Jefferson Township
By Jacob Bugher
Jefferson township is situated in the southeast corner of Grant County. It contains town 23 north, range 9 east. By the surveys it contains forty-two square miles. The Mississinewa river enters this township near the southeast corner, and running nearly northwest, leaves the township near the northwest corner. In 1851 and for several years after most of the farms and other improvements in this township were in the center and south part of the township. John S. Miller, Robert Patterson, the Marshalls and a few others lived near the northeast corner, and James Johnson, Daniel Wise, Joseph Day and several others lived near the northwest corner of this township. But most of the north part of Jefferson Township, and all that part where Upland is now located and for miles around, was then a dense forest.
John Oswalt owned 2,240 acres of this land. He owned all the land upon which Upland is now located, except a smalls tip on the north side, Nearly every house in this township was then a log house. There was one store in New Cumberland, owned by Jacob Newberger. And a store on the Dean farm on the west side of the river, owned Thomas Dean. And there was a sawmill on Lake Branch, owned by John Lyon, and one on Kirkwood creek, owned by John Richards, and one on the river near New Cumberland, owned by Orville Dennison. In 1852 Oswalt sold land, first to John W. Ballinger, and then to Jacob Bugher. After this he sold most of his land and farms that took the place of forests. And Upland was laid out by Jacob Bugher, September 30, 1867. (Note: -It will be seen that Mr. Bugher started his town a month after the first steam engine came into the county). And during this year the railroad now through Upland was built from Union City to Logansport and was then called the Union City and Logansport Railroad. Dr. J.N. Converse was president and Alexander, chief engineer. But most of the engineer work was done by Dr. Weddington. This road is now a part of the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway. Upland is the highest point between Union City and Logansport. Matthews is situated near the south line of Jefferson township and it includes what was New Cumberland. Upland and Matthews each have a population of about 2,000 persons.
Among many leading men in Jefferson Township in 1852 we may name Thomas Dean, Jacob Newberger, John Oswalt, Aaron D. Bates, William Wharton, Dr. John W. Pugh, Joseph B. Allen, Solomon Duling, John Richards, John Lyon Sawyer, B. Fergus and Michael Pugh. Thomas Dean came in 1851, and for several years he was a farmer, store keeper and justice of the peace during the same time. He was township trustee one term, and after this county auditor. Dean's store, with the credit he gave, was a great benefit to many people. Jacob Newberger commenced in New Cumberland with a small store, but before he died he had a commercial rating of $80,000.
John Oswalt was at one time the largest land owner in Grant County. When he bought this land he believed a canal would be built on this line from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis. His father was a member of the Ohio Legislature that passed the law that built the Ohio Canal, and that canal increased the value of his father's farm. John Oswalt was a candidate for the legislature of Indiana, but failed. Yet he lived to see a railroad built through the land he had sold. Oswalt was honorable, truthful and honest. He failed to marry the lady he long associates with and doubtless the lady he loved. He lived a bachelor and lived alone most of the time. Dr. John W. Pugh for many years had the largest practice of any doctor in eastern Grant county. Aaron D. Bates was a successful farmer. He was trustee of Jefferson Township once. Joseph R. Allen a farmer, was the first justice of the peace in Jefferson Township. He was county commissioner in 1840. Solomon Duling was one of the most successful farmers of Grant County. He was the first Republican elected trustee in Jefferson Township.
Since 1852 Jefferson Township has been represented in the official affairs of Grant County by George Careins, William Wharton, George Needler and James M. Peale, each as county commissioner; John Sanders as sheriff; John Hurshey Zahn, first as recorder, then as county clerk; Dr. Harmon D. Reasoner and William E. Heal, each as treasurer, and Thomas Dean and Andrew Y. Stout, auditor-elect, as auditor; William E. Heal, a native of Jefferson was the most noted mathematician of Grant County. Take them all in all, the pioneers of Jefferson Township were a noble set. As a rule they were honest, honorable and intelligent. Many of them were men of decided ability.
In 1851 I (Jacob Bugher) received from Ephraim Overman my first certificate to teach school in Grant County. My first school in Grant County was during the wnter of 1851-52, in the Lyon schoolhouse on Lake Branch. This was a sample school for this part of the county at that period. It was built with round logs, clapboard roof and loft, with puncheon floor, and seats, and writing desks against the wall with fireplace and stick chimney at one end of the house. this house was in the woods. Here we had spelling schools and a debating society. In this debating society we had Joseph B. Allen, Daniel Dean, Thomas Dean, Dr. John W. Pugh and Jacob Bugher. And in a meeting house not far east of this we had a singing school with Jacob Covalt as teacher. From 1852 to about 1862 Robert B. Jones was school examiner. After this Stafford, and then Sanford, each of whom held public examinations.
Thomas D. Tharp was the first county superintendent of Grant County. Wages continued to increase and better educated teachers were employed. From that time on our schools have advanced. Now we have well advanced schools and good school buildings. In 1852 and for some years after, we had no female teacher in the winter schools of this township. Now we have a large number of lady teachers in our winter schools. Then we had three months school and nine months for manual labor. This give but little industrial education at the very time when habits of life are formed. We may have industrial schools, but the best boys on the farm have given us many of our best and greatest men. In 1852 the Methodists, Baptists, Christians and Presbyterians each had a church in Jefferson Township. The religious spirit of that period was very zealous and earnest. Now the Methodists and Free Methodists each have good parsonages.
Now four dailies are published in Grant County, the Leader, the Chronicle, the News-Tribune and the Fairmount Journal. There is a weekly paper in nearly every town in the county. The first railroad in Grant County was built in 1867. Now we have railroad, telephone and telegraph lines over nearly every part of Grant County and extending over nearly every part of the United States.
For our industrial condition has greatly changed during the last sixty years. Sixty years ago the people were nearly all self-employed, and with their farms, shops and small factories they supplied nearly all their wants with their own labor. Wage earners were few. Wages were about $10 per month. We had almost no dependent poor. Now great organized companies and factories supply nearly all the wants of of the people not supplied by the farm. And great numbers of people are now employed as wage earners by these companies and factories. And now these wage earners have organized. This has divided this part of our industry into tow parts, organized capital and organized labor. These companies and factories have paid in wages from $50 to $100 per month, yet with this division of capital and labor they had almost continued labor strikes to compel them to pay high wages. And in these strikes much property has been destroyed and many people killed. The question is now, how shall harmony be restored, with justice alike to capital and labor, and to organized and unorganized industry.
Centennial History of Grant County, Indian 1812-1912
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1914