Oliver Hazard Perry Macy

From a book entitled to "History of Miami County, Indiana..." In January, 1843, Oliver H.P. Macy, an early settler of Grant County, Indiana, removed across the line and located a tract of land which now lies within the limits of the town of Converse, Indiana. John Gates settled about 3 miles north of Macy, and before the close of that year a few other hardy pioneers had located claims in Jackson Township. During the next 3 years quite a number of settlers came into this part of Miami County. Among them were James McKinley, John Long, James Poulson, William Bowman, Samuel Long, James Que, James Calhoun, David Daniels, Samuel Butler, Samuel and David Draper, Henry Addington, William and Eli Overman, George Badger, Jonathan Pearson, Nathan Arnold, Solomon Wright, and perhaps a dozen others. Rev. Abraham See, a Methodist clergyman, settled about a mile northeast of Converse and was probably the first minister of the Gospel to establish a home in this townshp.

Most of the pioneers located their claims in the southern portion, near the present towns of Amboy and Converse, or along the Big Pipe Creek, which flows in a northwesterly direction father north. Samuel Butler, who settled near the northwest corner, afterward became a believer in the doctrines of the Mormon Church and went to Utah.

In the summer of 1846 a petition was circulated by Oliver H.P. Macy among the settlers, asking the county commissioners to organize a new township, which should be known by the name of "Liberty." Nearly every resident within the territory to be included in the new township signed the petition, two men objecting because they wanted "to keep law and order out of the country as long as possible." Mr. Macy then walked to Peru and presented the petition to the county commissioners and on September 2, 1846, the board issued an order for the erection of the township, with its present boundaries and dimensions, but the name was changed from Liberty to Jackson, in honor of Andrew Jackson, who commanded the United States forces at the battle of New Orleans and was afterward elected president of the United States.