Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1908 — ON AMATOLOGY OF JASPER COUNTY [ARTICLE]

ON AMATOLOGY OF JASPER COUNTY

— Another Letter From Judge Thompson, Who Writes From Winter Home in California. ’ ! INDIAN. { The warlike tribes of the Iroquois at an early date drove the weaker tribes to the east and then returned to the western upper lake region. j The Pottawottamies afterward oc-' copied Jasper county, largest at its> birth and duly pared down to its' present size by the formation ofWarren, Porter, Lake, Benton and Newton counties. The Indians gave names to the streams. From the Kankakee was named a township,and over the state line a city and county. From the Iroquois came the frame of a township, county and town, all west of the present county line. In our county seat the meandered river bed, with all marginal lands obtainable, should be called Iroquois Park. The Iroquois ditch extends from Sec. 15-29-7 to the river. The Indian chief Beaver named for himself a lake, township and creek. One inlet to that lake is the outlet for lands in township 31, range 7, now known as Black Marsh but should be known as Beaver ditch. The upper . Iroquois and lower Beaver is the scene of Bill Bat’s “HooslerHunting Grounds.” The Pinkamink is named from a Pottawattomie chief, and has its source in Starke county. Its west branch had the Indian name of Copperas (red), now partially diverted by the Gifford ditch directly Into the Iroquois. The Indian chief’s name, Waukarusha, is applied to the south branch of the Iroquois, with its source in White county. Its branches should receive Indian names, with their sources in Pulaski, White and Benton qpunties. The streams were the Indian’s paradise for both game and fish. , The Indian’s name, Canada (small village) is retained for a_ locality in the northeast corner of Barkley township. The name Nubbin Ridge came into print from the published record of some early hunters who camped a little southeast of what has since been called Hurleytown and New Chicago. They found Indian corn growing and called the small ears nubbins and the camp Nubbin Ridge. The late Theodore Hurley is entitled to be remembered as the last king of Nubbin Ridge. The same hunter’s story gave a name from its length, Long Ridge. From its soil Sand Ridge (dividing or watershed ridge) and from its outlook, Pleasant Ridge. Hanging Grove township is supposed to have derived its name from the hanging of the Indian dead in tail grove near where Uncle John Phillips afterwards lived. There is also a quasi Indian explanation of the origin of the name of Wheatfield, but the better one comes from the early appearance of the tall wild grass in the marshes. The natural incline of the trees toward the prairie is also a sentimental explanation of Hanging Grove. Three of our townships bear the names of warriers, viz., Marion,Newton and Milroy; three are of Indian or natural origin, viz., Hanging Grote, Wheatfield and Kankakee; the last tho not least was named Union, as having an an origin both patriotic and structural.

S. P. THOMPSON.