AREA HISTORY:  Jackson Township, York County, PA

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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THE TOWNSHIP OF JACKSON – Page 687

THE area now embraced in this township, for 110 years was a part of Paradise.  
In 1857 a petition was presented to the court, Judge Fisher presiding, asking 
for the appointment of viewers to lay off a new township.  The request was 
granted, the report confirmed, and the new district was called Jackson, a name 
well known to history.  23 counties, 120 townships, and 30 towns and villages in 
the United States, have the same name.

Jackson Township in this county, corresponds in shape, to the State of Indiana, 
and its democracy is of the same sterling kind.  Most of its inhabitants support 
the principles advocated by the gallant “Here of New Orleans,” with unflinching 
fidelity.  The early settlers were nearly all Germans, except a few English 
Quakers, the Richardsons, Coateses, Tuckers, etc., who settled with Peter Dicks, 
founder of Spring Forge, in 1756.  The German language now predominates in the 
township.  The land is fertile and very productive, and its owners are 
industrious and prosperous.  There are many valuable limestone and sandstone 
farms in the highest state of cultivation.  Jackson is drained by the head-
waters of the Little Conewago, and small tributaries of the Codorus.  Valuable 
iron ore has been taken out from various parts of this township.  The Conewago 
Iron Company, located at Middletown, Penn., have been the chief operators of 
late.  On the farm of Michael H. Myers, this company leased a bank in January, 
1881.  From that date to March 1885, they took out 16,263 tons of brown hematite 
ore.  Thirty-five men are regularly employed.  Lewis Krall is superintendent.  
The percentage of iron is 47.  At the “Jackson” Bank, on the farm of Samuel H. 
Bechtel, from January, 1881 to November, 1882, with 20 workmen, 4,802 tons of 
brown hematite ore, 47 per cent of iron were taken out.  At the “Spring Grove” 
Bank, on the farm of John Roth, from January, 1881, to April, 1883, with 20 
workmen, 4,792 tons of specular ore, 47 per cent iron, were obtained; at the 
“Oak Hill” bank, from November, 1881, to January, 1883, with 20 workmen, 2,663 
tons of specular ore, 45 per cent iron, were obtained.  All these mines were 
operated by the Conewago Iron Company.  Ore has been taken out in this township 
for nearly a century, and there are vast deposits there yet.  Jackson Township, 
though not large, is quite thickly settled.  Its population in 1880 was 1,836; 
the number of taxable in 1883, was 562; value of real estate, $972,303; county 
tax, $3,736; State tax, $255.  The York & Gettysburg Turnpike crosses the 
township.  The west end of the township along the pike is densely populated, and 
Farmers Postoffice has been in existence there since 1830.  Thomasville is a 
collection of a dozen or more houses toward the east end of the Jackson, on the 
pike.  Nashville is a beautiful hamlet located on the York and Hanover road.  
Its population is sixty.  This point is noted, according to tradition, as being 
the place Gen. Washington was met on July 2, 1791, by a York delegation while on 
his way Eastward.  The famous “York Imperial” and “York Stripe” varieties of 
apple originated here a dozen years ago with William Johnston.

Spangler Valley, located north of Pidgeon Hill Church, and extending from a 
point near Farmers Postoffice eastward below Spangler’s tavern, obtained its 
name from the fact that the land was “taken up” by the Spanglers during the time 
of the first settlement.  The spring on the farm now owned by the Rev. Aaron 
Spangler, of York, was a resort for the Indians when the white settlers first 
came.  There were wigwams at this place.  Much of the valley was a vast, woody 
swamp, hence the name “Holz-schwamm.”  It was covered with large hickory trees.  
Bernhart Spangler and his brother were among the first to commence cutting these 
large monarchs of the forest, and to clear the land for farming.  The head-
waters of the Little Conewago Creek are in this valley.

The Wiest property, near where the Hanover and Spring Grove roads diverge, was 
for a long time the site of a hotel, and an important stopping place.  Dr. John 
Wiest, of York, has in his possession an advertisement dated 1808, of Tempest 
Tucker, offering for sale this “well-known tavern stand on the road from 
Philadelphia to the Federal city.” 

The “Jackson and Codorus scare,” caused by a false report that all male citizens 
were to be impressed into the service during the Confederate invasion, is not 
yet forgotten.