James Sefton - The Oldest Decatur County Democrat - Saw A Deer Killed in Court House Park
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 O, as a middle name, after he had come to Indiana in May 15, 1838. William O. 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 conveniences 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 explanation. 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.
