West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 130 by Charlie Miller

_____1934 – The West Jefferson Firemen for 1934 were Ed Lamb, Chief; Miller Clark, John Chenos, E. Strain, E. Moore, Gene Compton, and Tommy Neeshan.

____January 3, 1935 - John W. Kubitschack, veteran hotel keeper and restaurant operator, died this afternoon following a long illness at his home in the Star Hotel, which he had operated for more than 20 years. Mr. Kubitschack, a native German, had been in business in West Jefferson since 1891. (John was born June 8, 1851, in Austria and immigrated to America in 1882. On May 17, 1893, he married Margret Kehoe, the daughter of James Kehoe. He was a baker by trade and owned and ran the Star Hotel on Main St. This building is still standing just east of the Blauser Building. Margret Kehoe died October 21, 1918, and is buried at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. He married Elizabeth McHenry on February 18, 1922. She was still living in 1950. He was 38 years older than her. He must have been a character, and the story told us that he also sold cigars in the hotel. When asked the price, he said 8c. apiece or 3 for a quarter, what do I care for a penny.)

____February 14, 1935 – The Kiser & Hoe Cannery of West Jefferson has merged with the Crampton Canneries of Celina, Ohio. William A. Beddle will remain in charge of the local plant.

____February 18, 1935 – Zachary Taylor, aged 85 years, a veteran of the Indian Wars, died Sunday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Grace Tinkler, Frey Ave. He spent 7 years fighting in the Indian Wars on the Western Frontier and then returned to this community. (This is not the druggist Zachary Taylor. Zachary Taylor was born November 9, 1849, in Canaan Township, north of West Jefferson. He enlisted on February 21, 1870, at Camp Douglas, Utah Territory, and was discharged on April 5, 1877. He served in Company G, 14^th U. S. Infantry. He lived at the U. S. National Home for Disabled Veterans in Dayton, Ohio, off and on between 1903 and 1933. He is buried at the Foster Chapel Cemetery.)

____April 29, 1935 – Jimmy Clark, the ‘Village Lamp Lighter’ for many years, died Monday. (James J. Clark was born in 1857, the son of Miller Clark, who was a wagon maker in 1860, and he was born in 1825. He served as a Private in the 18^th O.V.I. and was killed in the battle of Marietta, Georgia, on July 4, 1864,)

____June 5, 1935 – Thomas Corwin Carter, 91, West Jefferson’s last Civil War Veteran, died Saturday afternoon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. James Berry, Frey Ave. He was born September 27, 1840, in Paint Township. He enlisted at Camp Dennison on May 2, 1864, and served in Co. A 154^th O. V. I. He was honorable discharged in September of 1864. He is survived by a son, Robert of Columbus, and two daughters, Mrs. Robert A. Wilson Sr. and Mrs. Berry.

West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 131 by Charlie Miller

____June 1935 – One hundred and twenty-six members of the West Jefferson Alumni Association met at this year’s Alumni Banquet. The welcome address was given by Mrs. Etta B. Martin, class of ‘84. The Banquet was held in the dining room of the Methodist Church, and the dance was held across the street in the Township Hall. Some members present were Mrs. Martin ‘84 and Mrs. L. C. Dick ‘86, Mrs. J. M. Maddux E. E. Gregg.

____November 25, 1935 – An unintentional turkey chase and killing was staged today by 

E. J. Britton and son, operators of the Red & White Store. The turkeys had been purchased from Matt Higgins, a Fairfield Township farmer, and as they were being placed in the Britton poultry house, they escaped. Ben got out his shotgun, and his aim was good, but the other one got away. The last report stated that Mr. Turk was heading north for the tall and wild!

______________________________________________________________________________

Unfortunately, this ended in 1935. Hopefully, someone will pick up the next 88 years and carry on.

In the meantime, I will try to dig up some “specials” that may be interesting.

-POSTMASTERS-

The first Post Office was established in “New Hampton, Ohio” on January 4, 1830. New Hampton had been laid out in 1822 on the Stage Route between Franklinton (Columbus) and Springfield. Although New Hampton was never incorporated, it did have a Post Office. In 1830, there were 416 people living in Jefferson Township, with probably about 40 to 50 living in New Hampton. What little mail that all of these people received was sent to the New Hampton Post Office. (New Hampton was in the present location of Hampton Cemetery. The Stage road was the Main Street of the town of 93 lots, mainly 66’X165’.

The town of Jefferson was not settled until around 1831-1832 and was incorporated in 1834. By October of 1833, enough of the people had been removed from New Hampton to Jefferson, and a Post Office was established there. When the Post Office was moved to the new town, they ran into a problem. There was already a Village of Jefferson Post Office in the state established in 1828, so to distinguish the mailing address from the other Jefferson, our Post Office was designated “West Jefferson.” This was not an unusual procedure for that period of time; in fact, the town of Gilroy was the ‘Lilly Chapel’ Post Office. Big Plain was “California Post Office” and Amity was “West Canaan” Post Office.

The next page will list the Postmasters from the first, Mr. John Gilmore, who was a one-legged man of the Gilmore-Dalby Store. He had one leg, and Mr. Dalby had one arm. Darby would get the product, and Gilmore would wrap it. It ends with Robert Bradfield, who served from 1957 to 1989; he was the longest-serving Postmaster.

West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 132 by Charlie Miller

A name having an (*) before it denotes that, at one time, he also served as Mayor

Postmaster Date of Appointment

John Gilmore January 4, 1830 (New Hampton)

Richard L. Foster October 18, 1833 (West Jefferson)

*John W. Simpkins February 18, 1840

*Henderson Crabb January 26, 1842

James Parks July 17, 1845

Elijah S. Hancock March 30, 1861

*Thomas D. Brown February 1, 1865

Charles W. Blair June 15, 1869
John McCullough September 20, 1870

*Albert D. Burnham August 20, 1875

*William H. Culp February 19, 1883

*John J. Booth August 28, 1885

George C. Blair May 2, 1889

Linneus C. Dick August 23, 1892

Patrick McElroy December 1, 1893

*Lot Davis Hull February 4, 1898

John H. Bidwell May 21, 1906

T. B. Biggert February 3, 1916

Charles E. Kubitschack April 16, 1919

Rufus A. Borland March 1, 1924

(reappointed) May 25, 1928

James S. Hockenbery July 7, 1936

Mrs. Frances Louise Robinson April 1, 1944

Robert C. Millikin March 1, 1945

Robert L. Bradfield June 30, 1957-January 26, 1989

_________________________________________________________________________

West Jefferson had its own Board of Health at one time.

____August 8, 1889 – Board of Health Created—To be published in the West Jefferson Observer. Dr. John Beach and John Hoe have been appointed to a 2-year term. Also, Dr. H. S. Quinn and W. W. Fellows were appointed to 1-year terms.

West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 133 by Charlie Miller

(West Jefferson Board of Health)

____August 8, 1889 – Dr. Beach and W. W. Fellows refused positions on the West Jefferson Board of Health. John Renner and A. A. Gregg were appointed to fill the vacancies. John Renner then refused to serve. Quinn Bradley was to take his place. John Lewis was appointed for 1 year in place of A. A. Gregg, who also refused to serve.

____January 28, 1890 – Z. R. Taylor was appointed to the Board of Health in place of John Lewis.

____September 20, 1892 – The following were appointed to the Board of Health: Dr. H. S. Quinn and Jacob McNeal for 3 years. Peter McDonald and W. H. Culp for 2 years and Martin Kuehner and W. H. Brown for 1 year.

____May 12, 1894 – The Board of Health now consists of Dr. H. S. Quinn, William Niple, William Borland, William Edwards, John Hoe, and William Keyser.

____1898 – John Murray, J. B. Hill, and Frank Howard were appointed to 3-year terms. Henry Brown and Z. R. Taylor were also appointed to the Board.

____1900 – Dr. H. S. Quinn and William were re-appointed to the Board.

____August 9, 1901 – Frank Howard and Ed Powell were appointed.

____May 27, 1902 – Henry Brown was re-appointed to the Board.

____June 15, 1903 – Harvey Pence was appointed to a 5-year term, Dr. H. S. Jackson 4 years, Andrew Rodgers 3 years, Martin Carrol 2 years, and S. A. Knowland 1 year.

____March 5, 1906 - Matt Renner was appointed.

____August 3, 1898 - William Redmond was appointed to the Board.

___1909 – Z. R. Taylor was appointed to a 5-year term, Dr. A. F. Green 4 years, Ed Johnson 3 years, W. Harvey Pence 2 years, and W. R. Borland 1 year.

____1914 – Stephen Smith was appointed to the Board.

____1915 - Z. R. Taylor was appointed to the Board.

____1916 – W. R. Borland was appointed to the Board.

It appears that after 1916, the West Jefferson Board of Health was discontinued.

West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 134 by Charlie Miller

Miscellaneous Businesses that have been in West Jeff

(some of these may have been mentioned earlier)

D. W. Bliss, grocer. (Daniel Webster Bliss, born in Vermont on April 23, 1834. He came to West Jefferson in 1846. He was the first telegraph operator in Jeff and served as a freight and ticket agent for 15 years. He opened his grocery in 1880 and sold out to Hoe & Martin in 1881.)

Quinn Bradley had a drugstore. (Quinn was born in 1843. He served in Co. D, 8^th O. V. I. and Co. C, 2^nd Ohio Cavalry. He had registered for the draft in June of 1863. He was a farmer until 1876, when he came to Jeff and opened a drug store in 1878. He served as Clerk and Treasurer of First Baptist Church. He died in 1920 and is buried in the mausoleum at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.)

There were stockyards north of the railroad on N. Depot St.

There was broom corn grown on N. Depot on land owned by John Chenos, also a broom factory.

The home of Dr. Jefferson T. Colliver was at the southeast corner of W. Main St. and West St. There was a well in front of the house at the curb on Main Street. (Dr. Colliver was born in 1841 in Kentucky. He came to West Jefferson in 1862 and set up his practice. In 1864, he graduated from the Eclectic College in Cincinnati. He had served as Treasurer of Madison Lodge #221 F&AM and as a Trustee in the First Baptist Church, West Jefferson. He moved to San Bernardino, California, in the mid-1880s and died in Los Angeles on March 14, 1912.)

Alex Swanston built the building on the northwest corner of Main and Walnut Streets (The building still stands there today. At one time, the upstairs served as the Gregg Opera House. He was born May 19, 1829 in Scotland. He immigrated in 1851 and settled in West Jefferson, where he was a boot/shoemaker. He served as Captain in Co. C 154th O. V. I. Around 1880, he moved to Urbana, where he died on December 31, 1904, and is buried there.

The home of W. W. Fellows, on the southwest corner of Fellows and Frey Ave., was built around 1871 and used as a hostelry and for entertaining.

Gaines Simpkins lived in a house on the corner of Main and Bridge Streets. (He was a saddle and harness maker. He was born in London, Ohio, in July of 1815 and came to Jefferson in 1836 with his father, John Simpkins. John Simpkins was the first Mayor of Jefferson, he had settled in Columbus prior to the War of 1812 as a Hatter. When Gen. Harrison came through Columbus he made his headquarters in Simpkins' factory. The General appointed Simpkins as a Commissary, and he served until the end of the War. John Simpkins died in 1861, and Gaines on June 28, 1891.

West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 135 by Charlie Miller

More early business-

There was a famous well in front of the Baptist Church on the southwest corner of Main and Center Streets that had a large wooden trough where stagecoach horses were watered.

Murray Lumber and Grain was established in 1890 by John Murray; he was previously in business with his brother-in-law Frank Gallagher. (The Gallagher & Murray Lumber on the north side of the railroad tracks. It was previously owned by James Peene. John Murray was born in 1857 and died in 1955 and is buried at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. He was prominent in early West Jefferson history.)

A. F. Dietsch was the Sunset Oil Company manager on the east end of Main Street.

Finley Strother had the Central Garage north of Main St.

Martin Miller had the Standard Service Station on W. Main St. He later had a car dealership and sold new Nash cars. It was in the present building where the eye doctor, Dr. Ferguson, is currently.

Bill Strosnider had the Good Gulf Gas Station at the intersection of Main St. and London Road.

Bill, William Willis Strosnider, was born in West Virginia on April 22, 1886. He came to West Jefferson around 1930 and opened up his gas station. He died on April 5, 1974, and is buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

The Co-op Cream Station started in 1924 and was operated by Lem Gregg. The business was located on the northwest corner of Center and Town Streets.

Lester Burnham made use of the old Cooper Shop for broom corn drying. (The Cooper Shop sat on the corner of Washington St. and Pennsylvania Ave. in the Railroad Addition. The Shop was owned by Daniel Priest, born January 17, 1817, in Massachusetts. He came to West Jefferson around 1860 and opened his cooper shop, where he made the barrels out of the local oak that was cut. He died February 17, 1885, and is buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.)

J. W. Simpkins operated a tavern on the site, later occupied by the American House Hotel that burned to the ground in the spring of 1882. (John W. Simpkins was the first Mayor of West Jefferson. He also served as the first Post Master of West Jefferson, a Justice of the Peace, and an Associate Judge. He came to Jefferson as the National Road was being built ca. 1836, bought a lot in the wilderness, cleared it, grubbed it, and erected a building that was used as a tavern. He was born in 1780 and died August 17, 1858. He is buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery. The American House sat on the current site of the west end of the Huntington Bank parking lot.)

West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 136 by Charlie Miller

Earl E. Gregg, who, along with Mrs. Gregg, operated the West Jefferson Insurance Agency office in the Mellott Building. He later was affiliated with Charlie Hay in the Gregg & Hay Insurance Co. He also at one time managed the Ohio Fuel Gas Co. He was born Edwin Earl Gregg on March 19, 1887, but always went by Earl or just E. E. Gregg. He was a colorful character; he was a champion trap shooter. He served as a Village Clerk for many years. He rode motorcycles in his youth and was still riding motorscooters in his 90’s. When Evil Kanevil was jumping the Snake River with his motorcycle, Earl said he was going to jump Little Darby with his scooter! He lived on the corner of Rt. 40 and Plain City Road, he had a building with an open front that held a 1917 Ford; he was asked to sell it so many times that he just put a big sign in front of it that said NO. Earl died October 30, 1983, at age 96, and is buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery. In 1969, Earl submitted this to the Madison Press: Mayor Horace G. Putnam was very original while living; he prepared for the hereafter by selecting a highly elevated lot in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery so it would be free from floods. He arranged for the purchase of a white marble slab that covered the entire grave; it is very thick to discourage grave diggers, vandals, and storm and high water. He had it lettered in large, bold carved letters and figures as follows; “Horace Putnam July 10, 1855 to July 28, 1942. This Life Would Be Hell Had Providence Not Made it Beautiful By Death.” E. E. Gregg, Village Clerk under H. B. Putnam in the 1920’s.

-Albert “Tab” Braithwaite owned the Electric Shop. He first opened his shop in the building on the corner of Main and Center Streets, which was shared with the I. G. A grocery store, now Veterans’ Park. He later moved to the building he built in 1952 at 12 W. Main St. and shared it with the Post Office. Your writer saw his first TV in the front window of the shop. The tab would be set up on Saturday nights when there was a crowd that came in to do their shopping.

-The Madison Press, dated the week of October 14, 1934, listed the following business in West Jeff:

E. J. Britton & Son, grocery; Harry Coe, Farmers Implement Co.; John Baber, dealer In DeSoto and Plymouth cars; Ed J. Buckley, Hardware; Edith Bradfield, Floral Shop; Kiser-Hoe Cannery, Eugene Compton, Garage and dealer in Ford cars; Norman Smith, Restaurant; Ed Cochran Rock Filling Station; Okie Rice, Pool Room.

- A new filling station is under construction on E. Main Street and will be operated by A. F. Dietsch and Son. The new firm will be known as the Sunset Oil Co. They are also erecting a fine new home on the lot next to the filling station. This is now C&C Auto and Towing.

- Samuel Willoughby bought the William Wanzel saloon in the James Murray Building. Mr. Wanzel moved this saloon to his newly erected building on Main St. on October 3, 1905. (This building is located at 25 W. Main St. The James Murray Building sits on the current site of Pat’s Pizza & Pub on the corner of E. Main St. and Chester St.)

West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 137 by Charlie Miller

- 1918

Doctors in West Jefferson: Lester W. Olney, 1880-1921; Harry F. Jackson, 1869-1929; L. E. Evans; Jonas A. Baer; Furniture & Undertaker; Commercial Bank; Taylor Drugs; E. J. Britton, grocery; Willard B. Culp, Insurance; Frank Wise, Restaurant; The Ohio Gate Manufacturing Co.; Ed J. Buckley, Hardware; The Farmer’s Bank; Pat’s Pool Hall above the Post Office; West Jefferson Lumber Co.; The White Kitchen; Headley & Maddux Ford Garage; Ed Scott’s Confectionery; City Barber Shop. A. O. Jones Proprietor and Orders Department Store. Later businesses were Martin Dry Goods, Baber Brothers Grocery, The Interurban Restaurant, and William Baber Livery & Feed Stable. (The Feed Stable was in use with the Mantle House right behind it on Town Street in what was previously Williams Garage.)

- January 19, 1937 – Ralph Parsons, Sr., purchased the Hoe Building, and it became the Parsons Building.

- 1918 – Myron Silver was a dealer in lumber, grain, and coal.

Early Banks

- 1870 – The West Jefferson Building & Loan was founded in 1870; it was the second oldest Building & Loan Association in the State of Ohio; it later became the Jefferson Savings and later the Huntington National Bank.

- 1882 – The Commercial Bank was organized in 1882 by Ashton A. Gregg and Dr. Jefferson T. Colliver.

It closed in 1927. The 1914 officers were Pierce Gregg, President; Thomas C. Gregg, Cashier; and Howard Johnson, Asst. Cashier.

- January 1, 1901 – The Farmers Bank was organized with Owen Harbage, Ben Harbage, A. C. Millikin, and Chas. H. Putnam as stockholders. In 1914, the officers were Owen Harbage, President; Ed W. Johnson, Cashier; Robert C. Millikin, Asst. Cashier and C. W. Wade, Teller. In 1930, E. W. Johnson was President; David R. Sidner, Vice President; Riddle Sidner, Cashier; and F. G. Brown Asst. Cashier.

Cemeteries

- 1808 – The oldest cemetery in Jefferson Township is which was located at Alder Chapel on the Plain City-Georgesville Rd which later was destroyed. It was the burial of a child of Mr. Maythorne.

- 1823 – New Hampton Cemetery, laid out in 1823 by one of the founders of New Hampton, Samuel Jones whose wife was the first burial. In 1820, the Baptist Church was built in the middle of the cemetery.

- 1853 – The Blair Cemetery located 4 miles northwest of Jefferson on the Taylor–Blair Road. It’s about 1 acre in size. The land was donated by George W. Blair.

West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 138 by Charlie Miller

Cemeteries, Cont’d

- 1864 – Pleasant Hill Cemetery laid out by Sebastian Roberts. The first burial was that of his father, Thomas Roberts, later in the year. Sebastian died in 1869 and is buried there. In 1888, it was sold by his widow to an incorporated Stock Company consisting of 10 men. It later became under the jurisdiction of the Jefferson Township Trustees.

- 1877 – Calvary Cemetery on the Lilly Chapel Road consists of 2 acres donated by John Frey. It was consecrated on November 4, 1877, by Archbishop J. B. Purcell of Cincinnati, Ohio. It remains the burial place of the local Catholic people.

Early Churches

- 1808 – The oldest church that was organized in Jefferson Township was the Foster Methodist Episcopal Church, founded by Rev. Lewis Foster on the Plain City-Georgesville Road. Sometime after 1875, it was razed, and the land became the Foster Chapel Cemetery.

- 1820 – First Baptist Church, founded by Rev. Isaac Jones, who was also the founder of (West) Jefferson in 1830. The church was founded as the Little Darby Baptist Church and was located in the middle of what is now the New Hampton Cemetery. Rev. Jones died in 1840 and is buried in the cemetery. In 1848, the church moved to a new building at the end of N. Center Street, where it dead-ended at Water St. In 1887, a new building was erected on E. Main Street at the corner of S. Center St. This building stood until 1972, when the current building was constructed on Lilly Chapel Rd.

- 1833 - West Jefferson M. E. Church was established. They met at the home of David Mortimore whose cabin stood on the current site of Arbors West at 375 W. Main St. In 1862, they bought Lot No. 50 on E. Main St., the previous site of the Huntington Bank. When the current building was erected in 1922, the old church building was purchased by Mr. Halley T. Kaho and was made into the Orient Theater. After Mrs. Gertrude Kaho died in 1968, it was bought by the Central National Bank and eventually the Huntington Bank. It is now (2023) a dentist's office. In 1968, the Methodist Church united with the United Brethren Church and became the United Methodist Church.

- 1844 – Gillivan M. E. Church, organized in 1844. In 1882, a lot on the corner of U. S. 42 and Taylor-Blair Rd. was donated by Mr. E. B. Haynes, and the present building was erected. In ca. 1960, the church ceased to be used by the Methodists, and several other churches held services there. It is presently being used by the Victory Baptist Church.

- 1860 – Alder Universalist Church was erected on an ½ acre lot donated by Thomas Timmons. This church sat just south of the Foster Chapel. About 100 years later, when the Universalists left, an adjacent land owned claimed the property and demolished it.

West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 139 by Charlie Miller

Early Churches cont’d

- 1865 – The African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded by Martin Van Buren Ricks and his wife Peerne in 1865. Martin had been born into slavery in 1843 in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. Around 1863, he and Peerne escaped north and settled in West Jefferson. He later served in the Civil War in the 27^th U. S. C. T. (United States Colored Troops). The church was regularly attended until around 1905, shortly after Mr. Ricks died. It was later bought by the Apostolic Church. The church originally met in the old Academy building built in 1845. After it was bought by the Apostolic Church, they later erected a fine new building on E. Pearl St. Martin Ricks was killed by a fast freight train in West Jefferson on August 1, 1905. This was before the tracks were elevated, and he is buried in New Hampton Cemetery.

- 1867 – Sts. Simon & Jude – In 1866, Edward Buck donated land on the corner of W. Main and Twin Streets for the erection of a Catholic Church. The foundation was started in the Spring of 1867, and the cornerstone was laid by Rev. Sylvester H. Rosecrans, brother of Gen. William Rosecrans, Civil War general. The church was dedicated on November 1, 1867, by Bishop Edward Fitzgerald. In 2006, they erected a new building at 9350 High Free Pike, and it was dedicated on October 28, 2006. Edward Buck was murdered on Main Street on September 23, 1896, by March Ricks, the son of Martin Ricks.

- 1907 – The Antioch Mission started on the streets of West Jefferson in November of 1907; when the weather turned cold, they moved into the old A. M. E. building on Pearl St. They raised funds, and on November 26, 1910, they completed a new building on S. Twin Street. The Rev. Jenny Linn was the Evangelist who built up the Mission. Around 1920, she opened a rest home in West Jefferson and later opened one in London. Jennie was born June 6, 1868, and died August 29, 1937, and is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. The building was later bought by the Darby Grange; around 2014, the Grange had disbanded, and the building was razed. Jennie Linn’s picture and pulpit are on display at the Hurt-Battelle Library.

Schools

-1823 – The first effort of having a school in this area was in 1823 when Lucinda (Burnham) Thomas procured a subscription and taught a school of a few scholars in a log hut that stood on the present site of the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. She taught until about 1826, when she was succeeded by George Pike, who also farmed. Mr. Pike taught in this same cabin. It had round logs, chinked with split stickum, and plastered with mud. It had greased paper over openings to admit the light and huge fireplace, puncheon floor, slab writing desks, and seats. In 1826 – 27, Samuel Sexton, a widower, had a double log house, obtained a subscription, and taught a session or two in a room of his dwelling.

In about 1830, the first schoolhouse was built; it was just west of the house now at 466 W. Main Street and was used until 1836 when a frame building was built in Jefferson. In 1842, the council passed a resolution that the Council House (Market House) be granted to the citizens for 6 months to use as a school when not in use by the Village Council or Township Trustees. In 1845, a building was built on E. Pearl St., which was used by an academy. This Academy failed, and in 1856, the School Board bought it. It was around this time that Jefferson was set aside as a separate school district.