OF

JASPER COUNTY

IOWA

GEN. JAMES B. WEAVER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ILLUSTRATED

VOLUME II

l9l2

B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY

INDIANAPOLIS. INDIANA

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I—INTRODUCTORY T 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

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 Bboks, 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-