Jacob Tipton

JACOB TIPTON.

Jacob Tipton, the subject of this sketch, was born in Maryland in the year 1800. His parents died when he was very young. He was apprenticed to a blacksmith and learned that trade. When he attained his majority he emigrated to the state of Pennsylvania, and worked at his trade about three years, and from there he came to Preble County, O., and engaged to work at his trade with Daniel McCoy, whose son-in-law he afterwards became, marrying his daughter Sarah, and in 1830, together with this father-in-law, came to Indiana, locating at Jamestown. Daniel McCoy settled on a farm in Hendricks County, about three miles from Jamestown, while Jacob put up a rude shop and worked at his trade for about one year. Daniel McCoy sold his farm and moved to Jamestown in 1831. He and Tipton formed a partnership and sold goods under the firm name of Tipton & McCoy. They continued the business about four years, and, selling out, Jacob Tipton moved to Northfield in 1835, and went into the goods business with Hiram McQuitty; but before he came to Northfield he was elected sheriff, succeeding Austin Davenport in that office; served in that office two terms, and was succeeded by William Zion. The first grand jury that ever convened in the county held their session at his house in Jamestown. One little incident that happened while he was sheriff, is perhaps worthy of notice; he had a warrant for the arrest of a notorious character for larceny, who had been a terror to the country for some time, and who declared that he would not be taken. When he went to arrest him he fortunately met him alone in the woods, and told him to get into the path going to Lebanon, and if he made a move to the right or left he would kill him, keeping his hand in his pocket all the time. He rode behind him all the way to Lebanon through the woods, for there was nothing but a path in those days, and safely deposited him in the log jail, and then told him that he was unarmed – did not have even a pocket-knife. The fellow was very much chagrined when he found that out, and that he could have escaped so easily if he had not been so cowardly. He also kept tavern in Northfield for about twenty years. During that time there was an immense travel on the Michigan road. He and McQuitty dissolved partnership, McQuitty retiring. He continued the business at intervals alone and in partnership with his son, John G. Tipton, till 1854.

About the year 1838 he attached himself to the North American Fur Company and continued with that company fourteen years, when the company suspended, hauling all the furs he bought in wagons to Logansport. After that company suspended, about 1853 or ’54, he bought fur for Denny & Co., Dayton, Ohio, until his death in 1860. While engaged in that business for a period of about twenty-five years, he was kept much away from home in the winter season, sometimes as long as three or four weeks at a time, his wife and boys looking after the affairs at home, managing both the farm and tavern. His wife’s management of the tavern made it very profitable; she drew the largest custom of any of the many taverns on the Michigan road. Travelers that stopped there once would always make it a point to do so again when traveling that road. He was the father of thirteen children, all of whom attained their majority. John G. Tipton, the eldest, who was associated with him at one time in the mercantile business at Northfield, and afterwards conducted the business alone, died in Marion Township, Boone County, 1871. Martha is living in Missouri. William A. is a successful lawyer now at Winfield, Kansas; he has won distinction at the Lebanon, Covington and Indianapolis bars, and has a reputation second to none as a jurist. Mary J. died in Northfield in 1855; Sarah E. is living in Stockwell, Ind.; Francis M. is at Winfield, Kansas, practicing law; Hulda L. died in Jefferson Township, 1881; James H. is living in Fountain County, also practicing law; he has filled several positions of trust in that county. George W. is living in Iowa; Rachel M. is living in Boone County; Tillman H, is living in Fountain County; Rebecca D. is living in Fountain County; Amanda M. is living in Dakota. Sarah Tipton, his widow, still survives him, and is living in Fountain County with her son, James H. Tipton. She is now seventy-eight years old. During the late war the family furnished the following volunteers for the Union: John G. Tipton, 86th Indiana; James H., 10th and 154th Indiana – served four years; George W., 40th Indiana – served three years; Tillman H., 135th and 154th – one year; Francis M., captain home guards, had to stay at home and take care of the family.

Of the early settlers that were in Jamestown at the time he came there, was Samuel Wick, who was keeping tavern. John Gibson lived just below town. Witt’s house was the only house that was built at that time. The town was laid out by James Madlock and John Gibson. The first store was kept by Sayer & Burk; the first election was held there in 1831 (either 1831 or ’32); the first court was held in a log cabin; the grand jury held their meetings in a room of his house; almost the whole court boarded at his house. Mrs. Tipton was out of flour and had to serve them with corn bread; in passing the bread, David Hoover, the clerk of the court, declined to take any just yet, mistaking it for pudding.

There was but one church organization, the Baptists, who held their meetings in a log school house below town and in houses in the neighbourhood. When he came to Northfield, in 1835, there was but one house there; that was a grocery, kept by Jonathan Cruz, who boarded with Hiram McQuitty, who lived just south of town. He moved into a vacant house just below town, owned by McQuitty. He soon built him a dwelling house, and he and McQuitty built a store house in which they afterwards sold goods. John McCoy did most of the carpenter work. There was considerable travel on the Michigan road at that time, going to the north and northwest. The road was lined with peddlers of all kinds. They could buy flour, meat, apples, peaches, whisky, brandy and all kinds of notions from wagons in the road. He was soon appointed postmaster. The mail was carried by stages. He was postmaster twenty years. They had one mail each way daily in the winter and spring. When the roads were bad it would be midnight most of the time before the mail from either way would reach his office, and he would have to get up in the night and open the mail. Often he was not at home and that duty was performed by Mrs. Tipton.

Of the early settlers of Northfield were Harrison and Mack Spencer, who sold goods; James Peyton, Cauncy Cole, Abner Sanborn, the first justice of the peace, and shorter after kept tavern; Dr. Presly, Dr. S. K. Hardy, Dr. Martin, who was also a Baptist preacher; John Kounts located just north on Eagle Creek and kept a grocery and erected the first mill in the neighborhood, and I think Isaac Hoover, west of town, erected the second; John Hartman, Judge Dooley, Isaac Hunton, Wm. O. Cary, were the first school teachers, if I remember right. Jacob Tipton was an energetic man, had an iron constitution, the weather never was too severe for him to venture out into it to attend to his business. He was possessed of a good, practical education, as good as the times could afford. He did much to develop the county and encourage emigration. His business brought him in contact with men from all parts of the country, and it was through his influence and representations that induced many good men to settle in the county who would have went elsewhere. In politics he was always a Democrat, and took great interest in politics, both state and national. He was one of those men who was peculiarly fitted to develop and advance the interests of a new country. He never had much sickness, was always on the move until his death, which occurred in October, 1860. He was buried in the Ross Cemetery, one mile north of Northfield.

Source Citation: Boone County Biographies [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2007. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: Harden & Spahr. "Early life and times in Boone County, Indiana." Lebanon, Indiana. May, 1887, pp. 372-376.

Transcribed by: Julie S. Townsend - July 7, 2007