Christopher D. Jackson

Christopher D. Jackson is one of the very few old settlers now living. He was born on the old Hartford and Bardstown road, nine miles north of Hartford, in what is now Ohio County, Dec. 13, 1797. His father was Christopher D. Jackson, a native of Virginia, and was born in Prince William County and removed with his parents to Botetourt County, Va., when four years old; then moved to Danville, Boyle County, Ky., and then to Hartford Ohio Co., Ky., then a fort. He was married here to Miss Catherine Rhodes. They were members of the Baptist church. They had a family of fourteen children, nine girls and three boys lived to be men and women. Christopher D. was the third son and fifth child. He was reared on a farm near Hartford. He married Miss Camilla L. Shanks, Nov. 1, 1827. She was born in Kentucky. About a month after his marriage in December, 1827, Mr. Jackson moved to Daviess County, Ky., where he has since resided. At that time there were 625 whites and 518 blacks in the county over sixteen years old. Since that time a part of the county has been given to McLean and Hancock counties. Mr. Jackson had some 200 acres of land, and four negroes, one of which is still living with him. He also had some $1,200 and a team of horses. He first settled on a part of his present farm in Masonville Precinct, and has resided on this farm ever since. He and wife had four children – J. Hanibal, died aged one year and ten days; Josephine, died, aged nearly seventeen. James S. married Miss Susan Haws, a daughter of Albert Haws, who was elected three times to Congress from this district. James S. Jackson and wife had five children, four living – Christopher, who married Anna Krob; Adelle, married James Hickman, M.D., and resides in Owensboro; Albert G., married Laura Terrell; Nina is unmarried. Samuel Jackson died age six years. Mrs. Jackson died in 1837. Mr. Jackson is now in the eighty-sixth year of his age, and is hale and hearty for a man of his age. He owns a fine farm of 3,000 acres in one tract where he resides. He also owns 418 acres in Vanover Precinct and 100 acres in Knottsville Precinct. Mr. Jackson is the largest landholder in the county and the wealthiest man in the county. He is one of our self-made men; he is well read; he has a large library of his own which contains many valuable books. He is a Mason and a member of the Sugar Grove Lodge, A.F. & A.M. Mr. Jackson gave the two acres of land on which the Sugar Grove church is built. He has held the office of Justice of the Peace nineteen years and was Sheriff of the county two years under the old State Constitution. His brother, Julius C. Jackson, was in the battle of New Orleans, war of 1812. His wife was a cousin of Senator McCreery. He has always been a strong supporter of the Democratic party. He is of English, Irish and German descent; his great-grandfather, Henry Rhodes, on his mother’s side, came from Holland and settled with William Penn in Pennsylvania. His great-grandfather on his father’s side was Christopher Jackson, who was born in England, son of an English father and French mother. He and two brothers came to America soon after the landing of the Pilgrims; Christopher settled in Virginia, one in Maryland, and one in South Carolina. Mr. Christopher D. Jackson, father of subject of our sketch, was a second cousin of old Hickory Jackson, President of the United States.

Source: History of Daviess County, Kentucky. Chicago: Interstate Publishing Co., 1883. Courtesy of the Daviess County Bicentennial Committee