Jefferson Township

Jefferson Township - including Dover

Jefferson Township is located on the west border of the county being the middle township. It is bounded on the north by Sugar Creek and Washington townships, on the west by Montgomery county, on the south by Jackson and a small portion of Center township, on the east by Center and Washington townships. It contains 46 square miles of land. Sections 13 to 36 inclusive, in township 19 north, range 2 west and sections 1 to 12 inclusive, in township 18 north, range 2 west, also sections 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32, in township 19, north, range 1 west and sections 5, 6, 7 and 8, in township 18 north, range 1 west. It is drained by Walnut creek in the southern part by Muskrat creek in the central and by Wolf creek in the northern and eastern parts. The farm land is excellent, rolling enough to be drained without difficulty. The streams flow into Sugar creek; thence into the Wabash and on to the Gulf and the wide sea.

Settlements began as early as 1829. It is stated that James SCOTT entered the first land, followed by William YOUNG, who was elected justice of the peace; Michael W. CAMPBELL, Allen LANE, Ed. COX, William HILL, John THOMPSON, Lewis DENNY, Wm. M. McBURROUGHS, Abraham UTTER, R. COX, Clayburn CAIN. Following these came the CALDWELLS, TAYLORS, John HILL, Adam KERN, John STEPHENSON, Wm. DARROUGH, Thomas M. BURRIS, Samuel MOORE, Sampson BOWEN, Gid JACKSON, Rural JACKSON, Erskins THREILKELDS, James A. THOMPSON, James DAVIS, Samuel HOLLINGSWORTH, Nathan CORY, Manual HEISTAND, Wm. SANFORD, Jesse JACKSON.

Churches

The first religious services held in Jefferson was at the home of William YOUNG and the services were conducted by his brother Claybourne, 1831. Religious services were held in private houses for several years. The Pleasant View church was the first organized in the township. The meetings at first were held in the home of Adam KERN. Benjamin BEEMAN conducted the meetings. This was in the fall of 1836. The following eight persons were the parties that organized the church: Adam KERN, James HALL, Jane HALL, Arice PAULEY, John BOWEN, John PAULEY, James KERN and Miles HALL. This church has been one of the most substantial country churches of the county. Over one thousand persons have been enrolled among its members. The fiftieth anniversary of the church was held November 6, 1886, at which time over one thousand persons attended. This church is located three miles east of Dover, and six miles west of Lebanon. This church is reported in the Rural Church Survey 1911, with one hundred and sixteen members and losing ground. There are six other churches in the township, three at Dover and two at Hazelrigg. At Dover are the Disciples with one hundred and seventy-six members, losing ground. Baptists, members, fourteen, losing ground; Presbyterians, dead. At Hazelrigg there are two churches, Disciples (non-progressive,) twenty-one members, standing still. Presbyterians dead. In the southeast part of the township is the United Brethren church with a membership of seventy-five, losing ground.

Schools

There are no towns or trade centers in Jefferson township except Hazelrigg in the northeast corner. The district school is the people's college. It grew first from the primitive cabin school-house through the frame to the brick of this day. From the private or subscription school through the half-free to the public schools of the present. To supply this want there were erected over the township thirteen district school houses, through which the youth of the township for a generation received the instruction necessary to fit him for the duties of life. Under the present system of concentration, the number of schools has been reduced to eleven.

Roads

There were no state thoroughfares in Jefferson township to aid the people in the early development of the country. The road leading from Crawfordsville to Lebanon, running on the section north of the line between townships 18 and 19 north was the first principal road. All others have come up through the Indian trail, blazed way of our fathers, the cut away corduroy and grade to the splendid gravel roads of the present that mark most section lines and many half-section lines. It is a pleasure to drive over these splendid roads and view the handsome farms on either side with the attraction of beautiful homes and landscapes.

The Big Four railway runs across the northeast corner of the township and the Indiana Central across the southeast corner. The Terre Haute & Indianapolis Traction line runs across the township on the line between townships 18 and 19 north, and affords very convenient accommodation for the people.

Dover

This town was laid out in 1850 by Ariss PAULEY. It was first known as "Crackaway." It is located near the center of Jefferson township, on the Noblesville gravel road and the Thorntown and Jamestown road, eight miles from Lebanon, in a fine part of the county. In 1860 a postoffice was established here and named Cason, in remembrance of Thomas J. CASON, of Lebanon. It has been for years the center or voting place for the township. The first merchant was Wesley ADKINS, who started a store in 1860. The first postmaster was William GOLDSBURGH, succeeded by Joseph S. MILLER. In 1851, James STEPHENSON built a sawmill here. The following doctors have practiced here: Doctors CLAIR, OXLY, C. SMITH, HAMILTON, John S. SMITH, FINCH, CRAFTON and W. H. WARE. The first woodshop was by J. L. PYLES; first blacksmith, William GOLDSBURGH. The names of merchants and mechanics are: MCDANIEL & Brother, merchants; Lewis DENNY, blacksmith; Henry J. FRAZIER, carpenter; Hezekiah KERFART, shoemaker; Robert DENNY, carpenter; Lee MILES, workingman. Three churches, one school house and fourteen families making in the eighties about fifty inhabitants.

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.