Jackson Township History
Jackson township is the second in size in the
county, covering nearly a congressional township and a-half, and
containing 31,174.14 acres of excellent land. The crystal waters of
Clear Creek traverses. its eastern border; Lake Creek in the
southeast; Hurricane and Brushy Creeks, through the center of the
township, gives a splendid supply of water. The Big Muddy trails its
devious course through the southwestern part, while the murky waters
of Grand River bounds the entire southern border. It is one of the
best watered townships in the county. Some of the finest timber
covers at least two-thirds of its area, and it ranks as one of the
wealthiest townships in the county, both financially and in the
richness and productiveness of its soil. Among the timber can be
found the white and burr oak, walnut, maple, hickory, elm, and
hackberry, all very valuable and will be a source of great wealth to
the citizens of the township. Lime and sandstone are found in
abundance along the banks of Grand River, and its water supply and
natural grasses make it a splendid stock-raising, as well as a
cereal growing country. It is this adaptability of soil, climate,
and production which has placed it in the front rank of material
progress of the townships of which Daviess county is composed.
In transportation facilities Jackson township is well provided, the
St. Louis & Omaha Railroad running diagonally through the southern
section, while the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific touches the
northwestern corner, having in all about eight and a-half miles of
railroad within the township. With these advantages immigrants can
find few better portions of the county to settle in than Jackson
township, and when all its natural resources are considered, it may
well challenge the admiration of those who wish to find a home in
the Garden State of the Union.
Boundary
Jackson township is bounded on the north by Jamesport township, east
by Livingston county, South by Grand River, and west by Union
township, and the southwest corner touches Monroe. In point of
population Jackson is the fifth township in the county.
Population And Wealth
The population of Jackson township in 1860 was 971, fifty of whom
were Negroes. At that time all east of the Grand River, now in Union
township, was a part of Jackson. With those who joined both the
Federal and Confederate service and the portion attached to Union
township, Jackson gained but little during the next decade. In 1870
the population reached 1,059, only six of whom were colored. The
increase in the last ten years has been satisfactory, and the ratio
of gain in the farming population is greater than any other township
in the county. Four others have made a higher per cent of gain, but
this gain has been mostly in villages, with the exception perhaps,
of Benton. Colfax made the largest per cent of gain but Winston
received more than half of the increase. The population of Jackson
township in 1880, as returned by the census of that year, was 1,506.
Schools
The educational facilities of the township have kept pace with it
growth, and it has, at this writing, nine schools within its limits.
There are also nine frame school-houses, and the average school term
is five months in the fall and winter seasons. The houses are
comfortable frame buildings, with all the appliances for a thorough
education in the bourses taught. The Minnick school, District No. 3,
is probably the largest in the township, taught. by E. W. Cauthorn,
and is a fair sample. There are fifty enrolled pupils in this
school, twenty-nine males and twenty-one females, with an average
attendance of about thirty-seven. The studies pursued are,
orthography, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, modern
history, grammar, algebra, civil government and physiology. A
sufficiently extensive course to gratify and satisfy all. With a
high school at Gallatin, education need not become a failure.
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