Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/48

 JACKSON

JACKSON

son of Samuel and Louisa (Heyer) Jackson, and of Dr. Alexander and Miriam (King) Siieldon. Samuel Jackson came from England about 1790. Dr. Alexander Sheldon, who was for six terms speaker of the New York state assembly and the last speaker to wear of- ficially the cocked hat of the Revolution, was descended from Isaac Sheldon, who settled in Dorchester, Mass., early in the seven teentli centuiy, and whose son Isaac is represented in history as removing from Windsor, Conn., in 1654. Sheldon Jack- son was graduated from Union college in 1855 and from Princeton Theological seminary in 1858. He was a mission- ary to the Choctaws, 1858-59, and Presbyterian home missionary in western Wisconsin and southern Minnesota, with headquarters at La Crescent, Minn., 1859-04. During the fall of 1863, in the service of the Christian commission, he served in the hospitals of southern Tennessee and northern Alabama. He was pastor at Ro- chester, Minn., 1864-69; superintendent of the Presbyterian board of liome missions for western territories, 1869-70; superintendent of the board of home missions for Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utali and Montana, 1870-82; business manager of the Home Mission Magazine, New York city, 1882-84, and U.S. agent to supply the training schools for Indians at Carlisle, Pa., and Hampton, Va., with Indian children from New Mexico and Arizona, 1879-80. He was made superintendent of the board of home missions for Alaska in 1877, and in 1885 U.S. general agent of education for Alaska, where he founded and took charge of the i^viblic school system of that section. In the spring of 1895 he gave $50,000 to establish a Cliristian college at Salt Lake City, Utah. He was seven times commissioner to the general assembly of the Presbyterian churcli in the United States, and in 1897 was elected mod- erator. He assisted in the organization of two synods and seven large presbyteries. He organ- ized the first Protestant (Presbyterian) churches and public schools in Alaska; he also assisted the missionary societies of the several denomina- tions in the establishment of Methodist, Baptist, Episcopalian, Moravian, Quaker and Swedish Evangelical churches. In 1890 he began the in- troduction of domestic reindeer into Alaska, and in 1897-98 he w^as sent by the general government

of Lapland and Norway, where he secured a num- ber of reindeer and Lapp attendants. Between 1869 and 1900 he delivered over 3000 missionary addi'esses. He founded and was owner and editor of the Rocky Mountain Presbyterian, published at Denver, Col., 1872-82, and also founded and was owner and editor of the North Star at Sitka, Alaska, 1887-93. He organized the Alaska So- ciety of Natural History and Ethnology in 1887; became vice-president of the Alaska Historical society and also of the American Sabbatli union, and an officer and member at different times of about thirty scientific, historical and literary societies. He received the degree of D.D. from Hanover college in 1874 and that of LL.D. from Union university, Sclienectadj', N.Y., in 1897. He is the author of: Alaska and llissions on the North Pacific Coast (1880); also Annual Reports on Education in Alaska (1881-1900), and Ammal Reports on the Introduction of Domestic Reindeer into Alaska (1890-1900).

JACKSON, Thomas Birdsall, representative, was born at Jerusalem, N.Y., March 24, 1797; son of Parmenus; grandson of Parmenus, who was robbed and murdered at Jerusalem, N.Y., during the Revolution; great-grandson of John; great-- grandson of John, and greats-grandson of Robert Jackson and Agnes, liis wife, who were among the original settlers of Stamford, Conn., 1640-41, removing thence to Hempstead, L.I., N.Y., with the first settlers in 1644. Thomas B. was admit- ted to the bar and became active in politics. He was twice a county judge; was a member of the general assembly, 1833-37, and for many years a justice of the peace. He was a representative from New York in the 25th and 26tli congresses, 1837-41. He was married to Maria Coles, and had sons Samuel C., Andrew and William H. He died in Newtown, N.Y., April 23, 1881.

JACKSON, Thomas Jonathan, soldier, was born in Clarksburg, Va., probably Jan. 21, 1824; son of Jonathan and Julia Beckwith (Neale) Jackson; grandson of Edward and — (Hadden) Jackson and of Thomas and Margaret (Winn) Neale, and great-grandson of Jolm and Elizabeth (Cummins) Jackson, both natives of England, who came to America in 1748 on the same ship, and were mar- ried in Calvert county, Md., in 1750. They settled first in that part of western Virginia which be- came Moorfields, Hardy county, and subse- quently crossed the Alleghany ridge and settled on the Buckhannon river, the place becoming known first as Jackson's Fort, and subsequently Buckhannon. With his sons George and Edward, he took part in the American Revolution on the ' pati'iot side. Edward Jackson was also a sur- veyor, and acquired a large estate. Jonathan Jackson was a lawyer, having studied under his cousin, John George Jackson. He died a bank-