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Jasper County is a
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
located in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. As of 2010, the population was 33,478. The
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is Rensselaer. Jasper County is included in the
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
-
Naperville Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is in the Chicago metro area, west of the city. Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was ...
- Elgin, IL-IN- WI
Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
.


History

The lands of present NW Indiana were explored by French explorer Robert de LaSalle. At that time the area was inhabited by the Miami Confederation of Indians. Through White settlement, encroachment, and confrontation, the various indigenous groups were forced to cede their claim to the area. In October 1818, the Pottawattamies, Weas, and Delawares ceded their lands west of the
Tippecanoe River The Tippecanoe River ( ) is a gentle, U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 19, 2011 river in the Central Corn Belt Plains ecoregion in northern Indiana. It flows from Croo ...
to the government. In a treaty dated 23 October 1826, the Pottawattamies and Miamis ceded all their lands east of the Tippecanoe. A treaty dated 26 October 1832 with the Pottawattamies ceded control of the northwestern part of Indiana; on 27 October the Pottawattamies of Indiana and Michigan also relinquished all claim to any remaining land in those states. Until the 1832 treaty of 1832, the future Jasper County area was not open to settlement; those who did come to Indiana before that time had flooded the southern parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois through the
Ohio Valley The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illinoi ...
. Northwestern Indiana was also less desirable for initial settlement, the land being described as alternate swamps, sterile sand ridges and flat, wet prairies. It did proliferate in game, however, and eventually settlers found it. The first recorded settler was William Donahue, who located in present-day Gillam Township. He was a justice of the peace during the period prior to the county's establishment. Although the settlers were sparse, the state legislature provided for two counties to be established in the area. The state legislature passed an omnibus bill that authorized thirteen counties and described their boundaries, although their governing structures were not established at that time. The new counties of Jasper and Newton were attached to White County for political and civil purposes. In 1836 all the area north of the
Kankakee River The Kankakee River is a tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in the Central Corn Belt Plains of northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois in the United States. At one time, the river drained one of the largest wetlands in N ...
was partitioned from Jasper as
Porter County Porter County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 173,215, making it the 10th most populous county in Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso. The county is part of Northwest Indiana, as well as the Chicago m ...
. By 1837 preparations were being made to create the Jasper County governing structure, with a county commission being elected that year. They first met in January 1838 at the house of Robert Alexander in present-day Benton County. After that, the pro tem county seat was designated as the residence of George W. Spitler, in present-day Iroquois Township, Newton County, where the first meeting was held in March 1839. The official date of formation of the Jasper County government is given as 15 March 1838. Jasper County was named for Sgt.
William Jasper William Jasper (''c.'' 1750 – October 9, 1779) was a noted American soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was a sergeant in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment. Jasper distinguished himself in the defense of Fort Moultrie (then called Fort Sulliv ...
, a famous scout for the
Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. Jasper became famous in 1776, during the bombardment of
Fort Moultrie Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and n ...
, for erecting a new flagstaff under fire after the American flag had been shot down. Jasper was killed during the
Siege of Savannah The siege of Savannah or the Second Battle of Savannah was an encounter of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) in 1779. The year before, the city of Savannah, Georgia, had been captured by a British expeditionary corps under Lieutenan ...
in 1779. Jasper County's twin county, Newton County, was named after Jasper's friend and comrade,
John Newton John Newton (; – 21 December 1807) was an English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist. He had previously been a captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade. He served as a sailor in the Royal Navy (after forc ...
. A state legislature act dated 29 January 1839 caused the consolidation of Jasper and Newton, with Jasper retaining the name, and Newton (for the time being) being erased, and the consolidated area being seated at the Falls of the Iroquois River, with the name of Newton (the community's name was changed to Rensselaer in 1844). In 1840 the county of Benton was formed from Jasper's area. In 1859 the county of Newton was revived but with smaller area than before, leaving Jasper in its present form.


The Civil War

As early as 1825, the majority of the population were against slavery. By the time of the
War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
, Jasper County was one of the few counties of Indiana that had a military organization under the law of 1855. The war greatly affected Jasper County when 935 soldiers were enlisted on behalf of the
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
. This was considered an impressive amount at the time with the average population around 5,000. Although there were several companies from Indiana, the
9th Indiana Infantry Regiment The 9th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized on April 22, 1861, for three-months' service in Indianapolis. After being reorganized for three years' s ...
produced Robert H. Milroy, the "Gray Eagle of the Army". Milroy became famous for suppressing Confederate mountain rangers, which caused the
Confederate Congress The Confederate States Congress was both the Provisional government, provisional and permanent Legislature, legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned w ...
to declare a $100,000 bounty on his head. The 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment became known for its involvement in the
Battle of Philippi The Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian (of the Second Triumvirate) and the leaders of Julius Caesar's assassination, Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC, at P ...
, one of the earliest battles of the Civil War at Laurel Hill (now known as Laurel Mountain). In comparing the proportions of men able to fight, Indiana contributed more soldiers than any other state to the
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
.


Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.68%) is land and (or 0.31%) is water. Until the middle of the 19th century when it was drained to make farmland, this county was part of the second largest freshwater wetland in the US, with abundant flora and fauna. This is caused by the Iroquois River, one of the main tributaries of the
Kankakee River The Kankakee River is a tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in the Central Corn Belt Plains of northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois in the United States. At one time, the river drained one of the largest wetlands in N ...
that flows throughout Jasper County, a major water source for the area.


Major highways


Railroads

*
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
*
Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...
*
Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway The Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway is a short line railroad that operates of track from Mapleton, Illinois, through Peoria across Illinois to Logansport, Indiana. TP&W has trackage rights between Galesburg, Illinois, and Peoria, between Lo ...


Adjacent counties


Municipalities

The municipalities in Jasper County, and their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:


Cities

* Rensselaer – 5,859


Towns


Census-designated places


Unincorporated communities


Townships

The 13 townships of Jasper County, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:


Education

Residents of Jasper County attend public schools administered by four different districts in multiple counties: *
Kankakee Valley School Corporation Kankakee Valley School Corporation is a school district in Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is ...
br>

Rensselaer Central Schools Corporation

Tri-County School Corporation

West Central School Corporation
High Schools * Kankakee Valley High Schoolbr>
* Rensselaer Central High Schoolbr>
* Covenant Christian High School (DeMotte, Indiana), Covenant Christian High School in DeMotte (grades 9–12) Middle Schools * Kankakee Valley Middle Schoolbr>
* Rensselaer Central Middle Schoolbr>
Elementary Schools * DeMotte Christian Elementary School (preschool through 8) * DeMotte Elementary Schoolbr>
* Kankakee Valley Intermediate Schoolbr>
* St. Augustine Catholic School * Tri-County Primary School (K-2nd) * Van Rensselaer Elementary Schoolbr>
* Wheatfield Elementary Schoolbr>


Colleges and Universities

* Saint Joseph's College (Indiana), Saint Joseph's College closed


Hospitals

* Franciscan Health Rensselaer, Rensselaer – ''46 beds''


Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Rensselaer have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.


Government

The county government is a constitutional body, granted specific powers by the
Constitution of Indiana The Constitution of Indiana is the highest body of state law in the U.S. state of Indiana. It establishes the structure and function of the state and is based on the principles of federalism and Jacksonian democracy. Indiana's constitution is su ...
and the
Indiana Code The Indiana Code is the code of laws for the U.S. state of Indiana. The contents are the codification of all the laws currently in effect within Indiana. With roots going all the way back to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the laws of Indiana h ...
. County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes. Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government. Court: The county maintains a
small claims court Small-claims courts have limited jurisdiction to hear civil cases between private litigants. Courts authorized to try small claims may also have other judicial functions, and go by different names in different jurisdictions. For example, it may b ...
that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court. County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
,
coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
,
auditor An auditor is a person or a firm appointed by a company to execute an audit.Practical Auditing, Kul Narsingh Shrestha, 2012, Nabin Prakashan, Nepal To act as an auditor, a person should be certified by the regulatory authority of accounting and au ...
,
treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury o ...
,
recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a news ...
, surveyor, and circuit
court clerk A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court, administer oaths to witn ...
, elected to four-year terms. Members elected to any county government position are required to declare a
political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...
affiliation and to be residents of the county. Jasper County is part of
Indiana's 4th congressional district Indiana's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. From 2003 to 2013 the district was based primarily in the central part of the state, and consisted of all of Boone, Clinton, Hendricks, Morgan, ...
. It is also part of
Indiana Senate The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms ...
districts 5 and 7 and
Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...
districts 4, 16 and 20.


Demographics

As of the
2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, there were 33,478 people, 12,232 households, and 9,165 families in the county. The population density was . There were 13,168 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.8% white, 0.6% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.6% were
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
, 16.5% were
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, 9.6% were
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
, 9.3% were
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
, 6.9% were
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
, and 6.0% were
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
. Of the 12,232 households, 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.1% were non-families, and 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 38.0 years. The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $63,842. Males had a median income of $50,984 versus $32,313 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,676. About 7.7% of families and 9.0% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.


Religion

The Catholic church is the biggest denomination in the county with 4,341 members, the second largest is the
Reformed Church in America The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a Mainline Protestant, mainline Reformed tradition, Reformed Protestant Christian denomination, denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 152,317 members. From its beginning in 1628 unti ...
with 1,502 members and 2 churches (First Church and American Reformed Church) the third is the United Methodist Church with 1,300 members, the fourth largest is the
Christian Reformed Church in North America The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA or CRC) is a Protestant Calvinist Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed Church of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founde ...
with 1,013 members in 3 congregations as of 2010.ARDA
/ref>


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Jasper County, Indiana __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Jasper County, Indiana. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Jasper County, Indian ...


References


External links

*
myLocal: Jasper County
{{Authority control Indiana counties 1838 establishments in Indiana Populated places established in 1838 Northwest Indiana Chicago metropolitan area Sundown towns in Indiana