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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