check out history - Wallace, IN. | WikiXM

Jacksonville, one of Fountain County's early settlements, was established by John Bowman and his father Henry in the early 1830s on land situated just north of Mill Creek and was named for Andrew Jackson. The town's name in informal speech was often shortened to "Jackville". The first settler at the site was Richard Williams who erected a cabin as early as 1826, several years before the town was laid out, with the first house erected after Jacksonville's platting belonging to William Guilliams.

By the 1880s it contained about two dozen houses. Early tradesmen in Jacksonville included William Snooks, the township's first blacksmith, Samuel Glass who operated a house of entertainment, shoemaker Alvah Doke, cabinet-maker George McCline, physicians Dr. Reeves, Dr. A. M. C. Hawes and Dr. Joseph Roberts and various general storekeepers.

An 1881 history offers the following description of the town's businesses: In comparatively recent times Noah and Charles Grimes, Bayless and Jacob Carter, — Cunningham & Smith, and several others, had stores. The present dealers are John Murphy, David Oliver, and Johnson Clore. Henry Newlin is selling drugs.

His predecessor in this business was W. H. Spinning. A blacksmith and a chair shop are in this place, and a house which welcomes the hungry traveler and jaded animal with entertainment is also to be found. Somebody with business sagacity keeps constantly on hand a stock of coffins as a sign that there are two doctors in the village. The town gained a post office during the administration of Indiana Governor David Wallace, and was named by John Bowman and Judge Mitchell C.

Black in the governor's honor. The town itself later assumed this name. Bowman was the office's first postmaster and Black the first mailcarrier.In 1950 the list of merchants in Wallace included; Ira Wilkinson General Store, J. W. Grimes Grocery (which also housed the post office), Ralph Myers TV and Appliances, Carl Starnes Insurance, Uplinger Cafe, Paul Mitchell Barber Shop, McGinnis Garage, Clores Grocery and Lunch, Ellingwood's Lumber Yard, Alward's Skelgas Service and the office of Dr.

H. M. Rusk physician. A blacksmith shop and food processing plant were also present. The Wallace School, grades 1 through 12, served all of Jackson Township. There were eight students in the high school graduating class of 1951.