It used to be only hurricanes that were named, now any significant storm gets a name. Last week Izzy swept through bringing snow, blowing snow and cold temperatures.
Today The Weather Channel has been hyping Winter Storm Jasper which is going to cause problems in the south from Texas all the way up the east coast with cold temperatures, snow and ice.
As soon as I heard the name Jasper I thought of the school, Jasper #2 where I attended grades one through eight. Then I wondered who our township was named for and pretty much have drawn a blank.
The Adams County History Book talks about most of the other townships, how and why they were named, but for Jasper it only mentions the town of Brooks which is in Jasper Township.
According to the history book, in 1853 early settlers in the area where Brooks is now located felt they had found the "promised land" and named their settlement Canaan City. In 1854 the name was changed to Brookville. There was already a Brookville in Jefferson County so the post office name was changed in 1860 to Simpson after the seminary that was founded there by the Methodist Church. But the railroad was still shipping to the name Brookville. After the seminary was moved to Indianola (and became Simpson College), the post office and depot both took the name of Brooks in 1871. And Brooks it remains.
But what about Jasper? There is a gemstone called jasper but it isn't found in Jasper Township.
There are a few towns named Jasper in the eastern states. Perhaps someone from one of those towns settled in Adams County and named the township after their hometown?
In baby naming Jasper means keeper of the treasure or jewel. So going back to those original settlers who felt they had found the promised land, by extension possibly they named the township Jasper because it was a treasure? It was certainly a jewel of a place for me to grow up so I'm content to go with that explanation. I'll probably never know how/why/for whom the township was named.
K. The next winter storm begins with K. Kane? Kobe? Kier? Klint? Keefer?
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