JASPER COUNTY
Was established in 1833 (the Revised Code of 1880 fixed it at 1823, which is a misprint), and was named in honor of Sergeant Jasper of Revolutionary fame.
Samuel Grayson, Asa Hartfield, Robert James, Wm. Ellis, H. W. Ward, Henry Hale, George Evans, C. Dyer, N. Martin and J. Bidwell were commissioners to organize the county.
Among the early settlers of Jasper were Thomas C. Heidleburg, John McCormick, Joshua Terrel, James S. Terrel, Fountain Land, Thos. Dean, L. L. Porter, Wm. C. Bounds, Roddick Rogers, Drew Sumrall, John Carraway, Edwin S. Carraway, Wm. Jones, Archibald McCollum, Robert Cooper, Henry Miley, Howell Hargraves, Uriah Millsaps, Ransom J. Jones, Thos. S. Newman, Thos. Newell, Asa Hartfield, Reuben Hartfield, Wm. Hartfield, Oliver C. Dease, who was at an early day prominent in politics in the State; he served in both branches of the Legislature, is the father-in-Iaw of Col. Jas. J. Shannon, of Meridian, and the grandfather of John H. Miller, Esq., a forcible writer and experienced journalist, is now, and has been for years editor of the Tupelo Journal in Lee county; Seth Fatheree, John D. Fatheree, James Dupriest, Peter Loper, John Loper, Aaron Bolton, Farr Proctor, John D. Ratcliff, Jas. Thigpen, John Parker, Wm. Ellis, Simon B. Ellis, Jas. E. Watts, Henry W. Ward, Hamilton Brown, L. B. Brown, Elias Brown, Alfred Brown, Alford McCarty, Luke Barnett, Wm. Bridges, John McDonald, Robert Crawford, Wiley Meeks, Larkin Collins, Jas. A. Chapman, John Watts, John Lightsey, Samuel Grayson, Adam Ulmer, Jones C. Morfatt, Jno. R. Brinson, David Lightsey, John Killow, Benjamin Moss, Zachariah Thompson, Abel Merrill, Walden Lewis, Jno. J. Williams, Wm. Rogers, N. McKinstey, Levi Hollyfield, Jas. M. Seals, R. R. Abney, Bartlett V. Gammage, the father-in-law of Robert Lowry; Malachi Sharbrough, Thos. Nelson, Willis Holder, Richmond and Jack Cravan, Zedekiah Raynor, Francis Martin, John Williams, Thomas Hodges, John A. Hodges, Isham Hodge, Robert and Phillip H. James, Virgil Randle, Ezekiel Wimberly, Icbabod Kelly, Dan B. Johnston, Hugh Brebannan and John Anderson.
Paulding, the county site, was named in honor of John Paulding, one of the captors of Major Andre, Adjutant-General of the British Army, and was for many years a thrifty and prosperous town. Forty-five years ago it was called the ''Queen City of the East." Fifty-four years ago the Eastern Clarion was established in Paulding by John J. McRae, referred to in preceding pages. The paper while owned by Jno. J. McRae v as conducted by Need and Duncan. Simeon R. Adams succeeded the founder of the Clarion, under whose management it became a power in the State. He was elected State Senator from the Senatorial District in which he resided. After the death of Mr. Adams, and during the late war, the paper was removed to Meridian, and after the cessation of hostilities was removed to the capital where its editorial columns were controlled for a number of years by Hon. E. Barksdale. A few years ago, the Clarion, then under the management of Col. J. L. Power, and the State Ledger, published and edited by R. H. Henry, united under the name of Clarion-Ledger, and is now edited and published by R. H. Henry and Col. J. L. Power.
Among the early lawyers of Jasper county were John Watts, who was circuit judge for nearly twenty years, the father of Dr. Josiah Watts, of Newton, Captain Joseph Watts, of Scooba, and Thomas Watts, of Hickory, and the uncle of Major A. B. and Captain S. B. Watts, of Meridian; James McDugald, a native of Scotland, who worked at his trade, that of tailor, when he first came to the country, studied law and became a most excellent advocate. He was elected to the State Senate in the Senatorial District in which he lived; Joseph Heyfren, a native of Ireland, an accurate and strong lawyer. While Judge Thos. S. Sterling was on the bench he occasionally indulged in a glass of toddy, and upon an occasion while a little under the influence of liquor, he was annoyed with the pertinacity of the Irish lawyer in the conduct of a case, who persisted in desiring to read an authority. The judge said, "Mr. Heyfren, the point has been decided by this court." Mr. Heyfren replied, "I understand, your honor, but I only wanted to show you how profoundly ignorant was Sir William Blackstone." Henry Calhonn, father of Henry Calhoun, of Scott county, and father-in-law of General J. A. Smith, was a lawyer of good attainments ; Henry S. Mounger, a native of Georgia, a lawyer by profession, and a thorough Christian gentleman settled in Paulding, and married the daughter of an old and prominent citizen, Judge Uriah Millsaps. He was elected circuit judge, and was on the bench four years. He was the father of Rev. Edwin H. Mounger, and the father-in-law of Rev. Ransom J. Jones, both distinguished divines, and members of the Methodist Conference in this State. His son, W. H. Mounger, served several terms as sheriff of Jasper county.
The towns now in the county are Paulding, Garlandsville, Heidelberg, Vossburg and Lake Como.
The principal streams are Tallahala, Tullahoma, Swaunee, Ettahoma, Tallahatta, Shubuta and Town creeks.
The New Orleans and North-Eastern Railroad runs through the southeastern corner of the county.
The prairie, bottom and hammock lands are excellent, and the uplands average well with adjacent counties.
The population is intelligent and reasonably prosperous.
Jasper county has 67,101 acres of cleared land; average value as rendered to the assessor, $4.17 per acre; total value of cleared lands, including incorporated towns, $282,644.
The population of the county as shown by the census report of 1890: Whites, 7,318; colored, 7,288; total 14,606.
Senators. 1836
1837 Oliver C. Dease.
1838-39 Oliver C. Dease.
1840- 41 Jno. C. Thomas.
1842-43 Jno. C. Thomas.
1844 Simeon R. Adams.
1846 Simeon R. Adams.
1848-50 James McDugald.
1852 R. N. Hough.
1854 R. N. Hough.
1856-57 R N. Hough.
1858 R. N. Hough.
1859-60-61 Robert McLane.
1861-62 Robert McLane.
1865-66-67 P. H. Napier.
1870 Wm. M. Hancock.
1871 John Watts.
1872-73 John Watts.
1874-75 � T. B. Graham.
1876 T. B. Graham.
1877 H. C. McCabe.
1878 Asa R. Carter.
1880 Asa R. Carter.
1882 Thomas Keith.
1884 John F. Smith.
1886 John F. Smith.
1888 T. A. Wood.
1890 T. A. Wood.
Representatives.
Jno. C. Thomas.
Jno. C. Thomas.
Peter Loper.
L. B. Ellis.
Peter Loper.
L. J. Jones.
John McDonald.
L. B. Ellis.
L. J. Jones.
James J. Shannon.
Benjamin Thigpen.
D. D. McLaurin.
A. F. Dantzler.
J. S. Dantzler.
L. J. Jones.
Elisha Dansby.
Elisha Dansby.
J. M. Loper.
A. F. Smith.
Duncan D. McLaurin.
Duncan D. McLaurin.
A. M Dozier.
D. A. Morris.
Joseph Blankinship.
Samuel Whitman.
B. W. Sharbrough.
W. W. Heidleberg.
Samuel Whitman.
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