Jasper County, Indiana
County
Jasper County Courthouse in Rensselaer
Location in the state of Indiana
Indiana's location in the United States
Coordinates: 41°01′N 87°07′W / 41.017°N 87.117°W / 41.017; -87.117
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Region	Northwest Indiana
Metro area	Chicago Metropolitan
Created[1]	February 7, 1835
Established	March 15, 1838[2][3]
Named for	Sgt. William Jasper
County seat	Rensselaer
Largest city	Rensselaer
Boroughs	List De Motte (town) Remington (town) Rensselaer (city) Wheatfield (town)
Government
• Type	County
• Body	Board of Commissioners
• Commissioner	James A. Walstra (1st)
• Commissioner	Kendell Culp (2nd)
• Commissioner	Richard E. Maxwell (3rd)
Area
• County	561.39 sq mi (1,454.0 km2)
• Land	559.62 sq mi (1,449.4 km2)
• Water	1.76 sq mi (4.6 km2)
• Metro	10,874 sq mi (28,160 km2)
• Rank	3rd largest county in Indiana
• Region	2,726 sq mi (7,060 km2)
Elevation	696 ft (212 m)
Population  (2020)
• County	32,918
• Estimate  (2023)	33,535
• Rank	49th largest county in Indiana
• Density	59/sq mi (23/km2)
• Metro	9,618,502
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (Central)
ZIP Codes	46310, 46341, 46374, 46392, 47922, 47943, 47946, 47948, 47957, 47959, 47977-78, 47995
Area code	219
Congressional district	4th
Indiana Senate districts	5th and 7th
Indiana House of Representatives districts	4th, 16th and 20th
FIPS code	18-073
GNIS feature ID	0450494
Interstate and U.S. Route
State Routes
Airport	Jasper County
Waterways	Iroquois River – Kankakee River
Amtrak station	Rensselaer
Website	www.jaspercountyin.gov
Indiana county number 37

Jasper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 32,918.^[5] The county seat is Rensselaer.^[6] Jasper County is included in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The lands of present NW Indiana were explored by French explorer Robert de LaSalle. At that time the area was inhabited by the Miami Confederation of Indians. Through White settlement, encroachment, and confrontation, the various indigenous groups were forced to cede their claim to the area. In October 1818, the Pottawattamies, Weas, and Delawares ceded their lands west of the Tippecanoe River to the government. In a treaty dated October 23, 1826, the Pottawattamies and Miamis ceded all their lands east of the Tippecanoe. A treaty dated October 26, 1832, with the Pottawattamies ceded control of the northwestern part of Indiana; on October 27 the Pottawattamies of Indiana and Michigan also relinquished all claim to any remaining land in those states.

Until the 1832 treaty of 1832, the future Jasper County area was not open to settlement; those who did come to Indiana before that time had flooded the southern parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois through the Ohio Valley. Northwestern Indiana was also less desirable for initial settlement, the land being described as alternate swamps, sterile sand ridges and flat, wet prairies. It did proliferate in game, however, and eventually settlers found it. The first recorded settler was William Donahue, who located in present-day Gillam Township. He was a justice of the peace during the period prior to the county's establishment.

Although the settlers were sparse, the state legislature provided for two counties to be established in the area. The state legislature passed an omnibus bill^[7] that authorized thirteen counties^[8] and described their boundaries, although their governing structures were not established at that time. The new counties of Jasper and Newton were attached to White County for political and civil purposes.

In 1836 all the area north of the Kankakee River was partitioned from Jasper as Porter County. By 1837 preparations were being made to create the Jasper County governing structure, with a county commission being elected that year. They first met in January 1838 at the house of Robert Alexander in present-day Benton County. After that, the pro tem county seat was designated as the residence of George W. Spitler, in present-day Iroquois Township, Newton County, where the first meeting was held in March 1839.^[1] The official date of formation of the Jasper County government is given as March 15, 1838.^[3]

Jasper County was named for Sgt. William Jasper, a famous scout for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.^[9] Jasper became famous in 1776, during the bombardment of Fort Moultrie, for erecting a new flagstaff under fire after the American flag had been shot down. Jasper was killed during the Siege of Savannah in 1779.^[10] Jasper County's twin county, Newton County, was named after Jasper's friend and comrade, John Newton.^[1]

A state legislature act dated January 29, 1839, caused the consolidation of Jasper and Newton, with Jasper retaining the name, and Newton (for the time being) being erased, and the consolidated area being seated at the Falls of the Iroquois River, with the name of Newton (the community's name was changed to Rensselaer in 1844). In 1840 the county of Benton was formed from Jasper's area. In 1859 the county of Newton was revived but with smaller area than before, leaving Jasper in its present form.

The Civil War

As early as 1825, the majority of the population were against slavery.^[11] By the time of the War, Jasper County was one of the few counties of Indiana that had a military organization under the law of 1855.^[12] The war greatly affected Jasper County when 935 soldiers were enlisted on behalf of the Union. This was considered an impressive amount at the time with the average population around 5,000. Although there were several companies from Indiana, the 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment produced Robert H. Milroy, the "Gray Eagle of the Army". Milroy became famous for suppressing Confederate mountain rangers, which caused the Confederate Congress to declare a $100,000 bounty on his head. The 9th Indiana Infantry Regiment became known for its involvement in the Battle of Philippi, one of the earliest battles of the Civil War at Laurel Hill (now known as Laurel Mountain).^[13] In comparing the proportions of men able to fight, Indiana contributed more soldiers than any other state to the Union.^[14]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 561.39 square miles (1,454.0 km²), of which 559.62 square miles (1,449.4 km²) (or 99.68%) is land and 1.76 square miles (4.6 km²) (or 0.31%) is water.^[15] Until the middle of the 19th century when it was drained to make farmland, this county was part of the second largest freshwater wetland in the US, with abundant flora and fauna.^[16] This is caused by the Iroquois River, one of the main tributaries of the Kankakee River that flows throughout Jasper County, a major water source for the area.^[17]

Major highways

Railroads

• CSX Transportation
• Norfolk Southern Railway
• Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway

Adjacent counties

Municipalities

The municipalities in Jasper County, and their populations as of the 2020 census, are:

Cities

• Rensselaer – 5,733

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

The 13 townships of Jasper County, with their populations as of the 2020 census, are:

Education

Residents of Jasper County attend public schools administered by four different districts in multiple counties:

• Kankakee Valley School Corporation^[18]
• Rensselaer Central Schools Corporation
• Tri-County School Corporation
• West Central School Corporation

High Schools

• Kankakee Valley High School^[18]
• Rensselaer Central High School^[19]
• Covenant Christian High School in DeMotte (grades 9–12)

Middle Schools

• Kankakee Valley Middle School^[20]
• Rensselaer Central Middle School^[21]

Elementary Schools

• DeMotte Christian Elementary School (preschool through 8)
• DeMotte Elementary School^[22]
• Kankakee Valley Intermediate School^[23]
• St. Augustine Catholic School
• Tri-County Primary School (K-2nd)
• Van Rensselaer Elementary School^[24]
• Wheatfield Elementary School^[25]

Colleges and Universities

• Saint Joseph's College closed

Hospitals

• Franciscan Health Rensselaer, Rensselaer – 46 beds^[26]

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Rensselaer have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in August 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.67 inches (42 mm) in February to 4.34 inches (110 mm) in June.^[27]

Government

The county government is a constitutional body, granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana and the Indiana Code.

County Council: The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all the spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.^[28][29]

Board of Commissioners: The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue, and managing the day-to-day functions of the county government.^[28][29]

Court: The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.^[29]

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor, and circuit court clerk, elected to four-year terms. Members elected to any county government position are required to declare a political party affiliation and to be residents of the county.^[29]

Jasper County is part of Indiana's 4th congressional district. It is also part of Indiana Senate districts 5 and 7^[30] and Indiana House of Representatives districts 4, 16 and 20.^[31]