Jasper, Texas
Encyclopedia
Jasper is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Jasper County, Texas, in the United States. The population was 8,247 at the 2000 census. Jasper is situated in the Deep East Texas subregion, about 130 miles (209.2 km) northeast of Houston. The city is best known for the 1998 murder of James Byrd, Jr.
James Byrd, Jr.
James Byrd, Jr. was an African-American who was murdered by three white men, asserted to be white supremacists, during a racially motivated crime in Jasper, Texas, on June 7, 1998. Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer, and John King dragged Byrd behind a pick-up truck along an asphalt road after they...

, an event which gained national attention and led to the creation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

History

The area was settled around 1824 by John Bevil. 30 families occupied the settlement as early as 1830, when it was known as Snow River or Bevil's Settlement after John R. Bevil one of the earliest European-American settlers.

In 1835 it was renamed for William Jasper
William Jasper
William Jasper was a noted American soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was a sergeant in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment.Jasper distinguished himself in the defense of Fort Moultrie on June 28, 1776...

, a hero of the American Revolution who was killed attempting to plant the American colors at the storming of Savannah in 1779. Jasper became the county seat in 1844. During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 the town housed a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 quartermaster depot and served as a major center for the C.S.A.'s communication, transportation, and supply. Jasper was a Confederate Army headquarters for a nine-county area. Following the war, Union troops occupied Jasper, camping in town square, and led by General George Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...

. Antebellum educational 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. The population declined to 360 in 1870, reflecting the hardships of the Civil War, but by 1885 had risen to 1,000.

A weekly newspaper, the Jasper Newsboy
Jasper Newsboy
The Jasper Newsboy is the newspaper of Jasper, Jasper County, Texas, United States.A weekly newspaper, the Jasper Newsboy has been published continuously since July 1865, making it the oldest continuously published weekly newspaper in Texas....

, has been published continuously since 1865. It is considered the oldest continuously published weekly newspaper in Texas.
In 1896 Jasper had a population of 1,200. With the arrival of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway
The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway was a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in eastern Texas and to Purcell, Oklahoma.- Nineteenth Century :...

 early in the twentieth century, Jasper grew into a center for the manufacture of timber products. 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.

Jasper served as headquarters for the Lower Neches Valley Authority
Lower Neches Valley Authority
The Lower Neches Valley Authority was established in 1933 as a district to store, control, conserve, and utilize the water of the lower Neches River valley in Texas. It includes all of Jefferson, Hardin, and Tyler counties and parts of Jasper, Liberty, and Chambers counties.The LNVA is governed by...

's construction program, including Dam "B" at Town Bluff and engineering and surveying for a dam at Magee Bend on the Angelina River
Angelina River
The Angelina River is formed by the junction of Barnhardt and Shawnee creeks three miles northwest of Laneville in southwest central Rusk County, Texas ....

.

Local farmers raised broiler chickens and beef, and in the 1950s turned to dairying. Jasper also became the headquarters of Morgan and Lindsey Incorporated
Morgan and Lindsey Incorporated
Morgan and Lindsey, Incorporated, operated variety chain stores, which at one time had eighty-five outlets in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. Their headquarters were in Jasper, Texas. It was eventually absorbed into the G. C...

, variety chain stores, which at one time operated 85 stores in Texas, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

.

In 1990 the community had 6,959 residents and 222 businesses.

The only known soldier of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

 to be buried in Texas was Jasper resident Stephen Williams, in whose honor a marker has been placed on the courthouse lawn.

Notable events

  • The city became infamous throughout the United States in 1998 after a man named James Byrd, Jr.
    James Byrd, Jr.
    James Byrd, Jr. was an African-American who was murdered by three white men, asserted to be white supremacists, during a racially motivated crime in Jasper, Texas, on June 7, 1998. Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer, and John King dragged Byrd behind a pick-up truck along an asphalt road after they...

     was dragged to death by John William King and two other men from the surrounding area.

  • Jasper was also one of the primary locations for the recovery of the Space Shuttle Columbia
    Space Shuttle Columbia
    Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it completed 27 missions before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. All seven crew...

     wreckage in February 2003.

  • Jasper was greatly affected by Hurricane Rita
    Hurricane Rita
    Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...

     on September 25, 2005 as it moved inland. It suffered considerable damage. The town was also left without power or drinkable water for about three and half weeks. Many residents of Jasper felt then, and still feel, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency
    Federal Emergency Management Agency
    The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...

     (FEMA) overlooked them and the situation that Jasper and Jasper County were in. Even as late as mid-2007 there were still blue FEMA tarps in evidence on area roofs, as some people continued to await funding to make repairs.

Geography and climate

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 10.4 square miles (26.9 km²), of which, 10.3 square miles (26.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.58%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,247 people, 2,888 households, and 1,992 families residing in the city. The population density was 797.4 people per square mile (307.9/km²). There were 3,467 housing units at an average density of 335.2 per square mile (129.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.26% White, 43.91% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 5.18% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.56% of the population.

There were 2,888 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 20.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

Economy

The median income for a household in the city was $24,671, and the median income for a family was $32,242. Males had a median income of $28,432 versus $17,266 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,997. About 23.3% of families and 28.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.3% of those under age 18 and 23.3% of those age 65 or over. Due to the lack of viable employment locally these figures are not likely to get better in the future.

Tourism and Recreation

Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Sam Rayburn Reservoir is a reservoir in the United States located in Southeast Texas, north of Beaumont. The reservoir is fed by the Angelina River, the major tributary of the Neches River. The capacity of the reservoir is , and is the largest lake wholly located within the state of Texas...

, which is located about 9 miles north of Jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...

, is visited by thousands of vacationers each year. The lake is also the largest lake located wholly within the state of Texas. Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir is a reservoir on the Sabine River between Texas and Louisiana. The lake has an area of 185,000 acres , the largest man-made body of water in Texas, the largest in the South, and the fifth largest in the United States. The dam is capable of generating 92 megawatts of...

 is also located a few miles east of Jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...

. B. A. Steinhagen Lake is located about 11 miles west of here.

Media

  • KJAS
    KJAS
    KJAS may refer to:* KJAS , a radio station licensed to Jasper, Texas, United States* KJAS-LP, a low-power radio station licensed to Ames, Iowa, United States...

     radio 107.3 FM
  • KTXJ radio 102.7 FM
  • KCOX
    KCOX
    KCOX is a radio station broadcasting a news talk information format. Licensed to Jasper, Texas, USA, the station is currently owned by Cross Texas Media and features programing from Fox News Radio, Premiere Radio Networks and Westwood One....

     radio 1350 AM
  • Jasper Newsboy
    Jasper Newsboy
    The Jasper Newsboy is the newspaper of Jasper, Jasper County, Texas, United States.A weekly newspaper, the Jasper Newsboy has been published continuously since July 1865, making it the oldest continuously published weekly newspaper in Texas....

     (newspaper)

Education

The city is served by Jasper Independent School District
Jasper Independent School District
Jasper Independent School District is a public school district based in Jasper, Texas .Jasper ISD serves the city of Jasper.In 2009, the school district was rated "recognized" by the Texas Education Agency.-Primary schools:...

. Angelina College
Angelina College
Angelina College is a community college located in Lufkin, Texas, with special-purpose branches in nearby Nacogdoches and Crockett.As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of Angelina College is the following:...

 also has a satellite campus located here.

Notable residents

  • Max Alvis
    Max Alvis
    Roy Maxwell Alvis is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who played with the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers . He batted and threw right-handed....

    , baseball player, Cleveland Indians
    Cleveland Indians
    The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

  • Red Bryant
    Red Bryant
    Joseph "Red" Anthony Bryant is an American football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft and is probably the best player on the entire team, blocking 2 kicks on Sunday, November 27th in a...

    , football player, , Seattle Seahawks
    Seattle Seahawks
    The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

  • Sean Weatherspoon
    Sean Weatherspoon
    Franklin De'Sean "Sean" Weatherspoon is an American football linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He played college football at University of Missouri...

    , football player, University of Missouri
    Missouri Tigers
    The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...

    , Atlanta Falcons
    Atlanta Falcons
    The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Derick Armstrong
    Derick Armstrong
    Derick Armstrong is a Canadian football wide receiver who currently plays for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League...

    , football player, BC Lions
    BC Lions
    The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...

  • Zack Bronson
    Zack Bronson
    Robert Zack Bronson is a former professional American football safety in the NFL. He played for the San Francisco 49ers his entire NFL career from 1997 to 2003, but suffered a neck injury that hampered his performance and eventually led to his retirement. He attended McNeese State University....

    , NFL, San Fran. 49ers
  • Michael Sarver, singer/songwriter

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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