Jasper Republican, Volume 2, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1876 — Jasper County Reminiscences. [ARTICLE]

Jasper County Reminiscences.

comfilsd jutd WBrrrxx st c. w. ctirrox. (CONTJ.UBD.) Wt have said that the counties of Jasper and Newton were organized in 1888, but they did not have separate organizations— Newton oonnty being attached to Jasper for civil purposes. Mr. Henkle, now dead, a member of the Legislature that named the counties, said he was present when the christening took place, and that the county •was named in honor of Sergeant Jasper, of Revolutionary fame. It will be recollected by readers of our history as a nation, that Sergeant Jasper, when in the heat of the fight the American flag was shot from its fastening, he elimed the staff and ’mid a perfect shower of bullets nailed the flog to its place. He was afterwards presented with a banner which for many yeafs he bore through all the perils of our Revolutionary contest; and, ’Us said, was buried in its folds. It is supposed, also, that in honor of this flag the first paper established in the county was named ‘-The Jasper Banner.’’ Mr. McCarthy, its founder, I believe is still living in Newton county- The paper was T.eutral in politics at the iime of its advent in 1849, but eventually became Democratic in politics. The subscription price of this first newspaper was $1.50 per annum'. The Rensselaer Gazette and oth.r papers followed in its footsteps.

CAPITOLS. But to return. After the organization if the county, it was necessary, as a natter a’ course, that the new territory hare a capital and a government. The house of Mr. Robert Alexander, in Parish Grove, in what is now Benton county, was the first court house. The first court was held there in 1838, the seme year of the county organisation. This new capitol being somewhat to one side of the counties, it was ordered that the county-seat be removed to the residence of Mr. George Spitler, near what is now the village of Brook in Newton county, and that the terms of circuit, probate and commissioners’ court for 1839 be held at Mr., Spitler’s house. There was a proviso, however, which ■was, “Provided the citizens of Pine township are willing.’’* Pine townahip was a small settlemen ton Big Pine in the then limits of Jasper county, and numbered tft that time twenty-four or twjnty-five male inhabitants over the age of twenty-one.— Mr. Amos White, one of the earliest commissioners, was selected to canvass this settlement and obtain an expression of their opinion on this then momentous question.— Mr. White with a petition made the tour of the township, obtaining the signature of •very voter either for or against the projected removal. With a self-forgetful magnanimity peculiar to all early pioneers, two-thirds of the settlers favored removal—sixteen voting “aye” and eight voting “no.” Accordingly the capitol was removed. No great task at that early day; for, though tfie capital of a territory occupying thirteen hundred square miles, nealy as large as the sovereign State of Rhode Island, its archives were not cumbered by volumes of records. The new court house was of logs. Dimensions—sixteen by sixteen feet, on* story. It was built by Mr. G. W. Spitler himself and cornered with his dwelling house. It stood about one mile, a little west of south, of the present town of Brook in Newton cosnty, near the banks of a small stream that empties into the Iroquois near there. I visited the venerable relic of early times only a few years since, when it was still standing in a good state of preservation, the property of Mrs. Nancy Bell. Whether it is standing at thii late day I cannot say, but I presume our friends of Newton county will know. This remained county “headquarters” until March, 1840, when the county commissioners met at the new capital and among other transactions was one ordering the seat of justice to be removed to the “Town of Newton on the rapids of the Rockwise.”— It was acordingly loaded into a wagon and removed to its new quarters in the town of Newton, now Rensselaer, where it has ever since remained, and is likely to remain, unless Remington secedes and Nubbin Ridge gets a railroad, in which ease—alas— well—who knows what may be “An hundred years to come.’ ’ COUNTY OWICRRS. The first Judge appointed to the new counties was Judge Isaac Naylor. The first case heard in the county was a civil action of Hepsy Montgomery, administrator, against Edward Boone,‘administrator. The first State case was against I. T. Timmons. A wrongful prosecution. it is presumed, as the’proaecuting attorney promptly entered* “nol. pros.,” as the lawyers eall it. The first petition for divoreo in the county was by Mrs. Louisa Barr against Mr, Andrew

Barr. 1 cannot find out whether her petithmpaa granted or no, but presume it was, sot it could be naught but a serious matter tW would put wife a separation when WF 6 4™ fur between, amLffßry ma* family aS almost an infilpe«ent Jomdßnifcf of Userand government, if it existed, was of a primitive or Patriarchal type. The prosecuting attorney for the first court was Mr. Joseph Wrf E k>, who has since held several offices of trust under the people of the State, and twice, I believe, filled the gubernatorial chair. 4 , rt' I*l/ The first county commissioners were Mr. Amos White, Mr Frederic Kenoyer, and Mr. Joseph Smith, not he of Mormon notoriety, hnta very estimable early resident of Jraper county. They were All gentlemen of ability and left a gpod name and many descendants to perpetuate their memory. If not mistaken, the direct descendants of Mr. Amoe White, now reside in, or near, Fowler in Beaton county, and one near Templeton. If lam wrong I hope the gentlemen there by that name will at once make the correction, Mr. Smith’s femily I am unable to trace, but Mr. Frederic Kenoyer’s lineal descendants, still live in Newton county, or did a few years since. Two of them, Moses, and young Mr. Frederic Kenoyer having served during the late war in the same company and regiment (51st Ind.); with the writer. . • ■ The names of the first grand jurors serving in the first.conrt were Messrs; Hanna, W. Donahoo, Hewett, Wesley Spitler, Robert Mallett, Lewis Elijah, 'William Gillam* Wm. Doran, Joseph Woosley, George Culp, Thomas Timmons, James Reed, Jas. Brown, Andrew Ritchey, Joseph Yeoman and Samuel Benjamin. Some few of this first panel are still living. The first county auditor, clerk and recorder was George W. Spitler, he holding and

filling the duties of all three, and .filling them satisfactorily, for it iaa common saying at t his late day that our county affairs were never better managed than when one man was auditor, clerk and recorder.— Of Mr. Spitler’s duties as auditor and clerk I know but little, but suppose they were not burdensome; surely not remunerative if we may take his record as recorder os a criterion from which to judge. I have taken some pains to examine deed record No. 1, which is full of interest and information. — The first deed the new reco der was called upon to transcribe was made on the 22d day of May, 1838, from Benjamin Lewis to Ilepsy Montgomery,.for the northwest quarter of section 34, town 28, north, range 9, west—l6o acres. The consideration was three hundred dollars—sl.B7J per acre.— The acknowledgement was taken before Hugh Newell, clerk of circuit cohtt, Iroquois county, Hl. The record benrs date' June 6, 1888. Four months and four days later, October 16,1838, the second deed was recorded. Nearly one month Inter, Novempcr 7,1838, the third,and December 4,1838, the fourth deed was recorded. On the 14th of the same month Mr. Spitler had quite a run of lack, six deeds records 1 on that day. In all, the first year of the organization, he recorded oixly ten deeds and mortgages. Mr. Spitler served as a public officer during almost the entire period of his hfe in theoouuty. He was a man of talent, a veritable genius, a friend and helper to all who were were worthy, and the county certainly owes as much to his memory as to any other man who ever dwelt within her borders. — He was killed by lightning while lying in bed, on the night of August 17, 1863. His widow still lives, and is a resident of Rensselaer, a genial and worthy old lady, whise memory is replete with incidents of the past. His son, Mr. M. L. Spitler, is tbe present county clerk of Jasper county. The first treasurer was a gentleman named Albert Pursail. As yet I have been unable to learn anything beyond the mere fact that he was the first county treasurer. The first sheriff of tbe county was a Mr. Samuel M. Dunn. (

The claim for.first surveyor lays between Mr. Wesley Spitler and Mr. Andrew Ritchey. Mr. Ritchey was a very early surveyor and is remembered as wearing moccasins while on his surveying expedtions. In January, 1839, thecounty commissioners divided Newton county into two townships. All lying north and west of the Iroquois river was named Newton township, and the remainder called Pink-a-mink township, an Indian name for one of the tributaries of the Iroquois and a name that the white settlers have confirmed. The first election held in the county was held oh ths first Monday in April, 1839. The polls Ter Newton township were at the house of Mr. Joseph Yeoman, and for l’inkamink township at the house of Mr. William Donahuo. In 1840 Marion township was struck off from the east side of Newton township. ' The first session of the circuit court in what is now Jasper county, was held in an old log cabin standing on what is known as the Pat. Barton property, where now live? Mr. George W. The first letters of administeatlon granted was in 1839, to Elias Clifton, on the estate of John Wolf, deceased. j. The-first dower set off was ip Mrs. Jdlia Lewis, relict of Mr. Benjamin Lewis.

The first marriage license issued was to, Mr. James Lacy and Miss Matilda Blue.— The ceremony wae performed by Mr. John Lyons, justice of tha-oeace. I had overlooked the first criminal ease in the county. It was for assault and battery, against Jonathan Hunt. Who Mr. Hunt assaulted and battered, I do not know. The first political speech made in the county was by Mr. Charles W. Cathcart, a Democratic Candidate for State Senator., He held forth to an enthusiastic audience in the clerk’s office, a small log structure about which; it was said : “A clerk’s office by day and a sheep’s pen by.night.” Mrs. Spitler, widow of of the clerk, adds by way of parenthesis that there woe mope truth than poetry in the report. I*kav e made up this chapter of topics that were rather miscellaneous, but which it was necessary to mention at some period of the aarration. I shall delay the more important' matters for future issues, hoping to glean much more of interest to give you. (io be cokusued.)