| Jane Johnson was born 3 August 1821 in Mt Heathy, Ohio. On 7 August 1855, Elijah Valentine Dale married Jane Johnson in Guadalupe County?. Jane had come to Texas from Mt. Healthy, Ohio, a suburb of present-day Cincinnati, to teach school. Jane's family were early Ohio settlers, having come from New Jersey to settle on land granted as a result of her father's and grand-father's service in the American Revolution. Of this marriage, two sons, Sam and Jarvis, and one daughter, Lillie, were born. Sam became famous for the watermelons he grew in Guadalupe County. The watermelons were called the "Dale Watermelons," and they were reputed to be the best in all of Texas. In 1858, Valentine, Jane, and Sam, their first born, moved to Atascosa County, settling on 640 acres purchased 18 October 1858. In 1860, desirous of living a frontier-style life, they sold the 640 acres in Atascosa County and moved to Uvalde County, settling on 160 acres purchased in 1857 by Jane's father, Samuel Johnson. In 1870, wanting better schoolig for their now three children, they moved to Comal County, settling on 640 acres acquired in 1847, part of which now lies under Canyon Lake. In 1871, they purchased 400 acres on Mill Creek, near present-day Kingsbury and returned to Guadalupe County establish their permanent home known as "Hardscramble." This previously was a Texas Ranger station.
In 1878, Jane bought 249 acres on Mill Creek, divided into several tracts. In 1880, Jane inherited a 1/2 interest in tracts of 160 acres and 3070 acres, located in Uvalde County, following the death of her father. In 1885, the Dales donated a 1/2 acre tract on Mill Csreek for a school that was named the Dale School. Jane Johnson Dale died 17 June 1896 in Guadalupe County. Both Valentine and Jane are buried in San Geronimo Cemetery. During the 1936 Texas Centiennial observance, the State of Texas erected a gray granite monument in their honor in this cemetery.
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