Descendants of Willington Jackson (ca. 1782-1847)
Descendants of Willington and Elsie/Mary (Davis) Jackson

Very few records for Willington and Elsie (or Mary) (Davis) Jackson, parents of Elisha D. Jackson, are known to exist in Jackson Co., Indiana. The earliest one appears to be in a publication, The Hoosier Journal of Ancestry Vol. VII—No. 3, July, 1980, on page 24, where it states Willington Jackson’s name appeared in the First Order Book of the Jackson County Circuit Court during its term of April 7-9, 1817. In the civil action of Cornelius Lyster v. James Courtney, it states:  “Willinton Jackson claims 7 days attendance for plaintiff,” which indicates that he and his family were in Jackson County, Indiana by 1817. In the state of Illinois census records, Willington’s first name sometimes was spelled as “Millington.” The name of “Meliton Jackson” appeared on the 1820 Jackson Co., Indiana census. At that time his family consisted of 4 males under 10 years of age, 2 aged 10-16, one aged 26-45, no females listed. In the 1840 census of Jackson Co., Indiana, page 3, line 1, it shows that Willington Jackson’s household consisted of 2 males under age 5, 1 between 5-10, 1 male between 10-15 years of age, 2 males between 15-20, 1 male between 50-60 (probably Willington himself), 1 female between 15 and 20 (probably their only daughter, Elizabeth), and 1 female aged between 50 and 60 (probably Elsie or Mary (Davis) Jackson). Willington’s name does not appear on the 1850 Jackson Co., Indiana census. Family letters indicate that he died January, 1847, not in 1840, as stated in the biographical sketch on Asa Jackson below. Letters from Mary Davis (Jackson) Stevens to Jackson/Mehaffey family members give these names as her uncles and one aunt, children of Willington and Elsie/Mary (Davis) Jackson:

  1. Joel Jackson, b. 1801 (see record below)

  2. James, d. young, when thrown from a horse

  3. Coleman, father of Annie Jackson, who was living with the family of Elisha Jackson in Kansas at time of the 1880 census.

  4. Henry Jackson who was a Civil War veteran, m. Myra ______, lived in Kansas City and “Argentine, Wisconsin,” (perhaps the town of Argonne, Forest Co., or Arlington, Columbia Co., Wisconsin, or perhaps an extinct town by that name).

  5. The name of their 12th son may have been Byram or Biron (1840 census) Jackson, whose name is on the 1850 Jackson Co., Indiana census, age 39, (b. about 1811) who resided next to Luanna (Cordell) Jackson, p. 115 according to the census record. Also Joel Jackson, Sr. named one of his sons, Byram, perhaps after his brother. The 1840 Jackson Co., Indiana census, p. 21, line 1 reveals the family of “Biron Jackson” consisted of one male between 20-30 years of age, one female between 10-15 years of age and one female between 20-30 years of age. His name appears only a few lines below that of the family of Joel Jackson, recorded on p. 20, line 8.

  6. Jordon Jackson, b. about 1815 (see record below)

  7. Son identified only with his first initial “S.”  (Note: The son “S.” may have been Dr. Solomon Jackson, b. about 1818, who m. Elizabeth Olive Crane in Jackson Co., Indiana on 7 Nov 1842, and later lived at Columbus, Bartholomew Co. Indiana; however, there is a probate record for his estate in the records of Jackson Co., Indiana.)

  8. Asa Jackson, b. 1819 (see record below)

  9. Elisha Davis Jackson, b. 1820 (see record below)

  10. Elizabeth, b. between 1820-1825, the only daughter, was possibly the Elizabeth Jackson, who married Isaac Williams, on 23 Dec 1835, in Jackson Co., Indiana; however, this seems unlikely, since it appears she was living with her parents 5 years later in 1840, but possibly her husband died young, or they were living with her parents?  The source for the approximate birth date for Elizabeth Jackson is the 1840 Jackson Co., Indiana census, which records only two females in Willington Jackson's household, the younger one aged between 15 and 20 years of age.

  11. Daniel, b. about 1822, Mexian War veteran. An old family letter says he participated in the battle of Buena Vista. He probably was the same Daniel Jackson, age 24, whose name appears on p. 175 of the 1850 Jackson Co., Indiana census in the household of the 80th family headed by Joel Hinderlider, who was a brother of Lavina and Lavisa Hinderliter, wives of Asa and Jordon Jackson, respectively. Additionally he may have been the Daniel Jackson, who married Nancy E. Peck, 12 Feb 1854, according to Jackson Co., Indiana civil records.

    Copies of 6 muster rolls were obtained from the National Archives for a man named Daniel Jackson who served in the Mexican War. As a private, at New Albany, Indiana, he was mustered into Co. F, 2nd Reg’t. Indiana Infantry U.S. Army for a term of 12 months on June 19, 1846, age 24 years, and mustered out of the service on June 21, 1847, at New Orleans, Louisiana, still aged 24 years.

    Analysis:  New Albany is about 40 miles southeast of Medora, the town near which the family of Willington Jackson resided. There is so little information on these muster rolls that it is difficult to determine with any certainty whether or not this Daniel Jackson was Willington’s son; however, these muster rolls were the only ones provided by the National Archives, so it appears there was only one man named Daniel Jackson, who served in the Mexican War from the state of Indiana, or from the general vicinity of Medora, Indiana. To further support this belief, the following facts about the war are provided. In the spring of 1846, Congress gave authorization to President James K. Polk to raise an army of up to 50,000 volunteers to fight Mexico, so this was a relatively small army. The Battle of Buena Vista took place on February 22-23, 1847, and those days fall within the period of time that Daniel Jackson served in the U.S. Army. Only 5,000 American soldiers, led by Brig. Gen. Zachary Taylor, took part in the Battle of Buena Vista against 15,000 Mexican soldiers commanded by Gen. Santa Anna. Source: Story of the Great American West by The Reader’s Digest Association, ©1977, p. 172.

  12. Andrew, b. about 1826, d. in Civil War (see record below)

  13. Lewis W. Jackson, b. about 1834/1835, d. unmarried (see record elsewhere)

No one has been able to locate the graves of Willington and his wife in Jackson County, so it is probable there are no stones marking their graves. Another Jackson named Mathias Jackson also appears in records for Jackson Co., Indiana, who was b. 13 Jul 1786 in North Carolina, d. 24 Jun 1875, Jackson Co., Indiana, and according to a descendant, “Mathias Jackson was born 1787 NC, possibly Pasquotank County, his father was Mordecai/Mordica Jackson who was born abt 1750, mother Lydia. Mordecai had sons Malachi, James and John, grandson Samuel, 6 daughters—children by his wife Lydia. As far as we know there were also 2-3 other sons, all unknown at this point. This leaves room for Willington as a sibling. We do think this line of Jacksons possibly originated in Virginia, as Pasquotank County was once part of Virginia. In doing research of Pasquotank County, we have found tons of Jacksons there, seemingly related but no one has been able to sort it all out yet.” It has been suggested that he may have been a brother of Willington/Millington Jackson, as they only lived a few miles from each other, were close to the same age, and based on the evidence of Joel Jackson, Sr.’s birthplace, it appears that Willington had lived for awhile in North Carolina as well.


The following is a biographical sketch on Asa Jackson from pp. 416-17 of Portrait and Biographical Record of McDonough,and Henderson Counties, Illinois, published 1894 in Chicago by Lake City Publishing Co.:

Asa Jackson, who is numbered among the early settlers of Henderson County, his home now being on section 4, Rozetta Township, was born on the 28th of January, 1817, in Jackson County, Ind., and is a son of Willington and Elsie (Davis) Jackson. The father was born in Virginia and was of English descent. In the family were thirteen children, and, with one exception, all grew to mature years, but only three are living at this writing (in the spring of 1894), namely: Asa of this sketch; ELISHA, WHO NOW FOLLOWS FARMING IN KANSAS [emphasis added]; and Lewis [Civil War veteran, b.ca. 1835, served in 16th Ill. Cavalry, Co. F, who died unmarried at State Veterans Home in Hot Springs, South Dakota 2 Dec 1900], who is an agriculturist of the same State. The father continued to live in the Old Dominion [nickname for the state of Virginia] until about thirty years of age, when he emigrated westward to Indiana, making the journey by team. He became one of the pioneer settlers of Jackson County, and there entered land from the Government, his claim being located near Brownstown. After erect­ing a log cabin, he began to clear and improve the farm, and in the midst of the forest developed a good home. The Indians were still in the neighborhood, and the white settlers, therefore, were frequently com­pelled to seek protection in forts. Mr. Jackson remained in the Hoosier State until his death, which occurred in 1840. He was a member of the Methodist Church, and a highly respected citizen. His wife passed away several years previous.

Asa Jackson was reared upon the old homestead farm in the county of his nativity, and attended a sub­scrip­tion school, which was held in a log school­house two miles from his home. He is largely self-educated, however, for he could attend school only through the winter season, when there was a lull in the farm work. He began to earn his own livelihood at the age of eighteen years, by working as a farm hand at $8 per month. He was thus employed for two years after which he rented land and began farming in his own interest. He continued the cultivation of property belonging to others until 1849, when he left his native State and came to Illinois.

Previous to his removal, Mr. Jackson was mar­ried, having in 1836 led to the marriage altar Miss L. Henlider [her full name was Lavisa M. Hinderliter]. By their union have been born seven children:

  1. Michael who is now deceased; [age 11 in 107th family on 1850 Henderson Co., Ill. census, prob­ably died in the Civil War, since there is an entry for Michael Jackson in the Illinois Civil War Veterans Database]

  2. Adeline [age 10 in 1850 Ill. census], widow of John Morse;

  3. Eveline, wife of Eli Beaty; [age 8 in 1850 Ill. census; marriage record gives her name as Emily A., married to Eli Beaty 25 Dec 1861]

  4. Lavina, wife of George Brown [age 7 in 1850 Ill. census; married 10 Feb 1867];

  5. Eliza, wife of Alexander Smith; [probably was daughter named Mary, age 2 in 1850 Ill. census; marriage record shows the name of Eliza M., married in Henderson Co., Ill. on 9 Mar 1876];

  6. Mahala, wife of Hugh Haines; [age 5 in 1850 Ill. census; in Vol. II, p. 111 of Henderson County, Illinois Cemeteries, there are records for the graves of Hugh Haines and Mahala in the Reed Cemetery; his gravestone reads: “Hugh Haines, born 18 Jan 1854, died 23 Jan 1899,” and hers reads: “Mahala Jackson, his wife, born 20 Jun 1848, died 12 Oct 1905, also wife of W. Russell”]; and

  7. Ellen, wife of David Penrose. [not on in 1850 Ill. census, probably born after 1850]

[Note: It appears from Mahala’s gravestone record that the ages of Mahala and her sister, Eliza Mary, were mixed up on the 1850 Illinois census, i.e. Mahala’s age should have been recorded as age 2 and Eliza Mary as age 5; however, it is known that people would lie about their ages, so perhaps Mahala’s age was correct on the 1850 census.]

It was in 1849 that Mr. Jackson came to Henderson County, and purchased eighty-one acres of land on section 8, Rozetta Township. Only a few acres had been broken, the greater part of it being still in its primitive condition; but he at once began to cultivate it, and soon the entire amount was put under the plow. Good buildings and other improvements were made, and in the course of time the farm became one of the best in the neighborhood. Mr. Jackson continued to make his home thereon until 1893, when he sold his first property, and removed to the farm where he now resides. His life has been a busy and useful one, and as the result of his industry, perserverence and good man­agement he has acquired a comfortable compe­tence. In his political views, Mr. Jackson has long been a supporter of the Republican party, and is a member of the Christian Church. During his long residence in this county he has made many friends, and it is with pleasure that we present this record of his life to our readers.


On p. 140 of vol. II of Henderson County, Illinois Cemeteries, by Virginia Ross and Jane Evans, © 1979-1981, in 2 volumes, published in Owensboro, Kentucky by McDowell Publications, there are records of gravestones in the Rozetta Cemetery. Asa Jackson, his wife and several other Jacksons were buried there. One was a daughter not mentioned above, whose gravestone reads:  Josephine Jackson, daughter of A. and L., died Oct. 3, 1856, age 3y, 12d. Asa's gravestone shows his date of birth was 28 Jan 1817, and he died 6 Jul 1898. His wife’s gravestone shows her name was Lavisa M. Jackson who was born 31 Mar 1819 (1850 Ill. census gives her birthplace as New York, age 29, probably one of the six daughters and two sons of Michael and Mary Hinderliter of Jackson County, Indiana), and died 27 Oct 1865 at age 46 and is buried in the Rozetta Cemetery next to her husband, Asa Jackson.


Elisha Davis Jackson, son of Willington and Elsie (or Mary) (Davis) Jackson, was born 4 Jul 1820, near Medora, Jackson Co., Indiana, one of 13 children, 12 sons and one daughter. He married Isabel Celia Millhollen, daughter of David and Mary (Gray) Millhollin, on 20 Oct 1842, in Jackson Co., Indiana.  Isabel was born 18 Dec 1819 in Iredell Co., North Carolina, eldest daughter, second child of the 10 children of David and Mary (Gray) Milhollin, who came to Jackson Co., Indiana from Iredell Co., North Carolina. Elisha Davis Jackson died at Cedar Vale, Chautauqua Co., Kansas on 1 Feb 1896, and is buried in the Cedar Vale cemetery. It was passed down in the family that his wife was such a neat person that when they found her lying in her bed on the day she died everything in her home was tidy and neatly put away. She died 30 Oct 1902, and also is buried in the Cedar Vale cemetery. Since E. D. Jackson went to California during the 1849 Gold Rush, his name appears on p. 274 of the 1850 California census in El Dorado County, age 30, birthplace, Indiana; however, his name was also recorded on the 1850 census for Henderson Co., Illinois, the 108th family enumerated in that census, so it appears he was counted twice, but that was because the census in California was taken on October 18, 1850 or later in the same year, after he arrived there. The Town Clerk for Cedar Vale has the same dates of birth and death for them as are stated herein. See also additional notes for E. D. Jackson elsewhere on this website. They had six children:

  1. Martha Jane Jackson, b. 16 Apr. 1844, Medora Jackson Co., Indiana, m. (1) James Clements Mehaffey, in Warren Co., Illinois on 4 Jul 1863, son of James and Rebecca (Clements) Mehaffey, b. 22 Feb 1840, near Cambridge, Guernsey Co., Ohio, d. 4 Jun 1903, Los Angeles, California. Six years after he deserted the family, she divorced James Mehaffey in Shawnee Co., Kansas in April, 1886. She m. (2) Luther H. Root, date unknown at this time. She d. at Wilsey, Morris Co., Kansas 27 Jun 1920. She had 6 children by her first marriage:

    1. Margaret Isabel (“Dollie”) Mehaffey, b. 7 Dec 1864, m. Sylvester Flitch, had 3 daughters, Eva Barbara, Sylvia Martha and Audrey Lena, who were raised in Ponca City, Oklahoma, Dollie d. Denver, Colorado 14 Apr 1943.

    2. Elmer Douglass Mehaffey, b. 1865, d. of tuberculosis, unmarried Los Angeles, California 9 Nov 1892, buried in Rosedale Cemetery near his father.

    3. Martha R. (“Mattie”) Mehaffey, b. 19 Sept. 1867, m. twice, (1) Edwin McClelland, (2) Jim Alexander, had one son, Elmer McClelland.

    4. Leslie John (or Joy), d. when young, 2-3 years old.

    5. Flora Mehaffey, b. June, 1870, m. John F. Lonsinger, had 3 children: Roy, Ethel and Martha Lena. Flora d. 12 Dec 1963, Denver, Colorado.

    6. Estella May Mehaffey, b. 9 Jun 1876 in Des Moines, Iowa, m. George K. Bunce 24 Sep 1893, at Tecumseh, Kansas, had 8 children (see Bunce history). Estella d. 8 Jan 1935 at Denver, Colorado.

  2. Culver Jackson, b. 29 Apr. 1848, d. 14 Sept. 1849.

  3. Mary Davis Jackson (said to have been named after her grandmother Elsie/Mary (Davis) Jackson), b. 12 Jul 1850, Oquawka, Henderson Co., Illinois, m. Dr. Joseph Deweese Stevens as his second wife, in Peru, Chautauqua Co., Kansas. She d. 24 Jul 1936, Guthrie, Logan Co., Oklahoma. Before her marriage she worked as the postmistress in Peru, Kansas. No children. She was the source of the information on her father’s siblings.

  4. Bellina J. Jackson, b. 25 Nov 1852, Oquawka, Henderson Co., Illinois, d. 4 Sep 1853 at Oquawka.

  5. Amanda Lucretia Jackson, b. 4 Nov 1854, Henderson Co., Illinois, m. William C. Council 12 Nov 1876 at Topeka, Kansas, had one daughter Bertle, b. 13 Jun 1882. Amanda d. 8 Oct 1926, Cedar Vale, Kansas.

  6. Lewis E. Jackson, b. 3 Apr 1857, m. Amanda Ashpaugh, they separated in 1893. No children. He d. at Guthrie, Oklahoma 6 Sep 1896.

On pg. 5 of the census of Shawnee Co., Kansas, Monmouth Township, Enumeration Dist. 17, taken 5th day of June 1880, the 41st family enumerated was that headed by Elisha Jackson. He gave the census taker the information that his father (Willington Jackson) was born in Virginia, and his mother Elsie (or perhaps Mary, based on family stories) (Davis) Jackson was born in Tennessee. Also residing with him and his wife was the family of his eldest daughter, Martha Jane (Jackson) Mehaffey (“Mehaffee” on the census), who had been abandoned by her husband.

NameS
e
x
A
g
e
R
a
c
e
Relationship
to Head of
Household
OccupationPlace of
Birth
Birthplace
of Father
Birthplace
of Mother
Marital
Status
Elisha JacksonM591W[self]FarmerIndianaVirginiaTenn.Married
Isabella JacksonF61WWifekeeping houseN. CarolinaN. CarolinaN. CarolinaMarried
Annie JacksonF812WNieceat homeIllinoisIndianaN. CarolinaSingle
Lewis JacksonM23WSonworks on farmIllinoisIndianaN. CarolinaSingle
Martha Mehaffee3F36WDaughterat homeIndianaIndianaN. CarolinaMarried
Elmer Mehaffee3M14WGrandsonworks on farmIllinoisIndiana4Ohio4Single
Mattie Mehaffee3F12WGrand-daughterat homeIllinoisIndiana4Ohio4Single
Flora Mehaffee3F9WGrand-daughterat homeKansas5Indiana4Ohio4Single
Estella Mehaffee3F3WGrand-daughterat homeIowa6Indiana4Ohio4Single

Footnotes to census record:

1Since individuals were asked to report their age as of June 1, 1880, Elisha's age is correct, because he would not have been 60 years old until July 4, 1880.

2The age for Annie Jackson, niece of Elisha Jackson, seems to be very wrong, as he most certainly would have been older than her, or at the very least only a few years younger.

3The surname for Martha (Jackson) Mehaffey and her children was misspelled on the census record as "Mehaffee," but this surname was spelled various ways in many records. In fact an older brother of their father consistently spelled the name Mahaffey in his Civil War pension record.

4The birthplaces of the parents of the Mehaffee children were reversed on the census record, since their mother was Martha (Jackson) Mehaffee clearly shown on the record as having been born in Indiana, and their father was born in Ohio, based on his Civil War pension record.

5Why the census record shows that Flora Mehaffee was born in Kansas is a mystery, since she and the rest of the Mehaffey family were not known to have lived in Kansas prior to 1880.

6The birthplace given for the youngest grandchild, Estella Mehaffey, confirms a story handed down in the Bunce family that she was born in Des Moines, Iowa; however, she had actually just turned 4 years old on June 1, 1880.

The eldest daughter of James C. and Martha (Jackson) Mehaffey, Margaret ("Dollie") Mehaffey, had probably been sent to live with her aunt and uncle, Amanda Lucretia (Jackson) and Will Council in Cedar Vale, Chautauqua Co., Kansas before June, 1880.

The paragraph below about Elisha Davis Jackson and his family is from A. T. Andreas' 1883 History of the State of Kansas in the section on Monmouth Township, of the chapter on Shawnee County:

E. D. JACKSON, farmer, Section 32, P. O. Topeka, owns 160 acres, about 100 acres under cultivation and the rest in meadow and pas­ture. Wheat average in 1882 is twenty-three bushels to the acre and oats forty-five, has five horses, twenty-five head of cattle and ten hogs. Born in Indiana, July 4, 1820, in June, 1845, he moved to Iowa and spent two years there, and removed to Illinois, and came from there to Kansas in the fall of 1869. In 1850 he went to California crossing the plains and was there for two years. Was married October 12, 1842, to Miss Isabel C. Milholland, they have four children— Martha J., Mary D., Amanda L. and Lewis E. Are mem­bers of the Christian Church.

Interestingly, in the records of Henderson Co., Illinois, there is a land record dated 12 Feb 1852, in Deed Record Book 9, p.  319, reflecting the transfer of title of land located in the E1/2 of the SW1/4 of Sec. 8, T11N of R4W of Henderson Co. from Elisha D. and Isabella C. (Milhollin) Jackson to Asa Jackson of Henderson Co., Illinois for the sum of $450.00. This land sale must have occurred shortly after Elisha returned from California, when perhaps he was still too weak to work because of the cholera he got while in California, and thus he may have needed the money to support his family. There seem to be no other land records in Henderson Co. with the names of Elisha and his wife on them, so he may have continued living on the same property as a tenant of his brother, Asa, and then when he and his family moved to Kansas in 1869, there was no land record in Henderson Co., Illinois documenting the event.

Also, on p. 146 of vol. II Henderson County, Illinois Ceme­teries, by Virginia Ross and Jane Evans, © 1979-1981, in 2 volumes, published in Owensboro, Kentucky by McDowell Publications, there are records of gravestones in the in Stockton Cemetery of the graves of the infant children of ELISHA DAVIS JACKSON and ISABEL CELIA (MILHOLLEN) JACKSON who died young: Culver and Bellina Isabella. Their gravestones read:

Bellina Isabella Jackson, dau. of E.D. & I.C., d. Sept. 1, 1853, age 9m, 10d; and

Culver Jackson, son of E.D. & I.C., d. Sept. 14, 1849, age 1y, 1m, 15d.


Also buried there in the Rosetta Cemetery in Oquawka, Henderson Co., Illinois is Lavisa’s sister, Lavina (Hinderliter) Jackson, wife of Asa and Elisha's older brother, Jordon Jackson, who were married in Jackson County, Indiana 18 Apr 1836. (Source: Vol. II Henderson County, Illinois Cemeteries, by Virginia Ross and Jane Evans, ©1979-1981, in 2 volumes, published in Owensboro, Kentucky by McDowell Publications.) The inscription on her gravestone reads: “Lavina Jackson, wife of Jordon, died Oct. 26, 1854, age 36y, 8m, 23d." This grave­stone record confirms a story handed down in our family that Jordon Jackson lived at Oquawka for a while then returned to Jackson County, Indiana, where he died. Interestingly, a record of the family of Jordon Jackson appears on the 1840 Jackson Co., Indiana census on p. 3, line 7, just 6 lines below the record of his father’s household, where it says his family consisted of 4 individuals: 1 male below the age of 5, 1 male between 20-30 years, 1 female under age 5 and 1 female aged between 20-30 years. It was also said that Jordon and Lavina Jackson had 16 children, but that seems improbable unless Jordon married twice, because at the time of the 1850 Jackson Co., Indiana census, p. 170, Carr township, where Jordon’s age was recorded as 35, born in Tennessee, and Lavina was age 32, born in Kentucky, there were only 6 children in their home, all born in Indiana:

  1. Fanny Jackson, female, age 11

  2. Hilsey Jackson, female, age 7

  3. Leuvisa [was probably named Lavisa after her mother’s sister] Jackson, female, age 5

  4. William F. Jackson, male, age 3

  5. Rebecca Jackson, female, age 1 and

  6. Joel Jackson, male, age 1 month

Even if Lavina had had one child each year after 1850 until her death in 1854, they would have had a total of only 10 or 11 children. Of course, there is also the possibility that a number of their children died in infancy and their names are not on the census record, or that Jordon married a second time for which we have no record.


Another grave in the Rozetta Cemetery is for Andrew Jackson, who d. at Nashville, Tenn. May 25, 1865, age 39y (Leg.). From a story passed down in the family, Andrew was one of the Jackson brothers who served in the Civil War, and there was a famous Civil War battle at Nashville, Tenn., so he may not actually be buried there, but the stone may be a cenotaph, erected in his memory.


Joel Jackson is believed to have been the eldest child of Willington and Elsie (Davis) Jackson, Joel Jackson, Sr., b. 12 Oct 1801, North Carolina d. in Jackson Co., Indiana 18 Nov 1847. He m. Luanna Cordell (marriage record shows her name as Susannah, which is wrong according to Mrs. Ruth Jackson, whose husband was a descendant) in Jackson Co., Indiana on 28 Nov 1829. She was b. 24 Apr 1814. Luanna (Cordell) Jackson married a second husband, Mr. Blevins, by whom she had one son, Robert. Another record of the family of Joel Jackson is at a Worldconnect site: Genealogy of R. Richard Crockett, but this one shows Luanna’s name as Susannah. Her first marriage produced 8 children, all born in Jackson Co., Indiana:

  1. Elizabeth Jackson, b. 21 Mar 1831.  The following informa­tion added on 31 Jul 2005:  She married Anderson Wray, on 30 Aug 1849, in Jackson Co., Indiana, and they had three children: Luanna C., Margaret L. and Pulcherry Y. Wray, according to an affidavit dated Oct. 4, 1920, signed by Simeon L. Henderson, in the records of Jackson Co., Indiana. In the spring of 1855, the family moved to Allen Co., Kansas. It appears Elizabeth (Jackson) Wray died prior to Jan. 28, 1868, probably in Kansas, as that is the date a petition was filed in Jackson Co., Indiana on behalf of her children, Louanna, Margaret and Pulcherry, regarding the disposition of their share of the estate of their grandfather, Joel Jackson, Sr.

  2. Greenwood Jackson, b. 16 Dec 1833, believed to have lived and died at Ames, Major Co., Oklahoma, as John's sons remembered “uncle Green” in Ames.

  3. Joel Jackson, Jr., b. 30 Apr 1835, see sketch below.

  4. Margaret Jane Jackson, b. 8 Feb 1838, m. George Burch or Birch, no children, but helped raise Jesse, youngest son of her brother John. She is said to be buried at Ames, Major Co., Oklahoma.

  5. Byram Jackson, b. 5 May 1841, d. 23 Dec. 1842.

  6. Jesse Jackson, b. 22 Dec 1843, who m. 11 Apr 1867, Nancy Ann Forgey, b. 5 Jan 1844, d. 13 Jan 1917, (probably dau. of Hugh and Delilah (Henderson) Forgey), is buried at Rose, Woodson Co., Kansas, moved to Yates Center, Woodson Co., Kansas about 1871; had 9 children:

    1. Leander Willington Jackson, b. 19 Apr 1868 in Indiana.
    2. Edna Jane Jackson, b. 3 Aug 1870.
    3. Effie Mae Jackson, b. 13 Jan 1872 in Kansas.
    4. John Forgey Jackson, b. 10 Mar 1874.
    5. Cleophas Hugh Jackson, b. 3 Nov 1875.
    6. Jesse Lafayette Jackson, b. 1 Nov 1878.
    7. Louanna Caroline b. 25 Feb 1881.
    8. Grover Cleveland Jackson, b. 3 Nov 1884.
    9. William Ira, b. 25 Feb 1887 in Kansas.

  7. John Jackson, b. 9 Jun 1845, d. 5 Feb 1923, married 3 times. Story was told that his first wife and baby were burned in a prairie fire. The name of his first wife was Matilda T. ______, based on the 4 Oct 1920 affidavit signed by Simeon L. Henderson in the court records of Jackson Co., Indiana.  He had 6 children by his second wife Mary Katherine (Kate) Robinson (b. 11 Jul 1850, d. 12 Oct 1889) as follows:

    1. Mary Katherine (“Mollie”) Jackson, b. 1 Apr 1878, Deerfield, Vernon Co., Missouri
    2. Laura Jackson, b. 1880
    3. John William Jackson, b. 15 Nov 1881 in Missouri
    4. Grant Jackson, b. 24 Dec 1885 in Arkansas
    5. Jesse Oscar Jackson, b. 7 Jun 1889 in Kansas and
    6. one daughter, Jewel, by his third wife, Julia, whom he probably married at Burlington, Coffey Co., Kansas.

    His third marriage ended in divorce when he was around 50 years old or 1895. John is said to be buried at Alden, Caddo Co., Oklahoma. He was a Union Army Civil War vet, also said to have taken part in campaigns against the Indians with Sherman and Custer. When his second wife died, he gave his children to his brothers and sisters to raise, and they saw very little of their father after that.

  8. William Ira Jackson, b. 10 Apr 1848, d. 25 Dec 1935, m. Carrie Eliza _______. He is buried at Humboldt, Allen Co., Kansas. No children, but they helped raise two of John’s sons.

The birthdates and death dates of Joel Jackson's children are from a letter from a descendant of John Jackson. The dates of birth for all the above children of Joel Jackson, Sr. match the ages of these children on the 1850 Jackson Co., Indiana census, pg. 115, Salt Creek Township, in the household headed by their mother, Luannah Jackson, age 38, birthplace possibly Kentucky.

The following record for Joel Jackson, Jr., son of Joel and Luanna (Cordell) Jackson, is copied from pp. 571-72 of Biograph­ical Record of Bartholomew and Jackson Counties, published 1904, in Indianapolis, Indiana by B. A. Bowen.

JOEL JACKSON

One of the honored citizens and native sons of Jackson county, where he has maintained his home for nearly seventy years, is he whose name introduces this brief sketch, and he is a scion of one of the representa­tive pioneer families of this now opulent and attractive section of the state.

Mr. Jackson was born on the old homestead farm in Salt Creek township on the 30th of April, 1835, and bears the full patronymic of his father, Joel Jackson, Sr., who was a native of North Carolina, where he re­mained until 1813, when he came to Indiana, making the trip with team and wagon, in company with his parents, having been about twelve years old at the time. The family was numbered among the very first settlers in Jackson county, and the father of the sub­ject did his part in initiating the work of developing the wild land to cultivation and his early experiences in the forest wilds included not only the labors involved in clearing off the timber and underbrush but also the hunting of various wild animals which found habitat here. He was a hard worker, a man of distinctive energy and ambition, and he died in the very prime of life, honored by all who knew him. His wife, whose maiden name was Anna Cordill, survived him by a number of years. They became the parents of six children, namely: Elizabeth and Greenwood, both of whom are deceased; Joel, the immediate subject of this review; and Jesse, Margaret J., John and William I. Joel Jackson, Sr. was a Democrat in politics and was a prominent figure in local affairs of a public nature, having been captain of a company of militia for some time having been prospered in a temporal way, reclaiming a good farm in Salt Creek township.

The subject of this sketch grew up under the influences and conditions of the pioneer epoch and lent his aid in the reclaiming and cultivation of the home farm, while his early educational advantages were such as were afforded in the common schools of the locality, the same being maintained principally upon the sub­scrip­tion plan and being necessarily somewhat primi­tive in character. He early manifested a marked mechanical ability and as a youth became a skilled wagonmaker, to which trade he has continued to devote more or less attention throughout life, while he has also been constantly identified with the great basic industry of agri­cul­ture. Through consecutive applica­tion and good management he has attained a posi­tion of independence and definite prosperity, while he has so ordered his life in all its relations as to ever com­mand the esteem and confidence of all with whom he has come in contact. It may be further said that in connection with his mechani­cal pursuits he, in the early days, manufactured many wagons, doing all the work by hand and securing the necessary timber from the tree, cutting and splitting the lumber and not utilizing sawed lumber of any description in the entire operation. He also enjoyed the sports of the field and forest and has killed many deer in the township where he now maintains his home owning a fine farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Salt Creek township, and having made excellent improvements in the way of buildings, etc. In politics he clings to the faith in which he was reared and is a staunch adherent of the Democratic party, in whose cause he has ever shown a lively interest. He and his wife are consistent and valued members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Freetown.

On the 17th of April, 1856, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Jackson to Miss Sarah Reeda, [correct surname for Sarah was Reedy, b. 22 Oct 1836, d. 14 Sep 1904, Freetown, Jackson Co., Indiana], a daughter of William and Elizabeth [Motsinger] Reeda, who came to Jackson County from Pennsylvania in the pioneer days, Mr. Reeda being a farmer and blacksmith by vocation. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have ten children:

  1. Laban [b. ca. 1860]

  2. Greenwood [b. 16 Jan 1861, d. 1 Feb 1880. The death of this son is probably the one reported in the following record: “Freetown news—A son of Joel JACKSON, aged about 19 years, died rather suddenly.  We did not learn what ailed him."  (Thurs., Mar. 4, 1880—The Brownstown Banner), found in book, Jackson Co., Indiana Obituaries, 1854-1880 by Johnson, ©1992.]

  3. Rome [b. ca. 1863, m. Margaret Carmichael, d. 1945]

  4. Charlotte [“Lottie” b. ca. 1865, m. James Henry Strawn]

  5. Jefferson [“Jeff” b. ca. 1865]

  6. Jason [b. ca. 1870, m. Clara ?]

  7. Minnie B. [b. 8 Jun 1872, d. 4 Nov 1880]

  8. Olive [b. 30 Aug 1874, d. 6 Feb 1896]

  9. Gilbert [b. 21 Jul 1877]

  10. Nora [b. 18 Jan 1881, m. John Mortimer Hamilton, 30 Jul 1905, d. 1 Apr 1929].

[Note from descendant, Larry D. Wayt: Another son was born to Joel and Elizabeth (Reedy) Jackson, who was not listed in the above sketch, Will Jackson, who was born after Gilbert and before Nora, but his exact date of birth was not provided; it is possible that he died young. Joel Jackson, Jr. died on 14 Aug 1919.]


[Stonewall.jpg]

Finally, it was passed down in the family of John Jackson, son of Joel Jackson, Sr., and also in the family of Elisha Davis Jackson that they both claimed to have been cousins of General Thomas Jonathan (“Stonewall”) Jackson, famous Confederate General of the Civil War, but thus far we have been unable to find the exact degree of kinship, if any, and have been unable to find where in Virginia or possibly West Virginia that Willington Jackson was born, sometime between 1780 and 1790, but probably closer to 1780, since he had his son, Joel, in 1801.

After doing much research, it seems that this story of a relationship between this Jackson family and that of Gen. Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson can not be substantiated, and unless further information comes to light, it will be considered a family fable or myth, possibly based solely on the fact that this Confederate general had the same last name.

Revised:  27 Aug 2005


People who contributed information to the above record: