CHAPTER XVII

JACKSON TOWNSHIP

Organization—First Settlers and First Events—Names of Voters in 1859—Some of the Original Land Entries—Pioneer Incidents—The Anderson Murder—Sketches of Some of the Pioneers.

Jackson township was organized by the Board of County Commissioners on the 7th of March, 1855, and an election was ordered to be held at the schoolhouse on the first Monday in April, 1855. The election was held on the day appointed by the commissioners, and the following officers were elected : Israel P. Adams, Samuel Morris and George Longwell, trustees; George W. Holden, clerk; John H. Semer, treasurer.

FIRST SETTLERS AND FIRST EVENTS.

The first white settler in the township was George W. Payne, who came from Lorain County in 1851. Shortly afterward, in the same year, Jacob Thatcher, George Longwell and John Hatherell, an Englishman, moved into the township. Then came John H. Semer, in May, 1852, and Israel P. Adams in the fall of that year. Samuel Morris, George W. Holden and Alfred Neese came in 1853. George W. Payne erected the first house in the township—a frame building, the lumber for which was hauled from the canal. Jacob Thatcher built the first log house. Jacob Thatcher, Jr., was the first white child born inthe township. W. H. Deniston taught the first school in the township.

NAMES OF VOTERS IN 1859.

According to the poll book of an election held in Jackson township on the 1st of October, 1859, there were eight voters, as follows : Josiah Keeler, Israel P. Adams, George W. Holden, George W. Payne, R. A. Law, George Longwell, John Hatherell and Samuel Morris.

SOME OF THE ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES.

PIONEER INCIDENTS.

At an early day two boys, sons of John H. Semer, aged 15 and 10 years, went out hunting in the winter, when there was a deep snow. They became lost in the woods and wandered around until dark when they crawled into a hollow tree, remaining there until the moon came up so that they would know the direction home. When they started for home, they were so badly frozen that they could not travel; so they crawled into a hollow log where they were found the next day. Their feet were so badly frozen that they had to be amputated above the ankles. The neighbors had followed the boys' tracks in the snow all night with torches but did not come up with them until the next day. The oldest boy had taken off his coat to wrap around his little brother.

In 1850 James G. Gilliland and Davis Johnson were elected appraisers and divided the County between them, Johnson taking the west half and Gilliland the east half.

When Gilliland was in Jackson township he came across a den of wolves. He had nothing with him but an Indian tomahawk, with which he killed five of the young wolves, while two made their escape. They could run as fast as he could but were clumsy and if they ran

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against a bush of sapling would fall over. The old wolf kept out of sight but would set up a howl every little while. That made a good day's wages, as the scalps were worth $4 apiece. He started for Enoch M. Hoaglin's place to stay over that night as he had been wading in water all day. While he was going through the woods he heard something climbing a tree and as it was on his way he kept on, but when he was within 15 or 20 feet of the tree there was an old she bear backed up against it, which gave a hoarse growl as much as to say "Halt !" She had heard him coming and was making the cubs climb out of danger. Mr. Gilliland concluded that she had the first claim and he went around. This was the first day he had gone without either his gun or dog and thereafter he took both.

John Semer, Jr., says there were no roads in the township at that time. "We had no horses. My brother and I had trained our oxen so we could ride them. We would take a sack of corn each on the back of our oxen and go to Delphos to mill."

At an early date there was a fall election. As all the votes were in before noon the trustees thought it was not necessary to keep the polls open any longer. They made up their returns and started for Van Wert, Samuel Morris, the trustee, had the returns with him. Morris kept out of the way for about an hour after closing time, when he walked into the Court House with the returns. Semer pretended to be surprised and said, "How did you get here so soon." He replied "I had a good horse." The facts were that they had walked in together.

THE ANDERSON MURDER.

In May, 1877, there was a family by the name of Anasser living in Jackson township and a young man by the name of Anderson had been staying with them and he had caused considerable friction and Mrs. Anasser had left home. Anasser wanted Anderson to leave and trouble ensued. Anderson was killed and buried in the log stable and then the stable was burned. The friends and neighbors became suspicious and a party came over from Elida, where Anderson's friends lived, and accused Anasser of the crime. He acknowledged it and told where the body would be found. Anderson's friends felt like resorting to lynch law but one of the neighbors got Anasser in his buggy and drove away before the others knew what was being done and lodged him in jail. Anasser was tried and claimed self-defense; as there were no witnesses and Anderson had insisted on staying there after he had been forbidden the house, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE PIONEERS.

Isarel P. Adams came to Jackson township in 1853, before its organization. There were then only three white families living in the township, those of Payne, Thatcher and Semer. He cleared a small piece of ground and built himself a cabin without any help. The nearest road was four miles away. The nearest place of worship was eight miles distance. With the help of his wife and one horse he rolled the logs and cleared 40 acres of land. Mr. Adams served continuously with the exception of one year as township treasurer for 18 years.

George Longwell moved to Jackson township in 1851 and located in the woods with his wife and children. His nearest neighbor was two miles distant. After he had built his cabin and cleared a few acres of land, he found he was the victim of a mistake and had located

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on another man's land. He then lost a year's labor and was compelled to commence anew again. There is a very fine sulphur spring near his house that at an early day was frequently visited for the benefit to be derived from its healing waters.

Israel Downing lived in Ridge township, where he first located, until the breaking out of the war in 1861, when he volunteered and left his family there. Upon his return at the close of the war, he moved to Jackson township.