catapulted Jasper into national news and led to the creation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. In June 1998, the murder of James Byrd Jr. Jasper also became the headquarters of the Morgan and Lindsey chain of variety stores (otherwise known as dime-stores), which at one time operated 85 outlets in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Local farmers raised broiler chickens and beef, and in the 1950s turned to dairying. Jasper served as headquarters for the Lower Neches Valley Authority's construction program, including Dam 'B' at Town Bluff and engineering and surveying for a dam at Magee Bend on the Angelina River. What was stolen from the safes was unknown. The thieves set a fire, and as the town had no fire department, the entire town was completely destroyed. The post office safe and the county treasurer's safe were blown open and robbed. Lumber from two sawmills, with a daily capacity of 125,000 board feet (295 m³), goods from basket and stave factories, logs, ties, poles, and pulpwood were shipped in 200 cars per month. With the arrival of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway early in the 20th century, Jasper grew into a center for the manufacture of timber products. In 1896, Jasper had a population of 1,200. The population declined to 360 in 1870, reflecting the hardships of the Civil War, but by 1885 had risen to 1,000. Following the war, Union troops led by General George Custer occupied Jasper, camping in the town square.Įducational institutions included the Jasper Male and Female High School, which operated until 1878, when it became the Southeast Texas Male and Female College, and Jasper Collegiate Institute, which operated from 1851 until 1874. Jasper was a Confederate Army headquarters for a nine-county area. Jasper became the county seat in 1844 and became part of the United States with the annexation of Texas in 1845.ĭuring the Civil War, the town housed a Confederate quartermaster depot and served as a major center for Confederate communication, transportation, and supply. Jasper was one of the 23 original counties when the Republic of Texas was created in 1836. In 1835, the town was renamed after William Jasper, a soldier from the American Revolution, who was killed attempting to plant the American flag at the storming of Savannah in 1779. Bevil, a hero of the American Revolution. Thirty families occupied the settlement as early as 1830, when it was known as 'Snow River', after John R. The area, which was then part of Mexican Texas, was settled around 1824 by John Bevil. The Jasper County Courthouse 19th century

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