Jackson Township

Jackson Township - including Advance, Jamestown & Ward

Jackson Township is bounded on the north by Jefferson and Center Townships, on the west by Montgomery County, on the south by Hendricks County and Harrison Township, and on the east by Center and Harrison Townships. It is the southwest corner of the county and contains 47 1/2 sections of land. It is composed of sections 13-36 inclusive, in township 18 north, range 2 west, and sections 1-12 in township 17 north, range 2 west; also sections 5,6,7,8 in town 17 north, range 1 west, also 1/2 of section 17, also 18, 19, part of 20, and 29, 30, 31, and 32 of town 18 north, range 1 west. The township is drained by Raccoon Creek in the northeast flowing towards the southwest and passing into Montgomery County about the middle of the west line of section 31. It belongs to the Wabash System. The southeast part of the township is drained by Eel River which belongs to the White River system. The water shed between the two systems of drainage enters the township at the northeast corner and passes out at the southwest corner. To say that this township is the best land in Boone County is paying a high tribute. It was covered with the largest and tallest timber of the county. It is stated that there was one Tulip (poplar) tree nearly nine feet in diameter and tall in proportion. The soil is mostly the flat phase type of silt loam, very rich and enduring.

Settlements were made in this township long before the organization of Boone County, while it was yet a part of Eel River Township, Hendricks County. Among the first to arrive were: John GIBSON, Young HUGHES, Lewis DEWEES, Washington GIBSON, William FARLOW, Isaac MILLER, David BUSH, John PORTER, James DAVIS, Robert DAVIS, Andrew HUDSON, Abijah BROWN, Samuel JESSEY, Andrew LONG, George WALTERS, William WALTERS, Hiram YOUNG, John WHITELY, William and George NICELY. A few years later came Simon and William EMMERT, John McLEAN, John C. HURT, Mekin HURT, John CRISMAN, Edward HERNDON. In 1832 came John CUNNINGHAM, Thomas CALDWELL, Samuel MILLER, James DAVIS, Robert WALKER, Samuel McLEAN, William DUNCAN, Isaac M. SHELLY, Anderson TROTTER, John and Henry AIRHART, Isaac H. SMITH, W. H. COOMBS, S. T. DEWEES, W. B. GIBSON, George L. BURKE, Samuel PENRY, Elisha JACKSON, Henry D. MYERS, W. W. EMMET, and the GALVINS.

Churches

The first religious services were held at the home of John PORTER, conducted by George WALTERS, a Baptist minister. For years they continued to worship in the cabins of the settlers. The first church house that was erected was by the Methodists in the year 1832 and it was called Brown's Chapel in honor of Thomas BROWN. The Methodists established several other churches in the township and other denominations, so there was an abundant supply of houses of worship in the township for the early settlers. At the time of the survey of the churches in Boone County, 1911, the Methodist Church at Jamestown was in a growing condition and numbered 233 members. The Disciples, members, 283. The Methodist Episcopal church at Advance, membership, 118, growing. The Disciples church at Advance, membership, 269, growing. Christian church, membership, 206. Primitive Baptist, membership, 11, losing ground. The Christian church in the east part of the township, membership, 188, growing. The Disciples church in the northeast part of township, membership, 65, losing ground. Primitive Baptist in the northwest part of the township, membership, 25, losing ground. Methodist Protestant in the west part of the township, membership, 116, growing. In the general decline of rural churches, Jackson Township has fared better than her sister townships. There are more live and growing churches there than in any other township in the county.

Schools

The first school was in the regulation round log puncheon floor and benches, big fireplace, paper windows of the pioneers, and erected on the banks of Eel River, near the county line of Boone and Hendricks Counties. There was another similar school house west of Jamestown. These schools were supported by subscription and the teacher boarded around after the fashion of the Hoosier schoolmaster. The schools would continue from six to eight weeks, possibly on special efforts for twelve weeks in succession. These pioneer schools were all after the same pattern pretty much as in this day and when you have one described it will do for all. As the population increased, schools multiplied under the public school system until there were twelve distributed over the township, affording convenient school facilities for every pupil. Under the concentration system of these latter days there are nine schools outside of Jamestown and Advance.

Roads

At the first it was the Indian trail, then blazed ways of the settlers, leading from settlement to settlement, and from the home to the school and church. Then came the highways leading from town to town. The first of this latter was the state road from Indianapolis to Crawfordsville. This road entered the township at the southeast corner of section 10, runs in a northwest direction and passes into Montgomery County at the southwest corner of section 31. The next important was a highway leading up Eel River and twisting through the woods around boggs and marshes until it reached the capital of the county. This road was in such condition that in bad weather it would take all day to pass from one town to the other, and another day to return and at times so bad as to be impassable. As the country developed some of the kinks were taken out of the road but enough of the crookedness remains to give the traveler an idea of its serpentine course through the woods at the beginning. Since that day a great change has been wrought and Jackson Township has kept pace with her sister townships and now has good roads leading in every direction. She also has two steam roads. The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis which enters the southeast corner of section 10 east of Jamestown runs in a northwest direction and passes into Montgomery County at the southwest corner of section 31. The Central Indiana passing through Lebanon and Advance enters the township at the northeast corner of 13, runs in a southwest direction and enters Montgomery County at the southwest corner of section 30. The Ben Hur traction parallels the Big Four through Jamestown.

Advance

This town is located in the northeast part of Jackson township and on the Midland railroad, nine miles southwest of Lebanon and five miles north of Jamestown. The place is comparatively new, springing up when the above railroad was proposed. The town contains quite a number of shops, several stores, which require mechanics, merchants, of course there are doctors, good schools, churches and many good residences. There is a postoffice, which is a great convenience to the people of the northeast of Jackson and surrounding country. The people possess an enviable reputation as entertainers. Some of their Sunday school conventions are passed upon as the very best held in the county, notably the one of 1908. Every interest of the community is kept thoroughly up to date.

Jamestown

This thriving town is situated in the south part of Jackson township, in section 10, town 17 north, range 2 west. It was laid out by James MATLOCK and John R. GIBSON in 1832. The first house built was the John R. GIBSON in 1829. It was of round logs, with overlapping corners, of the pattern of the very first houses built in the woods of Boone county. If you get a view of one, you have a conception of all of that class. The style was not changed. It was the invariable rule for the construction of the round log cabin of the pioneer. Its rudeness was modified by the hewn log house that was the next style of the pioneer house, and marked an advance in beauty and convenience for a home. The boys and girls of our day can scarcely realize the style and inconvenience of the home of their grandparents in this county of eighty-five years ago. The first store in the village was opened by Samuel HUGHES in a log cabin on the south side of Main street. For some time he sold without opposition, but in course of time, as it is in any thrifty, growing town, competition came. John GALVIN started a store on the corner, and became a lively competitor, and set business a going with such vim that it attracted trade from all the adjoining country, including traders with Hendricks and Montgomery counties, more than doubling the trade of each, and making room for others in the trade and other industries, until the village grew into a lively trade center. The town being happily located, on the state road from Indianapolis to Crawfordsville, it soon became a stage town of first importance. There must be taverns to accommodate the traveling public. There must also be stables to keep and provide for the change of horses. In that age of our progress, a stage town was of more importance than it is now to be a railroad crossing. Any town so favored was set up and felt itself above its neighbors who were not so favored. It gave the town a boost and started it a going until railroads, trolleys and oil lines came in with the greater progress of our day.

Ward

The above village is located in the northeast part of Jackson township, in section 20. It was laid out in 1883 and named after Congressman Thomas WARD, who was instrumental in getting a postoffice established there. It is situated in a fine, productive country, about seven miles southwest of Lebanon, and five miles northeast of Jamestown. The first merchant was John B. BENNINGTON, succeeded by Greenville DODD, and he by Thomas BURRIS & Company. The first postmaster was J. C. BENNINGTON, followed by G. DODD, and he by Thomas BURRIS. There is a Christian church, a brick school house, and several residences. About the year 1870 George JACKSON built a steam sawmill here, which is still in operation.

Submitted by: Amy Davis

Source Citation:  Boone County Township Histories [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2006. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: Hon. Leander M. Crist. "The History of Boone County, Indiana," Indianapolis : A. W. Bowen, 1914.