James Sefton
GREENSBURG STANDARD
Friday February 22, 1907
THE PIONEERS
Our Oldest Citizens, Who Made This Country What It Is
The Oldest Decatur County Democrat
Saw A Deer Killed in Court House Park
JAMES SEFTON
The Sefton family stands preminent in the early history of Decatur
county. The name has even been a synonym for integrity, thrift and
prosperity. Four brothers, born in Ireland, emigrated to America, and
the four - William, James, Henry and Samuel, located in Ohio. Three of
these brothers ultimately came to Decatur county, Indiana, Henry having
died of cholera in Butler county, Ohio, in 1834. The subject of this
sketch, James Sefton. is the descendant of the oldest of the brothers,
William Sefton, who is to be distinguished from another William Sefton,
known as "Ohio Bill Sefton." The latter was a son of Henry Sefton, and
as a matter of distinction assumed the letter 0, as a middle name, after
he had come to Indiana in May 15, 1838. William 0. Sefton died October
29, 1868. William Sefton, the father of James Sefton, was born in County
Entrim, in 1770. In his native land - the Emerald Isle - he was married
to Charlotte Joppin. They came to America in 1804, and located in Butler
county, Ohio, near the present town of Harrison. James, the youngest of
the seven children of this family, was born March 20, 1821, in Butler
county, Ohio, and was three years old when his father moved to Indiana
and entered eighty acres of land near the present Center Grove Church,
in Clinton township, it being the farm now owned by John Thomas Meek. Of
course, at this time the country was an unbroken forest, and in the
midst of the thick woods the family settled down, and the father,
assisted by bisons, began clearing a little farm, and planted a corn
crop. No cabin was built until after the crop was "laid by," toward the
latter part of the summer. The family lived in a rude tent, using the
wagons for sleeping apartments, and the camp had been pitched by the
side of a monster poplar log. The cabin when completed, had been
constructed without a nail, it was covered with clap boards, held down
by weight poles. The floor was of "puncheons," or logs flattened on one
side by the axe, and all snugly laid on the ground. The house, though a
rude affair, was comfortable. The woods were full of game, and though
the boys were expert riflemen, as were most of the pioneers, the
squirrels were so numerous that much of their corn crop was destroyed by
them in spite of the fact that some one was kept on guard, gun in hand,
with as much regularity as pickets of an army in the presence of the
enemy.
The elder Sefton had entered this eighty acres at the land office at
Brookville, and paid for it at the government price of one dollar and a
quarter an acre. He raised his large family and accumulated enough money
to buy several adjoining tracts of land, all of which, by the help of
his sons, he cultivated and developed into a valuable farm. He died in
1852, a most highly respected citizen of Clinton township. James Sefton
has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Mary Ann Power, a sister
of Squire Thomas G. Power, of this city. They were married September 15,
1842. She died December 8, 1844, leaving one daughter, Elizabeth, who
became the wife of McKinney Carter. She died a few weeks ago near
Milroy. His second marriage occurred a few years later, to Miss Harriett
Riffe, who died December 2, 1898. To this union were born seven children
- four sons and three daughters. Of these one son and one daughter are
dead. Oliver C. Sefton, known as "Tom," served a term as trustee of
Clinton township, and died at Sandusky a few years ago. His widow, Mrs.
Emma Sefton, a sister of J. W. Nation, lives at 335 Central Avenue, in
this city. Eliza, who married John Montgomery, has been dead about
twelve years. The other sons, David F., known as "Frank," Christopher
A., known as "Gus," and Charles M. live near Sandusky; John W., known as
'Wes," lives at Williamstown. Louisa C. married Emory Richard, and they
live in Clinton township, on the "home farm." At the death of his
father, James Sefton bought out the interest of the other heirs in the
home place at Center Grove, but afterwards sold it, and bought other
lands until he now owns three hundred and twenty acres of the best land
in the county. By good management and economy he surrounded himself and
his family with the comforts and conviences of modern life. His farm
lies just six miles north of the public square, near the thriving town
of Sandusky. Mr. Sefton tells many amazing stories of his early school
days - when attending school with "Uncle Thomas" Meek. The boys used to
take their axes to the school house to cut the wood for the school house
fires, on one occasion they found a coon treed in the woods near by, and
staid out an hour after "books" to cut it down. The teacher threatened
to punish them, but owing to the defense made by young Meek, they
escaped the "thrashing." James Sefton having been accused of the foot
notes of the report of a Democratic convention of being the oldest
Democrat in the county, and of having killed a deer on the site of the
present court house, Mr. Sefton, upon arraignment, pleads guilty to the
main facts of the charges, but asks to make an explaination. He admits
having attended the annual Democratic meetings held on St. Jackson's
Day, January 8th, every year at Indianapolis, for forty-two years past.
For years and years he has represented Clinton township in both the
county and state conventions, and until last year he has never failed to
attend the celebration of Gen. Jackson's Day, on each January 8th, which
commemorates the battle of New Orleans. For forty-two years, as a local
delegate, he has responded to roll call, and the next time his name is
called, if there be a silence, an inquiry arising from respect and
veneration will be instituted.
A failure to report for duty will signify a serious calamity, since
nothing short of an impossibility will prevent his attendance on what he
calls first-class "duty calls." In his demurrer to the complaint of
killing the deer in the court house park, he admits having knowledge of
the transaction, and can name the man who fired the fatal shot. He
pleads, however, some extenuating circumstances. The present court house
park was a dense thicket: all north of town was a deep wood. A deer
startled out of its lair, about where now stands the Warder Hamilton
farm house, made a dash for liberty, followed by a crowd of young
hunters. Among them was James Sefton, then a lad, but the leader was
Nathan Crume. The exciting chase ended when Crume shot the deer, as it
bounded from the thicket and sought to escape by a path leading almost
due west from where the court house now stands. It fell at a spot near
the old public well, just northwest of the court house door. "Uncle
James" Sefton, who was in the gang that followed this chase to the death
of the "quarry," is full of reminiscences of the old days, and delights
to talk of early experiences, and argue the question of then and now.