Jackson Township Villages

West Florence, New Westville, New Hope, Campbellstown, and Crawfordsville are the hamlets of Jackson Township.

WEST   FLORENCE.

In 1816 John McCowen laid off in section thirty-three, at the middle of the southern boundary of the township, a plat of ground divided into lots, calling the proposed town Knoxville, after his native Knoxville, Tennessee. The plat was not recorded until March 18, 1835. It was then called Florence, and at the time of the establish­ment of the post office, in 1839, the name was changed to West Florence. The first store was built in 1816 by John McCowen, on a spot immediately in front of Dr. Gans' barn.

Warren C. Emerson became the first postmaster, May 17, 1839. Frank Swisher now keeps the store, and is the deputy of Dr. P. T. Gans, the present postmaster.

As is stated elsewhere, the first schoolhouse in the township was built in 1816, opposite the old store. The old frame Christian church is still standing in the yard back of Swisher's store. Until 1850 part of West Flor­ence was in Dixon township, but at that time William Swisher bought that part lying south of the line, and the four or five houses were moved across into Jackson town­ship. There is now in the village a store, a blacksmith and a wagon shop. Dr. P. T. Gans is the resident phys­ician. There are at present fifty inhabitants.

NEW  WESTVILLE.

Until the establishment of the post office of New Westville, June 4, 1840, the town was known as West­ville, and letters were sent to McCowen's cross roads. July 16, 1816, the west half of section number five was surveyed, and a plat, containing sixty-four in-lots and eight outlots, was acknowledged by Isaac Stephens, J. P. The store was built by James McCowen. George Worthington, the founder of the town, opened the first tavern in the township in 1817. For a time the projected town grew, and at first it was ahead of Richmond, which was founded in 1818. It reached the zenith of its prosperity soon after the building of the Eaton and Richmond pike, and after the construction of the rail­road, became dead to enterprise. The present postmas­ter is Nicholas Huth. It now has about one hundred and twenty-five inhabitants.

NEW HOPE

was laid out June 11, 1841, by Daniel Hawk, and addi­tions were made October, 15, 1842, in the southeast part of the present town by Abraham Leedy, and by Jacob Cline in August, 1847, comprising all that part now lying west of the intersection of the pike with what is known as "the short line." The village is situated on the Eaton and Richmond pike, about five miles northwest of Eaton. It contains nearly one hundred and fifty people. The post office is Upshur, with W. L. Mitchell postmaster, and Jacob Cline acting as his deputy. The first post­master, William Brown, was sworn in April 2, 1844. He kept the first store, opposite Renner's hotel. The village store was kept successively by Adam Surface, Rev. Asa Cohee, Rev. Henry Tobey, and at present is kept by Jacob Cline.

Abraham Leedy opened the first tavern, which being on the stage line from Dayton to Richmond, was well patronized by travelers and teamsters. Stuart Hoon afterwards kept the Five Mile house where Henry Adler now lives. The present hotels are kept by William Renner and George Stemple. There are two churches— the Methodist Episcopal and the United Brethren. Dr. G. W. Dickey is the physician. The blacksmith and wagon shop is owned by Henry Ashinger and his son, Ed­ward. James Kinkade keeps a small store opposite that of Jacob Cline.

CRAWFORDSVILLE

was laid out December 10, 1842, by Conrad Frey, and for a time had as bright prospects as any of its neighbor­ing hamlets. It has now only seven families. It is situ­ated in section twenty-four, on the eastern township line. Daniel Strader is the oldest inhabitant.

CAMPBELLSTOWN

is the name of the post office at Florence station, on the south side of the Cincinnati, Richmond & Chicago rail­road. Lots were sold from time to time but they were never platted. Soon after the building of the railroad Harvey McWhinney opened a store, and the packing of pork was very successfully engaged in. Henry Swisher, the railroad agent, keeps a store and warehouse. Jacob Cooper keeps the post office in his store. The first post office was established June 1, 1854, and Matthew Mc­Whinney was the first postmaster. The warehouse kept at New Hope station by Charles McManus was burned December 22, 1879. John Williams keeps a store there.