to occasionally preach for the New-Lights in Jackson, and Rev. Chandler Rogers of Perry for the Universal ists. Mr. Rogers has been dead some years ; Mr. Britton still survives.

In 1853, the township constituted twelve school districts and an aggregate of 676 youth between the ages of five and twenty-one years. In 1857, the aggregate of such youth w^as 736.