In early days, the area now known as Jackson Township was included in and known as Washington Township.

Names not now recognized by present Jackson Township residents made up the first places where pioneer residents received their mail. On July 11, 1861, a post office called Alba was established on the Old Military Trail in section 20 on the farm now owned by Clarence Jack. Only a few months later, on December 7, 1861, the name was changed to New Alba and from then to Jackson Junction.

On July 18,1883, when the Milwaukee railroad built the Calmer - Cedar Rapids branch going south, the train stopped at the Junction to transfer passengers - - thus the name Jackson Junction.

A second post office of some renown was known as the Navan post office located in section 31 on the present Lawrence farm. This was established in 1870. The postmasters were four members of the Lawrence family. Some historians say that John Lawrence, the first postmaster, originated the so-called "catcher" mailbag, which permitted non-stop pick-up of mail by a moving train.

A sawmill was built on the northeast quarter of section 31 in 1855. And in 1875 a map of Winneshiek County shows early land owners in Jackson township as: Michael Lignon, Josiah Goddard, Jacob Rausch, F. Einwalter, Owen Burns, James MacEnany, James Shekleton, Joseph Martinek, John Pitzenberger, Miles McGovern, Joseph Holmes, Anthony Wagner, Silas Dunlap, Henry Wichman, Patrick Brannon and Hugh Marron.

Jackson Township claims one distinction not true of any of the other townships of the county in that it does not have a single cemetery within its borders. Clarence Jack reports that in early days of the Old Military Road, a number of children of immigrants who died en route were buried west of the present Jack farmstead though there are no graves visible now more than a century later.

Please, contact the county coordinator to submit additions or corrections.

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