Jackson County, Ohio

History and Genealogy


Jackson County History


Lick Township


Lick is the oldest township in Jackson County. Previous to the county's organization it was a township in Ross County, was organized in the winter of 1808-18090, and its first election was held in April 1809. It was then composed of the territory of what is now Coal, Washington, Scioto and Jackson, besides its own boundary. Having within its borders at that time nearly all of the salt reservation, it found permanent settlers as early as 1798. At the time of the organization of Jackson County, which was taken from Ross, Scioto, Gallia and Athens, Lick became on of the original townships of the county, formed in May 1816. It did not, however, remain long with its extensive territory, for in June 1816, Jackson Township was formed, and but a few years expired before it had been curtailed to the dimensions of a congressional township. In July 1816, an order of the court changed its boundaries to include all of township 7, of range 18, and all of township 7, of range 19, excepting the northern tier of sections. This order reads as follows:

It was also ordered at this meeting that Lick Township should have the following boundaries: Beginning at the northeast corner of Section 1, township 7 and range 18, the line to run due south to the southeast corner of section 36 of township aforesaid; thence west to the county line at the southwest corner of section 31, township 7 and range 19; thence north along the county line to the northwest corner of section 7, township 7 and range 19; thence east to the northeast corner of section 12, township 7 and range 19; thence north to the northwest corner of section 7, township 7 range 18; thence east to the place of beginning.

These boundaries gave Lick Township all of the present township of that name. This included Liberty Township except the north tier of sections mentioned and the territory lying west of range 19. From the date of the organization of Liberty Township, Lick became only a congressional township, and this continued its size until January 1883, when Coal Township robbed it of one-third of its territory, leaving it with but twenty-four sections of land. Lick has been the butt of nearly all the surrounding townships, and when any of them wanted to increase their size, Lick seemed to be the object of their attack, until from being a township of generous proportions, she is now but an infant in size.


They Preferred Lick

Here is a plaintive wail which the commissioners had not the heart to refuse, the petition being presented 14 Oct 1828, and granted 02 Dec following. The petition reads:

To the Honorable Commissioners of Jackson County: We, the undersigned, have proved by experience that there are many difficulties which we have to encounter and labor under by being attached to Washington Township, and in order to remedy the same we desire and earnestly request that your honorable body will permit us, your humble petitioners, to become attached to the township of Lick. Your compliance will confer a particular favor on us, and render us as your much obliged obedient humble servants.
N.B. We wish the original surveyed line of Lick Township to be re-established.


Topography

The township is hilly, but there is a wide expanse of valley around Jackson, the county seat, and up the valley of Salt Creek, down that stream, after leaving Jackson for a mile and a half, the valley narrows and you find yourself between rugged hills and massive rocky bluffs which limit it on either side. There are a few small tributaries which flow into Salt Creek, but taking the township together it is will watered and timbered. From the width of the valley in the upper portion of Salt Creek and around Jackson, there is quite a body of good agricultural lands, and the township, though hilly and broken, is one of the best for agricultural purposes in the county, that is among all, for there are no townships that can boast of the alluvial soil of the river bottoms, or the black mold which is found on the Western prairies. Still, in this township, as in other parts of the county, fair yields of cereals, vegetables and grasses are secured to the farmer for his labor. Of course with a township so made up of rolling surface, the drainage is good and malarial diseases are not chronic in this section. In many respects, the history of Jackson, the county seat, embraces much of the history of Lick Township, and therefore it is not necessary to detail that which will be found in the history of the county seat.

The first bridge built in Lick Township was across McDowell's Run, and $7 was appropriated by the township trustees to purchase plank to build said bridge. This was all the money in the township treasury 31 Mar 1823.


The Pioneers

Lick Township being organized by Ross County so early, and so many years before the county was organized, gives it a history anterior to that of the county, but the pioneer came and settled even before the township was known. The main salt springs were in Lick Township, and for a few years, the place was known as Salt Lick, and the latter name was finally chosen for the township when organized. We give a few names of the earliest arrivals, and the prominent men before the county came into existence. The following were all permanent settlers prior to the organization of the county and, in fact, prior to 1812: John Munday, Abraham Welsh, Joshua Winks, John Prather, Thomas Trago, William Niblack, Paul Bunk, John Gillespie, Austin Palmer, Samuel Niblack, John James, Joseph Clements, David Mitchell, John Sargeant, Daniel Stoy, David McConnel, Isaac Washburn, Jared Strong, Matthew Kidder, William Bares, Thomas Foster, Francis Heron, Thomas Scott, Asa Lake, Elkana Bramlette, Emanuel Hoover, Austin Palmer, Robert Strother, John Brander, Elijah Strong, Paris Griffeth, Thomas M. Carbotte, John Lake, Jesse Watson, Jacob Scallenger, William Higginbotham, Samuel A. Hall, John Ogg, Peter Marshall, Jesse Wilson, Philip Strother, Jackson Taylor, Samuel Rice, Joseph Armstrong, Joseph lake, Joseph Stockholm, George L. Crookham, William White, John Steart, Henry Armstrong, John Armstrong, Charles Higginsbotham, George Mooney, Joseph W. Ross, Olney Hawkings, William Golby, William Hill, Samuel Goodenough, John McGee, Robert Patrick, William Howe, Daniel Harris, Joseph Clemens, Timothy Allen, Phillip Hartley, John Steart, Samuel Bunn, Benjamin Haines, Daniel Clark, Samuel Aldridge, James McDaniels, Peter Bunn, Aaron Martin, William Jolly, Absalom Wells, Andrew Donnelly, Benjamin Kiger, Richard Perdue and David Pinney.

Most of these names will be familiar to many now living (1883). They are those who settled here and lived, and most of them found their graves within the township.

The first Justices of the Peace date from 1809, and the names of David Mitchell, William Niblack, William Givens, Jared Strong, and Joseph Armstrong were all acting as such in this township, prior to the organization of the county. The two former were the first who served.

The first Grand Juror from Lick Township was Olney Hawkings, and Petit Jurors Robert Patrick and William Niblack. They served 06 Mar 1810, seven years before the county came into existence.

In 1812, the township treasurer made his report from April 1810 to April 1812. The amount received for the two years was $19.00 and the expenditures for the same time was $17.55; balance, $1.45. John Brander, Clerk of the township, received $15 for his services for the year 1813.


Its Growth

Lick Township, as the central township, has exceeded all other since its growth. Outside of the county seat, it has a larger agricultural population by several hundred than any other. The growth of the township has been steady and prosperous since its formation up to about 1880. At that time Coalton did not amount to much and the furnace population lived mostly within the limits of Jackson. The population by decades is as follows: 1840, 822; 1850, 1,501; 1860, 2,334; 1870, 3,746; 1880, 5,213. Deducting the population of Jackson in 1870 and in 1880 and the township had 1,730 population in 1870; 2,192 in the latter year, the growth of Coalton having been mostly in the last three years.


Assessed Valuation and Area

The assessment for Lick Township for 1864 gave the valuation of personal property at $77,962; corporation, $99,299; total, $177,261. In 1863, the figures were: Township, $50,674; corporation, $91,774; total, $142,448. Gain in one year: Township, $27,288; corporation, $7,525; total gain, $34,813. In 1880 this valuation of personal property was $113,040 outside the corporation, while the city had reached the sum of $299,692. In 1882 the valuation of real-estate of the township was $315,788, and personal property outside the corporation, $122,664; total, $438,452. The real and personal in Jackson is $880,636; total, $1,319,088. The total sum raised by Lick Township during the Civil War for the support of the families of the volunteers was $7,735. A town house was purchased of Peter Pickrel and Lewis Davis for $2,000, 20 May 1870, and sold 23 Nov 1874 for $2,500 to George Pugh and William Vaughn, in four equal annual payments from 01 Mar 1875. The trustees sold the first note for $615.92. A contract was made 12 Jun 1875 with Benjamin Trago to build a new town hall on the corner of Portsmouth and Pearl streets for $1,075, payable in monthly installments upon estimates. IT was competed 25 Sep 1875. The township was divided into two voting precincts 12 Jun 1875. The tax levy for bounty fund was sufficient to pay off the bonds and interest, and 29 Mar 1873, there was a balance to the credit of the bounty fund of $728.45. This amount was turned over at above date to the Board of Education of Lick Township for school purposes.

The township holds the brine deposit of the county, and is noted for the quantity and quality of its coal and iron ore which lies under the surface.

There are six school districts in the present bounds of the township outside the City of Jackson. There are in the same territory one Free-Will Baptist church and one Methodist, on lot 29 of the Salt Reservation, and one Methodist church on section 23; two cemeteries also in the country. It has two railroads running through the township: The Portsmouth Branch, running southwest, and then east of south from Jackson, and the Ohio Southern, which comes in on the west and runs north to Wellston.


Township Officers

The first township officers elected April 1809 were as follows: Trustees, Roger Seldon, David Mitchell and Robert Patrick; Treasurer, Levi Patrick; Clerk, John Brander; Lister, Samuel Niblack; Overseers Poor, John James and Olney Hawkings; Constables, Samuel Niblack and Phillip Storther. Olney Hawkings refused to serve as Overseer of the Poor, and he was fined. Then the Trustees appointed Stephen Radcliff Sr. Roger Seldon, Trustee, removed to another county and William Niblack was appointed Trustee 20 May 1809. Levi Patrick Towns Treasurer, removed to Virginia, and Olney Hawkings was appointed 10 Mar 1810. The present officers, 1883, are: Trustees, W.T. Washam, Joseph Humphries, Andrew Henson; Clerk, Samuel Stevenson; Assessor First Precinct, Thomas Rogers; Assessor Second Precinct, William D. Trago; Constables, James Baker, W.E. Arthur.


From History of Lower Scioto Valley, Ohio (1884)