Jefferson Township is one of six

townships A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

in Tipton County,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,403 (down from 1,422 at 2010) and it contained 590 housing units.

History

Squatter Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not Land ownership and tenure, own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estima ...

s were the first white settlers in the area. Barnett Stepp was the first known white settler in Jefferson Township. He moved with his family, from

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, to the southern part of the future township in 1835. Stepp maintained a small home and farm until his death in 1852. A son-in-law of Stepp, named Horton, came to the township in 1836, settling on 160 acres just east of Stepp's land. Over the course of the decade, more families settled in the area.Pershing, p. 108 The first

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

shop was founded in the area in the late 1830s by Robert Smith, near Tetersburg.Pershing, p. 109

Miami Indians The Miami ( Miami–Illinois: ''Myaamiaki'') are a Native American nation originally speaking the Miami–Illinois language, one of the Algonquian languages. Among the peoples known as the Great Lakes tribes, they occupied territory that is no ...

still resided in the area as of 1840. The area was very rural and early settlers struggled to acquire clothing and groceries. Farmers traded crops and animal skins for items they needed. People had to travel from Jefferson Township to

Cicero, Indiana Cicero is a town in Jackson Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, Jackson Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States, north of Indianapolis. The population was 5,301 at the 2020 census. Cicero is notable for welco ...

, which was 16 miles away and treacherous given the poor quality of roads. Wheat began to be grown in the area and was a popular commodity to trade in Cicero.Pershing, p. 111 In 1837, the first

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...

was planted in the township. The following year, the first

log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a minimally finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first-generation home building by settl ...

was built in the area, followed by the first frame house ten years later, in 1848. The first brick building was built in 1868. In 1845, the first

mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * Factory * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Paper mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * Sugarcane mill * Textile mill * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic ...

was built near Normanda. Additional mills were built in the area and a tannery was built in 1849, only to close in 1856. The first cemetery was founded in Tetersburg in 1847.Pershing, p. 112 The first township elections were held in 1844. A Protestant Methodist congregation was founded in the township in 1863. A church was built in 1873 just north of Kempton.Pershing, p. 200
/ref> As of the early 20th century, farming was the main industry, specifically fruit. The Lake Erie & Western railroad ran east to west through the township providing economic support, transportation and communication.Pershing, p. 113

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of , all land.

Natural environments

Historically, Jefferson Township was fairly flat with a lot of low, marshy ground. The west side of the township was

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

with some small amounts of trees and shrubs, including

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

and

scrub oak Scrub oak is a common name for several species of small, shrubby oaks. It may refer to: *the Chaparral plant community in California, or to one of the following species. In California *California scrub oak ('' Quercus berberidifolia''), a widesp ...

. In the southern part, the soil was light in color and sandy in lower areas. In some areas the soil is thick and black and good for agricultural purposes.Pershing, p. 107

Cities, towns, villages

* Kempton

Unincorporated towns

* East Union at * Ekin at *

Goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...

at * Normanda at * Tetersburg at (This list is based on USGS data and may include former settlements.)

Former settlements

Jericho Jericho ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and the capital of the Jericho Governorate. Jericho is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It had a population of 20,907 in 2017. F ...

Adjacent townships

* Prairie Township (north) * Cicero Township (east) * Jackson Township, Hamilton County (southeast) * Adams Township, Hamilton County (south) * Johnson Township, Clinton County (west) * Sugar Creek Township, Clinton County (west)

Government

Political districts

Indiana's 5th congressional district Indiana's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana comprising Hamilton County, Indiana, Hamilton, Madison County, Indiana, Madison, Delaware County, Indiana, Delaware, Grant County, Indiana, Grant, and ...

* State House District 32 * State Senate District 21

Early history

The first school in the township began in 1842, just south of Goldsmith. The first teacher, James Forsythe, was described as being a "good instructor," and having a criminal past. He was arrested in Hamilton County for

larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Eng ...

at one point during his life. After he left, his son, Peter, taught at the school. Two additional schools were built in the township around this time. The first was near Jericho and the second near Normanda. Eventually, another school was built in Tetersburg.Pershing, p. 191
/ref>

Today

Students in Jefferson Township attend schools in the Tipton Community School Corporation.

Infrastructure

Major highways

U.S. Route 31 U.S. Route 31 or U.S. Highway 31 (US 31) is a major north–south U.S. highway connecting southern Alabama to northern Michigan. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with US 90/ US 98 in Spanish Fort, Alabama. I ...

* State Road 28

Cemeteries

The township contains these four cemeteries: Kempton, Small, Tucker and Wolford.

References

Footnotes

Sources

* Pershing, Marvin W. "History of Tipton County, Indiana: Her People, Industries and Institutions". Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen (1914).

External links

Indiana Township Association

United Township Association of Indiana
{{authority control Townships in Tipton County, Indiana Kokomo, Indiana metropolitan area Townships in Indiana