People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 53, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1893 — JASPER COUNTY. [ARTICLE]

JASPER COUNTY.

Review of It* Pa*t History and Present Development. Individuals, communities and nations are so nearly allied that the history of one is in a measure the history of the other, the difference being one of degree only. The successes, trials and disappointments of the individual are the prosperities, triumphs and disasters of national life. Usually the life of a people are studied in broad outline, whereas a study of the phenomena of a*section or of a community may warrant far differrent conclusions than are adduced from data, which in faint tracery are seen to envelope society as a whole.

Jasper county has her history, as interesting and instructive as the state of Indiana or of the states as a whole. We learn too often to look upon history in miniature with a “disdainful smile,” forgetting that it is the sum of the deeds of individuals and of communities which make the total of national existence. The deeds of the sons of Jasper county are as much entitled to recognization and as worthy of admiration us the more lofty deeds which have found their way into chronicle and have added their might to swell the broader stream of state and na tional life. Let us notice this rivulet which has S'.' silently and surely borne us on to the mysteries and results of time.

Every worthy or unworthy thing must have a beginning. Jasper county has not violated that well ordered logic of things. Nations begin usually by colonization, at first, perhaps, by the hunter or trapper. Our country was as surely colonized as was auy one of the thirteen original states. The great sea of western wilderness was penetrated by the “Mayflower of the Plains” as was the stormy waves of the Atlantic four cen-

turies before. Jasper county in her primitive wilderness had few rivals as a field for the exercise of the hunter’s art. Her plains and groves were filled with deer, wolves and game birds of many kinds; her streams abounded with fish, beaver, mink and muskrat and many other valuable and useful ani mals were to be found within her borders. As a consequence the hunter and trapper were the first to disturb the feast of nature and molest the lair of the beast that found quiet and substance among her woods and along her streams. The second process is the replacing of the hunter by the settler who intends to extract his living from the bounties of nature in a different manner than his Nimrod brother. The hunter is suddenly disturbed from his lonely life by the echo of the ax and the crash of the fallen monarch of the forest. The animals forsake him and grow scarcer until he is content to leave the haunts in which he is so much accustomed and buries himself in other solitudes or throws aside his trusty rifle and masters the art of the pruning hook. Many of the first settlers of our county are still with us. Their names are so familiar that we need not mention them. The object of the first comers was to seek homes where land was not only cheap and plenty but fertile as well. The eastern states had already began to feel the pressure of population as well as the excitement and al-

lurments of opening a new country to settlement. All these added to strengthen the causes of immigration. The first settlements of the county were naturally on the higher and more favorable portions. The. “Cut-off,'’ “Forks” and along the Iroquois were the principal settlements. From these as a basis began the separation of other settlements on the higher grounds. Some sort of an organization is necessary in every new country. So with instinctive pride and patriotic devotion to our nation’s defenders which she has ever cherished, the new country was given the name of Jasper and as a tribute to the Jasper of revolutionary fame. This was done in- 1837 and comprised what is now Newton and Jasper counties, and divided into eight townships^— Newton. Marion and Jordan, the only ones of which still retain that name, the others being in Newton county which was separated later. In 1840 the county had a population of 1,267 and in 1849 3,000 persons. At this period the county, is described as ‘ ‘generally level, ***mostly dry and wet prairies, interspersed with small groves of timber, usually

called barren or oak openings. ***lt is a tine country for grazing, and its settlers are beginning to raise cattle, horses mules and sheep in considerable numbers.” With an attempt at prophesy the Gazetteer adds, ••The population of the county will most probably never be large, but it will no doubt be one of the best stock counties of the state.” So far the statement is true, but the first part is fast being modified with increasing population and the second strengthened with the cultivation and improvement of stock. Rensselaer in 1849 contained three stores, two physicians, one lawyer and fifteen dwellings.

Following this we have a period of slow growth and expansion as is consequent to all new countries. The people lived in quiet and neighborly feeling until the breaking out of the Civil War when its forebodings were repeated in our own county on a scale commensurate with its size. We only care to mention the fact of Dodd’s Raid to show that as a miniature state we have experienced such up-risings as are incident to newly developed countries which are in the state of consolidation. Men are all patriotic, the only difference being the object of their patriotism. Our county was loyal to the government in spite of some diverse opinions that existed among our people.

The unsettled state of finances which are incident to a great war was duly felt in our county in the period of the rebellion, and subsequently in the time of an inflated paper currency which had for its issue state and private banks. The great degree of uncertainty that existed in the financial affairs of the county at that time is familiar to all. The treasurer of the county was not safe in taking the money in payment of taxes, the value being so uncertain, and in some instances large sums were lost. The man who handled much money was compelled to carry a printed statement of the condition of banks in other states as well as our own and too often he would discover that his paper was worth only the taper to light his pipe. But our county bore its burdens as a result of an inflated currency issued without sufficient basis as well as could be expected. The reason why the growth of the county has not been sudden, as is often the case, may be seen in‘ the fact that we have had no large natural industries to be developed as vast lumbering forests to be felled and mineral deposits to be worked, nor has our soil, nor is it to-day in a condition to be worked to great advantage. Our county is still new. Over half of the land has never been touched by plow and thousands of acres of fertile lands are still the habitation of the rat and the bittern. Tne sand hills have been the main feeders of the products of our county and only until recently has there been much attempt to bring these lands into cultivation. With the increasing interest taken in

ditching, it is only a question of a few years when the county will be one of the richest in agricultural advantages in the state. Its possibilities are scarcely to be estimated. It is a matter of great regret that the system of farming over the county in general is not of a higher order. Our people have scarcely yet learned the rudiments of good farming. The strong feature from a material point of view is the advantage for stock raising. Our primitive prairies very naturally invited the growing of stock. Few counties have presented more splendid inducements for grazing purposes. A few years since large herds, roaming over the stretches of wild heath were not an uncommon thing. Then stock was cultivated for its numbers or extensively, but with the spread of farming and the fencing off of pastured lands we have an attempt to improve quality or intensively. This is confined, however, to the 'last ten years. It wav, indeed, a healthy move toward the bringing about of this improvement of stock in the establishment of the Rensselaer Stock Farm. Its reputation is not enjoyed alone at home, but is known’where fine breeding is prized. Our cattle have been wonderfully changed in this period by the introduction of new blood; likewise our swine, sheep and even our fowls have felt the touches of a healthier strain. On leaving the county for a year or so and returning one can notice this change in the horses on the street. I think it quite plain that the great develop-

men I in the future is not to be along the line of farming alone but that our county is by nature a grazing land and by the proper cultivation of grasses and stock we bid fair to assume a position second to none. The table attached will show the average, crop per ton or bushel and the value in dollars for the year 1892. The acreage composed for 1890 and 1891 has increased in all cases except wheat, corn, barley and rye. 1892 seems to have been an “off” year for wheat and corn especially. The table is intended to show the relative acreage and yield so the different staples. No further comment is necessary.

Acres. Yield. Value. Clover. 4.015 $ 64 040 Timothy24.22l 36.331 36X310 £»**• 29.159 524.134 209.654 J* I*** 1 *** 3-W 45 *l4 < 0r "K.540 976.640 391.466 Barley 20 460 2K5 !J ye ; v 17.010 11.397 Buckwheat 2HI ;t372 2.193 Irish Potatoes 611 55,601 44.431 Bwevt Potatoes.... 28 1.960 1.960

Agricultural development has been fostered by the development of roads and systems of communication. It was only until in recent years that we have had the proper facilities in getting our grain to market, the southern end of the county being the only portion enjoying these facilities. At present the portion of the county least needing railway advantages is best supplied. With the material growth of our county we have had a corresponding development in the social and educational phases. Schools were early looked after and have been carefully provided for until our common school system in the county is efficient and strong. V ii the natural increase of wealth more complete systems of education receive their due attention. The last few years have witnessed the establishment of the Indian Normal School and St. Joseph’s College, both institutions of great worth. Considering the amount of malarial fields in the county the health is remarkably good. This is greatly due to the plentifullness of good water. Our county is well represented in foreign population, principally Germans and Irish. They form an industrious and well-to-do element and have introduced careful and frugal farming methods among our people. Under their care many a marsh or run-down farm has been made to blossom forth in plenty. The moral and social development of the county is fairly expressed in the growth and expansion of church interests. _lf we were confined alone to tne number of churches for our data we would be led to judge that our people presented a generous soil for the propagation of truth, but other data as well indicate a people of moral habits and instincts. Our county has been /remarkably free of crime and such that has been perpetrated occupy a secondary place in the category. The past history in road construction has not been flattering. It seems that the past policy has been principally to open up new roads instead of any very extended improvement of old ones. The county must soon enter upon an era of road construction. That construction should be the very best material at hand. Good, permanent roads will do as much for the development of the county as a good system of drainage. A road well constructed is done for a pentury. A.railroad system without good roads to get the grain to market loses much of its force.

In closing these few remarks it may be interesting to compare items of property and population with some years since. In 1840 the population was 1,267 persons and in 1890 it was 11,185, in a period of 50 years a growth of 10,000, a very remarkably slow growth. It is due to the fact that we have had no booming qualities in our county, and no special advantages which would induce a sudden population within her borders. The number of polls in 1864 was 506, while in 1892 it reached 1928 polls. The whole taxable property in 1864 was 41,831,085, while in 1892 we have a valuation of about 17,000,000, a growth of about *5",000,000 in a period of 30 years. This slow development in a region of gas or oil supply could not be fully realized. The bulk of this increase would be included in personal property values. In 1864 we have the value of improvements in lands to be 4227,829 and in lots to be 445,307, making a total value of all improvements for that year of 4273,136. For the year 1892 the value of improvements in land was *505,530, while that of lots advanced to

I the sum of *289,835, m .king a ■ total of •795,335. It w.d be noj ticed that the value of land has i scarcely doubled in the 30 years, ‘ while the lots increased about i six times in value. These tigj ures make a significant comment i upon the direction of the growth of wealth in the county. In ’ 1*64 the personal property rei ceived a valuation of $461,887), and for the year 1892 it footed up SI, 563,290. an advance of over • 1,000,000. To this must be added the valuation of the railroad property, which is $1,333,868, making a total of $2,997,158. For the year 1864 the taxes paid were $23,581.64, while for 1*92 the county received $107,074.09, J the per cent, of taxation less than in 1864, and still less burdensome because the amount that the railroad pays. We have taken the year 1864 as a year of comparison because it is the latest preserved statistics, all others having been destroyed in the burning of the court house. This year, however, is not normal because it was the period of the greatest depression of the war, but it is not intended to present only a skeleton outline, reserving for the future a more complete study of the indust rial history of the county. It would be difficult to attempt even a forcast of our future developements. The last years have witnessed unprecedented interest in ditching. This means much for our material development. Also there seems to be a decided movement in the direction of more thorough farming, Successful farmers from abroad have been attracted to the county on account of cheap land. The principal line of business activity to-day is along real estate, stock raising and broking, and loaning and discounting. Considering the actual condition of the county there, are few places that present a more favorable field for the operation of the money broker’s art than our own. To an out sider it is very difficult to understand that there is sufficient demand to warrant the operation of four banks and several private persons who do an extensive business in that direction. The activity in real estate may be noticed by the number of transfers in 1892. For that year there were 877 warranty deeds recorded, representing a capv tai «of $1,443,230. The county in that year stood thirteenth in' amount] transferred. The present year, if it continues at the rate of the last few months, bids fair to pass all other years. In 1892 there was 444 mortgages given representing a value of $450,229. * The wealth of our capitalists has been accumulated mainly through the growth of land value and in shrewd trading. I suppose there are not many towns in the state to which have more concentrated wealth within their border than has Rensselaer. Yet on the whole, throughout the county the distribution of wealth has been fairly made. It is true that a few individuals have accumulated more than others, but at the same time we have no wealthy men. It may be reasonably expected that we will see a greater expansion of the county materially, socially and morally in the next ten years than in any previous fiteen or twenty years past. * # *