Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1904 — Jasper’s Early History. NAMES. [ARTICLE]

Jasper’s Early History. NAMES.

General Francis Marion, the celebrated "Swamp Fox” of the Revolution and two of his subaltern officers in order of rank gave names to Marion, Jasper and Newt in counties. In ths county we have Marion and Newton townships Even 0 * one of our noted early settlers named three of his boys Marion. Jasper and Newton. The South Carolina heroes, alone of all ths brave men of the Revolution, are here honored by municipal mention.

The Indian tribes Ircquois and Kankakee, the chiefs’Pinkamink and Wakarusa are recalled in the names of our streamlets and one township. The old settlers were not too modest to permit Gillam, Barkley, Walker, Keener. Jordan, Carpenter and Milroy townships to bear their surnames. John Gillam was one of the founders of the Methodist settlement beyond Saltillo. Henry Barkley was one of those who stayed in the Forks. Landis B. Walker discovered the region of the Saud-Lappera Jacob Keener is still with us, and can speak for himself. John Jordin started- the settlement of Oar. penter’s Creek. John Carpenter lost his life storming a musk rat fort, on the ice, and his was the first white man’s grave in the county, on the banks of the creek which bears his name. Major General Robert H. Milroy was our own "Grey Eagle.” Natural scenery suggested the names of Hanging Greve end Wheatfield. The manner of form ing Union suggested its nam? The ea.ly and later villages to.vnand aities bear names of aetilers or

owners to a great extent. We had Davidsonvi'le, Walkerville, M»i tiutown; and >n, Rensselaer, McCoysburg, G.ff ird, Stouts burg, Duunville aud Parr are still with us. Congressman Mark L DdMotte is remembend. An engineer named Surrey and Pembroke after places in the Queen’* dominion. Benjamia J. Gifford ought to state for students of county history why the statiuns-on the Chicago & Wabash Valley railway were so named. The scenery gave names to Pleasant Grove and Tailholt. A published diary of a hunting excursion from the Wabash to Chicago in 1837 left us the camp names of Pleasant, Nubbin, Sand and Long-ridge. The high places as mere outlooks are named for first owners, suqh as Givans or, Coens Hills. The barren Highlands as a rule are designated by the general term sandhills. The fat lands are called Wall Street in Barkley ; Egypt in in Jordan and Blue Grass in Newton. The peculiar contour suggested the continental names of Canada, Panama, Contral and South America. The surface deposits of iron ore Copperas creek and Redtop slough. Tne denizens and owners along the swampy basius attached the

names Curtis and Wolf Creek; Stump and Cliff Sbugb, as well as Beatty, Swaim, Manny andHaddiok marshes. The succession -of hous es on a road line suggested Stringtown and Saylerville. We only mention a few of the local names that belong to the geography of Jasper. The exach localities are left for you to figure out. As the county grew from Indian days local appellations were woven into its history. Every school and meeting house shoult have a£id has some definite name. The teachers from "Heathen Corners” to "Frog Pond” * and the preachers from Mt. Hope to Inde-

pendence should send in for record the names of the people’s college and meeting houses as well as the cemeteries and highways Feb. 48 8. P. Thompson.