The first Jackson County Pioneer was James McDade, who came to Jackson County in May of 1796, and built a cabin, but continued his duties as an Indian Scout until peace was assured. There in the wilderness, his wife, Rachel Tanner, bore his children. They were following a tradition set by their fathers, settling in new land, doing without the little things that made life more comfortable for their kin in the east.
This site is built to preserve the spirit and memory of James and Rachel and all the Pioneers who followed.
James and Rachel were but the first of my ancestors to settle in Jackson County, the last of the slowpokes got there by 1850. My goal here is to connect these early settlers, showing the marriages between those families and the resulting children. I am using a lot of resources, including the 1840 and 1850 censuses, Birth, Marriage and Death Records, and, to a much lesser degree, wills, military records, cemetery records, etc.
The information about our Jackson County Pioneers are offered here for your use and enjoyment. I am not claiming that all of this is 100% accurate, but I will furnish my sources. If you find something to disagree with, I ask only that you direct any additions and corrections to me, citing your sources, whenever possible. I will gladly correct anything, for the purpose of this site is to make as many connections as possible.
