CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

JASPER COUNTY

P. 486  NEWTON, THE COUNTY SEAT—

POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE—

VILLAGES IN COUNTY.


       Jasper county lies due west of Crawford, from which it was taken by act of the general assembly February 15, 1831. The county was sparsely settled when organized and was without a railroad till 1876, when the road from Grayville to Mattoon reached this county from the south. Shortly afterwards the road from Effingham eastward passed through the county and since then the growth of the county has been rapid.

NEWTON, THE COUNTY SEAT

       The county seat was located at Newton in 1835 and has remained there ever since. It is wholly an agricultural county. The timber areas were originally about equal to the prairies, but much of the timbered districts have disappeared. The forests have kept several saw mills busy for many years. Most of the timber is found along the Embarras river, which runs from the northwest toward the southeast through the county.

POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE

       The county has an area of 508 square miles, and a population of 18,157. This is a loss in population in ten years of 2,003. Eighty-nine and three-tenths per cent of the land in the county is in farms, and the value of all farm property is $18,785,026, a hundred and six-tenths per cent increase since 1900. The distribution of values is as follows: Land, 71.8%; buildings, 13.5%; implements and machinery, 2.6%; domestic animals, etc., 12.2%. The last three are much higher than the average for the state. The same items for the entire state are, respectively: 79.1; 11.1; 1.9; 7.9. Farm lands have risen in value within ten years— from 1900 to 1910—from $22.60 to $46.42. The average crops for the several farm products per acre are: Corn, 19 bushels; oats, 24; wheat, 12; barley, 11; potatoes, 93. Forage of all kinds produced, average about a ton, or slightly more, per acre.

VILLAGES IN COUNTY

       The county seat, Newton, was settled about 1828 and was made the county seat as stated above. It is situated on the Embarras, whence it  P 487 derives some water power. It has a cross railroad and carries on some industries. It grinds considerable grain and gives attention to the dairying business, which is carried on by the farmers of the county. Newton has a population of 2,108. St. Marie is next in size with 450 people. Other villages are Hidalgo with 190, Rose Hill with 229, Hunt City 235, Wheeler 255, Willow Hill 444.

       There is no coal mined in the county unless it may be to supply a part of the local trade; no account was made of coal in the 1911 report. Oil is found in the adjoining counties and some borings have been made in this county, and no doubt the time is not far off when paying wells will be in operation.

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