Jasper County was organized in 1846, and is named after Revolutionary War hero Sergeant William Jasper.

 Jasper is the 19th most populous county of Iowa's 99 total counties. Its county seat is Newton.

Table of CONTENTS

CHAPTER I— INTRODUCTORY 25

Importance of General and Local History — Jasper County Three Score

Years Ago — Wonderful Change in the Scene.

CHAPTER II— NATURAL FEATURES 27

Geological Characteristics — Soil — Land Elevations — Streams of Jasper

County — The Native Groves — Wonderful Mirage in 1859 — Coal Mining

Industry — Weather Conditions of Jasper County — Climatic Changes.

CHAPTER III— CHANGE FROM INDIAN TO WHITE MAN'S OCCUPANCY 37

The Iowa Indians, the Sacs and Foxes — Indian Treaties — Disputes Between

Iowa Indians and the Warlike Sioux — Treaty of 1825 — Government Secures

Indian Lands — Removal of the Indians — Indians and the Whites — Some

Well-known Chiefs — Indian Traders — The Trail Made by the Dragoons.

CHAPTER IV— ORGANIZATION OF JASPER COUNTY 44

Original Boundary Lines — Organizing Act of 1846 — Organizing Election —

First Officers — First Meeting of County Commissioners — Locating the

County Seat — Dividing the County into Townships — Boundaries — Another

(vj Change in Township Lines — Washington Precinct — Government Surveys —

Dates of Township Organizations.

CHAPTER V— EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTY 54

Adam Tool and His Companions — Mrs. William Highland, the First Woman

— Tool's Tavern — Assessment Roll for 1847 — The Hollanders in Jasper

County — The Pioneers — Wild Game — First Bad Characters in this County —

First Events in Jasper County — First Portable Saw Mill — Claim Protection

Societies — Going to Mill — Value of Bread — Some Severe Winters.

CHAPTER VI— COUNTY GOVERNMENT 72

County Governmental Changes — Acts of the County Commissioners — Taxa-

ble Property in 1849 — Acts of the County Judge — Proceedings of the Board

of Supervisors — Drainage of the Swamp Lands — The County Held Liable —

The County's Finances — Abstracts of Tax Books, 1910 — ^Jasper County's

Various Court Houses — First County Building — The Second Court House —

The Present Court House — The County Jail — The County Home — Jasper

County Seal — Official Directory, 1911 — New Road Drag Law.

CHAPTER VII— COUNTY, STATE AND NATIONAL REPRESENTATION.. 89

Presidential Vote — United States Senators — Congressmen — Governors of

Iowa — State Senators — Representatives — Early County Commissioners — Com-

missioners' Clerks— County Judges— Sheriffs— County Surveyors— Clerks of

the District Court — County Attorneys— County Treasurers — County Record-

ers — County Coroners — County Auditors — Prosecuting Attorneys — Superin-

tendents of School — School Fund Commissioner — County Supervisors — Town-

ship Officers — Supervisors' Districts.

CHAPTER VIII— AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, STOCK RAISING- — 100

Jasper, an Advanced County in One of the Best Agricultural States of the

Union — Agricultural Census for 1905— Yield Per Acre — Rainfall — Jasper

County Agricultural Society — Official Roster — Present Officers — Prairie City

Agricultural Society — Patrons of Husbandry.

CHAPTER IX— RAILROADS AND EARLY TRANSPORTATION 109

Importance of Railroads in Local Development — First Railroad Project —

Iowa Land Grants — Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific — Newton & Monroe

Railroad — Iowa Central Railroad — Chicago Great Western Railroad — Newton

& Northwestern Railroad — Railroad Mileage of County.

CHAPTER X— EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS 116

Iowa Public School System the Best — Early Legislative Acts — First Subscrip-

tion Schools — Early School Houses — School Finances Long Ago — First

Schools in Some of the Townships — Newton City Schools — Occupations of

High School Graduates — Jasper County Schools in 1870-76 — A Model School

House— Jasper County Schools in 1910 — School Townships — Independent

Village, Town and City Corporations — Rural Independent Corporations —

Some Statistics — Teachers' Institutes — Wittemberg Manual Labor College —

Lynnville Academy — Hazel Dell Academy— Its Founder, Prof. Darius

Thomas — Newton Normal College.

CHAPTER XI— NEWSPAPERS OF JASPER COUNTY 143

Potent Influence of the Press — First Newspaper in Jasper County — Newton

Newspapers — The Express — The Journal — Jasper County Independent — Free

Press — Newton Herald — Newton Daily News — Newton Record — Lynnville

Star — Baxter New Era — Colfax Tribune — Colfax Clipper — Prairie City News

— Monroe Mirror — Kellogg Enterprise.

CHAPTER XII— RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF THE COUNTY 152

Religious Convictions of the Pioneers — First Religious Service in the County

— Present Denominations and Memberships in the County — Methodist Epis-

copal Societies — Newton Methodist Church — Tool's Chapel — Methodist

Churches at Ira, Valeria, Mingo, Kellogg, Rushville, Mt. Pleasant, Reasnor,

Colfax, Clyde, Fairmount, Kilduff, Prairie City, Lynnville — Methodist Pro-

testant Church— Newton Free Methodist Church— Baptist Churches at New-

ton, Colfax, Vandalia, Metz, Monroe — Presbyterian Churches at Newton,

Colfax — United Presbyterian Churches at Monroe, Newton and the Palo

Alto Church — United Brethren — Congregational Churches at Newton, Prairie

City, Monroe, Sully, Newberg, Wittemberg— Church of Christ (Disciples)—

Universalist Church— Catholic Churches of Jasper County— Episcopal Church

—Mormon Church— Lutheran Churches— German Reformed Church— Christ-

ian Reformed Church— Society of Friends— Seventh-day Adventist Church —

African Methodist Episcopal Church— Young Men's Christian Association.

CHAPTER XIII— CIVIC SOCIETIES OF THE COUNTY- 191

Ancient Free and Accepted Masons — Royal Arch Masons — Knights Templar

— Independent Order of Odd Fellows — Patriarchs Mlilitant — Knights of

Pythias.

CHAPTER XIV— MIUTARY HISTORY OF THE COUNTY 204

President Lincoln's First Call for Enlistments — Enthusiasm in Jasper County

— War Meetings — Official Action — Presentation of the Havelocks — Volun-

teer Roster of the County — The County's Death Roll — ^The Jasper Grays—

Spanish-American War — Grand Army of the Republic.

CHAPTER XV— BENCH AND BAR OF JASPER COUNTY 229

First Term of Court in Jasper County — Early Judges — District and Circuit

Courts — Jasper County Attorneys — The Present Bar.

CHAPTER XVI— MEDICAL PROFESSION 248

The Early "Saddle-bags" Doctor — Wonderful Advance in the Science of Medi-

cine — Physicians of Jasper County — An Honorable List — Present Practicmg

Physicians — County Medical Societies.

CHAPTER XVII— BANKS AND BANKING 256

Little Early Need for Banks — Prosperous Times of the Fifties — Specie Pay-

ment in the County — Panic of 1857 — Newton's Banks — Banking at Monroe,

Reasnor, Prairie City, Newburg, Mingo, Lynnville, Baxter, Ira, Kellogg,

Colfax — Bank Failures^ — List of Present Jasper County Banks.

CHAPTER XVIII— THE CITY OF NEWTON 269

Beginning of the City — Value of Town Lots in 1846 — Town Plat Surveyed —

Early Residents — Business Enterprises in 1860 — Activity of 1875 — Subsequent

Rapid but Steady Growth — Manufacturing Enterprises in 1911 — Flouring

Mills — Postoffice History — Municipal History — First Town Charter Aban-

doned — Fire Department — Electric Light Plant — Water Works — A New De-

parture — City Officials — Free Public Library — Union Cemetery — Business

Men's Association.

CHAPTER XIX— BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP 285

Organization — Location — Concerning the Settlement — First Events — Wild

Turkeys — Village of Murphy — Village of Killduff — Churches.

CHAPTER XX— FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP 290

Boundaries — Organization — First Settlement in Jasper County — First Events

— Town of Monroe — Incorporation History — Mayors — Present Town Offi-

cers — Business Directory — City of the Dead — Postoffice History — Village of

Fairmount — Fairview Township and the Civil War — Veterans Who Re-

enlisted.

CHAPTER XXI— MOUND PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP 300

Location — Organization — Original Land Entries — Early Settlers — First

Events — Village of Metz — Village of Severs.

CHAPTER XXII— ROCK CREEK TOWNSHIP 304

Boundaries — Population — First Land Entries — Organization and First Elec-

tion — Fatal Accidents — Valuations — Village of Turner.

CHAPTER XXIII— ELK CREEK TOWNSHIP.. 306

Situation— Organization— First Entries of Government Land— First Religious

Service — Elections — Valuations — Village of Galesburg.

CHAPTER XXIV— MARIPOSA TOWNSHIP 308

Locatioir and Organization — Land Entries — Personal Tax Valuations — En-

terprising Spirit.

CHAPTER XXV— MALAKA TOWNSHIP 309

Largest Township in the County — Boundaries — Organization — Population —

Land Entries — A Prairie Township — Tax Valuations.

CHAPTER XXVI— DES MOINES TOWNSHIP 310

Area — Natural Features — Population — Organization — Land Entries — Elec-

tions — Tax Valuations — Towns and Villages — Prairie City — A Desirable Lo-

cation — Incorporation-^Mayors— Local Improvements — Postoffice History —

Business Directory — Vandalia Village.

CHAPTER XXVII— KELLOGG TOWNSHIP 316

Location — Population — Tax Valuations — Town of Kellogg — Original Platting

— Early Business Enterprises — First Events — Municipal History — Business

Factors in 1911 — Postoffice — Fires.

CHAPTER XXVIII— INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP 321

Boundaries — Natural Features — Organization — Tax Valuations — A Terrible

Accident — Town of Baxter — Original Plat — Mayors — Public Improvements

— Postoffice— Business Directory — Village of Ira — Business Interests— Post-

office.

CHAPTER XXIX— HICKORY GROVE TOWNSHIP 325

Area and Boundaries — Population — Unusual Items of Interest — Assessed

Valuations — Village of Newburg — Postoffice — Business Interests.

CHAPTER XXX— LYNN GROVE TOWNSHIP 328

One of the Original Civil Precincts — Natural Features — Tax Valuations —

Character of First Pioneers — Early Enterprises — Another Early Settlement

Account— First Events — Lynnville — Incorporation — Present Business Inter-

ests — Postoffice — Village of Sully — Business Directory — Public Utilities —

Postoffice.

CHAPTER XXXI— RICHLAND TOWNSHIP 336

Situation and Area — Natural Features — Property Valuation — A Prosperous

Farming Community.

CHAPTER XXXII— POWESHIEK TOWNSHIP 337

Origin of Name — Situation — Natural Features — Organization — First Land

Entries — Greencastle — Village of Mingo — Officials — Postoffice — Business In-

terests — Village of Valeria — Commercial Directory — Postoffice — Oswalt.

CHAPTER XXXIII— PALO ALTO TOWNSHIP 342

Location and Area — Earliest Land Entries — Organization — The Beginnings-

First Events — Interesting Paragraphs — Town of Reasnor — Present Business

Interests — Postoffice History.

CHAPTER XXXIV— NEWTON TOWNSHIP : 346

Organization — Boundaries — Natural Features — Population — Elections — Tax

Valuations — Historical Notes.

CHAPTER XXXV— WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 348

Boundaries — Streams — Population — Organization of the Township — City of

Colfax — Schools and Churches — First Things — Medicinal Waters — Munici-

pal Government — Incorporation — Mayors — Present Officers — Fire Depart-

ment — Water Works — Postoffice — First Important Events — Business In-

terests.

CHAPTER XXXVI— SHERMAN TOWNSHIP 357

Location — Groves — Streams — Early Land Entries — Organization — Popula-

tion — Land Valuations.

CHAPTER XXXVII— CLEAR CREEK TOWNSHIP 358

Situation — Area — Streams — Population — Elections — Taxables — Village of

Clyde — A Bad Fire.

CHAPTER XXXVIII— MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS 360

Village Plats of the County — California Gold Seekers — Early Stage Roads —

Marriage Record — Intoxicating Liquors, Prohibition, Etc. — Unique Temper-

ance Election — Vote on the Constitutional Amendment — Local Literature

and Authors — Total Eclipse of 1869 — Pioneer Woman Called "Good Squaw"

— State Capital Once Located in Jasper County — The Underground Railroad

— Old Settlers' Society — Jasper County's First Celebration — Population Sta-

tistics — Postoffices — Village Plats and Population — Early-day Mob Law

Spirit — Jasper County Safe Robbery — Overturning of a Stage Coach — Grand

Jury Incident — Ventriloquism — Valeria Cyclone, 1896.

CHAPTER XXXIX— INTERESTING REMINISCENCES 403

Great Indian Scare — Memorable Winter of 1848-9 — Hard Winter of 1856-7 —

Reminiscences of the Old Court House — A Home Coming — Early Times in

Mound Prairie — The "Know Nothing" Political Party