Bainbridge Township

Bainbridge Township

Bainbridge township is one of the original five townships of Dubois county. In 1850, its population was given at 1,700, with 340 voters. The township was much larger in 1850, than at present. I^ainbridge township contains thirty-five square miles, and, including the town of Jasper is estimated to be worth $1,750,000.

There are a few members of the Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches in Bainbridge township. It is practically a Catholic township.

Politically, the township has always been democratic. The citizens of Bainbridge township, with a few exceptions, are of German descent. The pioneer Germans came, almost as a colony, about 1840, by way of New York and New Orleans.

Rock road improvements began in 1904, and many miles have been constructed. The Southern railroad completed its extension to French Lick, and put passenger trains on December I, 1907.

Nelson Harris made the first purchase of land in Bainbridge township, March 4, 1816. It was the southwest quarter of section twenty-eight, township one south, range five west, immediately east of Shiloh.

Jasper was incorporated as a town, in March, 1866, with a population of 507. The death rate at Jasper is exceedingly low, though Patoka river, at Jasper, is only 450 feet above the sea. It is 123 feet below Lake Erie. The town has many manufacturing establishments, two banks, many fine residences, three churches, water works, electric lights, a college, an academy, commissioned high schools, improved streets, and two good weekly papers. In 187 1. 1891, and 1908 the present high school building was erected.

The Indiana Gazetteer of 1850, in speaking of Jasper, says: "It was first settled in 1830, by Dr. McCrillus, Col. Morgan, B. B. EdmOnston. Z. Dillon, and J. McDonald. It has five stores, three groceries, two ware-houses, one brewery, one distiller}^ and a population of 532. Jasper is situated on the Patoka river one hundred twenty miles southwest of Indianapolis, fifty northeast of Evansville. and forty-four southeast of Vincennes."

Enlows, the founders of Jasper. She relates that her aunt named the town Jasper, and selected the word from the Bible. Some authorities S2.y jasper is a brilliant stone, perhaps our modern diamond. In ancient times it was the twelfth stone in the breast-plates of the high-priests.

'X:\iQ. jasper spoken of by modern mineralogists is an opaque quartz, close-grained, and variously tinted, but generally red or brown. Frequently the color is not uniform. A hxo'^w jasper occurring in nodules is frequently called Egyptian jasper. From the descriptions given by classical writers, y«5'/>i?r was a stone of considerable translucency. The originaly'^^- /)f;" seems to have been green, for it is often compared with the emerald and other green objects. Probably iho: jasper of the ancients was what we now call an agate or a jade. Jasper is known to have been held in the highest esteem in the earliest times. Modern mineralogists do not consider jasper as a translucent stone, j^et in Revelation reference is made io Jasper "clear as cr3'stal." It was often set in gold mounting, and is mentioned with precious stones more generally known. It is mentioned in the 20th verse of the 28th chapter of Exodus, and in Ezekial 28:13. In Revelation Jasper is mentioned in chapter 4, verse 3; chapter 21, verses 11, 18 and 19. The first fomidation of the New Jerusalem was oi Jasper. For further particulars the reader is referred to next to the last chapter of the Bible.

A man by the name of Miller is said to have been the first merchant at Jasper. Col. Morgan bought his store, which was situated at the southeast corner of the public square. Samuel Reed, Joseph A. McMahan, John Hurst and Perry Hammond were early merchants of Jasper. A little later came John A. Graham, W. C. Graham, William R. Hill, Joseph Case, Charles Parker, George Parker, John Mann, Decker and Kramer, William

Malin, Isaac Newton, Hunter Alexander, Finley Alexander, George Lemmon, Joseph Sermersheim, and Nicholas Boring. In the fifties. Boring conducted the Washington Hotel, at the northeast corner of Sixth and Jackson streets.

On October 2, 1889, some enterprising citizens of Jasper formed a gas company and drilled a hole on lot 38, in McCrillus' addition. The drill was sent down one thousand nine feet at a cost of $2,500. At 713 feet a medicated water was found and for nearly twenty years it flowed from the tubing at the top of the well. At 730 feet, water very offensive to taste and smell was found and for that reason all below 713 feet was shut off. At 100 feet, eighteen inches of coal were found. At 432 feet lime stone was found; at 482 feet gray sand stone with a strong flow of salt water and some gas; at 582 feet, gray lime stone and gas; at 663 feet, white lime stone. Here the drill was lost, and work was for a time delayed. No gas of sufficient quantity was discovered.

A pleasant place for amusement in Dubois county is Calumet lake at Jasper. The lake covers eighteen acres and is supplied with fish. The lake is fed by natural springs and the drainage of thirteen hundred acres. The lake and grounds are owned by a private corporation and are valued at $5,000. The corporation was chartered May 8, 1S99. The lake is situated at the corner of sections 23, 24, 25, and 26, a mile north of Jasper.

The water system and the lighting system of Jasper are owned by the town. The water supply is pumped from Patoka river to reservoirs, one hundred fifty-five feet above the river. The reservoirs are on a hill north of the town. They are 605 feet above the level of the sea and thirtytwo feet above the waters of Lake Erie. The water is soft, and about five miles of distributing mains of iron are in use to convey it to the consumers.

In 1909 the town of Jasper re-built one of its reservoirs at a cost of $9,035. It is 17 feet deep, 96}^ wide, and 123)^ long. It is constructed of re enforced concrete, and has a utilized capacity of 1,250,000 gallons. It is 144 feet above the older part of the town proper and has a pressure of 58 pounds to the square inch.

Maltersville. This is a little place laid out by Mrs. Anna Barbara Malter, December 17, 1867. It has no postoffice, and is little more than the crossing of two public highways.