The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-05-06
Pioneer Life-NO. 10.
BY DAVIS MACKLEY.

On page AT find this item: 1.-THE
last wolf killing in Jackson County
was by Cary Boyd in 1884. The last
wolf seen in the county was in the
fall or winter of 1886"
Well do | remember the killing of
this last wolf. Cary Boyd was my
brother-in-law. He was native of
West Virginia, raised among the wild
animals of that wild country. While
wolves were very noisy at night, away
off in the deep woods, they were ex-
ceedingly shy and hard to find in day
time. They had been bowling at
night up the creek in. the Jenkins
neighborhood for some time, and then
they sneaked to the little farms and
killed calves and sheep. Boyd found
one, and shot it as it was running.
There were stories of panthers hay
ing been seen, or heard screaming, but
1 do not think any existed in this
county since its first settlement. My
father, about 80 years ago, borrowed
DIR. McNeel's great steel trap and set
it for wolves, and one night caught a
wild cat. 1t was as large as yellow
dog, if you know what size that is.
On page All of the book referred
to, l find this:
"PETER SEEL.-On Friday, Feb. 81,
1868, Peter Seel, an old pioneer, died
at his residence in Jefferson Township,
in Jackson County. He was quite
healthy until week before his death.
Mr.. Seel was over eighty-four years
old, and his wife, who survived him,
was over eighty-one. They had lived
together as husband and wife for
more than sixty years, and their de-
scendants numbered nearly 140 per-
sons. Mr.. Seel was the first white
man who settled in Jefferson Town
ship. His cabin was few rods west
of the present residence of John Phil
lips, near the railroad, mile east of
Gallia Station. This was in the year
1914. The county of Jackson was
not organized until two years after,
and the township was not named, but
was known as township No. 5, range
No. 1o, Ross County. The nearest
neighbor Mr. Seel then had was Lewis
Adkins. who lived four miles from
him, on the farm now owned by Jo-
seph F. Cackley, one mile northeast
from Oak Hill. His next nearest
neighbor was John Clingman, where
Webster is now located, in Scioto
County, and ten miles from where Mr.
Seel lived. Ten yeaas after Mr.. Seel
settled in Jefferson Township, the
following were all or nearly all the
families residing in the township: Jo-
seph Phillips, Abner Phillips, Robert
Massey, Moses Massey, George Crump
Teter Null, Jesse Kelley, Solomon
Mackley, John Mackley, John Wal
ton, James Kelley, DR. Gabriel Nc
| Neel, Joel Arthur, William FL. c.
Jenkins, Amos Jenkins, Enoch Ewing
John White, John Horton, Matt Far
ley, John Farley, Thomas Farley, and
perhaps two or three others. Mr.
Seel paid the first tax ever paid in
Jefferson Township, being the sum OF
| Is cents. Mr.. Seel was native OF
Germany and came to this country
when youth. He never could speak
the English language plainly. He
could talk fuently, but retained the
German brogue. Mr.. Seel possessed
large amount Of sterling good sense
and a considerable fund Of native wit
He was patriot. He loved Germany
and he loved the United States, and
he loved Jefferson Township. Some
thirty years before his death he was
converted, and Joined the church of
the United Brethren, and remained a
worthy member until his death. He
was strictly an honest man, and hated
trickery or dishonesty of any kind
The name of the neighbor referred
to was Adkins, not Adkins. Mr.. Seel,
knowing that | was always interested
in sketches of pioneer life, told me,
the last time he was in my Office, that
his tax was 25 cents, and not Is, as
the book has it.
My father came to Jefferson Town
ship in the year 1921. My impression
is that he and Mr.. Seel, and Mrs.
Seel's folks, the Sly's, were acquainted
in Virginia, before Mr.. Seel came to
Ohio; at any rate they were fast
friends after they became neighbors,
in Jefferson Township. They were
both Dutchmen, and they were about
all who could talk in their mother
tongue in the township. Many and
many a time have l heard them talk
ing to each other in German. Mr..
Seel and his family were very pleas
ant neighbors. Mrs. Seel was noble
woman; large, healthy, good looking,
and always pleasant. Next to my
mother and sisters, | thought more of
Mrs. Seel when I was boy, than of
any other woman.
Mr.. Seel's family consisted Of Bet
sey, who married VIM. Whit, and |
believe she is still living, some where
in the West, and she must be Is years
of age; Kate, who died of consump-
ton when some 20 years of age; Nan
cy, who married Hiram Mercer, and
has been dead many years. Peter
Mercer, Of Franklin Township, is her
son. Ann, the youngest daughter,
married my cousin, Andrew Mackley,
in the spring of 1886. She died in a
few years, Of consumption. George
and John are dead. | think Henry is
living in the West. Francis lives in
Jefferson Township, Peter and Will
liam live in Madison.
On page 473 of this book is the fol-
lowing: