Early Settlement:
One bright day in the month of October, 1850, several wagons, drawn by five yoke of oxen and one span of horses, halted upon the banks of the Iowa river, on section two of what is now known as Jackson township. The wagons contained Jacob Kidwiler, wife and nine children; Adam Crim and Francis Mitchell They had just completed their journey from Crawfordsville, Ind., and now became the first settlers of Jackson township, and among the first of Hardin county. They at once erected a shanty, and in this they all lived until the following spring. Their nearest trading point being Iowa City, it was very seldom they could go to a store. But it was not necessary, as they had brought some provisions with them, to which they added fish, turkey, venison, duck, coon and other wild game, and therefore, had enough to last them until spring.
Educational:
In the summer of 1855, a log school house was erected on section 11, and in the winters of 1855-6, a school was held therein, taught by Henry Smith. This was the first in the township. Mr. Smith subsequently became on of the pupils of J.N. Boyd in his Berlin school, a sketch of which is given to connection, written by Mr. Boyd. When the ware broke out he responded to his country's call, and became a member of Company A. 32nd Iowa Infantry. He was taken prisoner at Pleasant Hill, April 9, 1864, and died in prison at Tyler, Texas. He was a good soldier and universally esteemed by officers and men.
There are now eleven independent school districts in the township, with school property valued at $5,000. there are 400 persons between the ages of five and twenty-one.
The first school taught at Berlin was by J.M. Bod, commenced in the fall of 1858. They had no school house, and no room in which a school could be taught. he first attempt was in the large store room in a large building, then known as the Ark, (afterwards burnt down); but it was soon found impossible to teach where trade and business were constantly going on. About the 15th of November's small but comfortable school house was ready for use. they had no use for a large school house, thought they. But soon sixty-two scholars were enrolled. Most of the families in the village and around it were large ones, and the settlement then was just around the village and about the timber west and south. Most of the country was a grand ocean of prairie. The parents and patrons were people of intelligence and culture. Among the parents and patrons in the village and vicinity, were thirteen men and women who had been teachers of experience in Pennsylvania and Ohio, but coming as they had to the frontier, their children had been for a time without any good school advantages, and hence the anxiety to improve the first school opportunity. The little school house was every day crowded, for cold and stormy indeed was the day that did not find nearly every scholar in place.
Religious:
The first religious services in the township, now remembered by citizens yet living inthe township, was in the fall of 1855, in the log school house erected on section 11. The services were conducted by Rev.
E.C. Cripping, a pioneer Methodist minister who located in the township some two years previous. The memory of the early settlers must surely be at fault in this matter, as it is hardly possible that a minister with the piety and zeal of Mr. Crippin would suffer two years to pass before calling his neighbors together and preasching unto them the gospel of Christ.
Government:
Jackson township was organized in 1853, by Alexander Smith, County Judge. The records of the township have been lost or destroyed, so that a list of township officers cannot be given, save for the year 1858, until 1871. For 1858, the Clerk was in posesssion of the original minutes made by the Clerk at the election,. The following are the officers:
1858 - Trustees, Loyal Griffin, George Hayden, Philip Pence; Clerk, L.W. Southard; Justice of the Peace, Jesse Griffin; Constables, S.A. Rice, M. Frisbe. There were 83 votes cast at the election. For county seat, Eldora had 17 votes and Point Pleasant, 66.
1871 - Trustees, R.J. Heath, H.B. McCullough, M. Frisbie; Clerk, W.S.T. Doan; Assessor, B.F. Bear.
1872 - Trustees, Henry Speere, A. Huffman, B.F. Bear; Clerk, R.J. Heath.
1873 - Trustees, William H. Hiserote, J.N. DeGroff Barnett Starr; Clerk, R.J. Heath; Justice of the Peace, O. Frisbie , A. Huffman.
1874 - Trustees, William H. Goldsbury, Henry Jackson, F.H. Simpson; Clerk, R.J. Heath; Assessor, B.F. Bear.
1875 - Trustees, William H. Hiserote, Barnett Starr, Wallen Hayden; Clerk, R.J. Heath; Assessor, Charles Corbett.
1876 - Trustees, Wallen Hayden, J.N. DeGroff, F.H. Simpson; Clerk, A. Starr; Assessor, Charles Corbett.
1877 - Trustees, William Shaver, F.H. Simpson, W.J. Bowers; Clerk, W.S. T. Doan; Assessor, R.J. Heath.
1878 - Trustees, S. Syverson, Henry Bliss, A. Huffman; Clerk, W.S.T. Doan; Assessor, R.J. Heath
1879 - Trustees, S. Syverson, A. Huffman; Clerk, W.S.T. Doan; Assessor, R.J. Heath.
1880 - Trustees, N.M. Simpson, S. Syverson, A. Huffman; Clerk, W.S.T. Doan; Assessor, F.H. Simpson.
1881 - Trustees, N.M. Simpson, S. Syverson, A. Juffman; Clerk, W.S.T. Doan; Assessor, F.H. Simpson.
1882 - Trustees, W. Hiserote, I. Doud. S. Syverson; Clerk, W.S.T. Doan; Assessor, R.J. Heath .