Written by Mallorie Cloum
The town of Jasper, Indiana was founded in 1830, and in that same year became the county seat for Dubois County. The original site of the town was a roughly 120 acre piece of land, obtained by the a member of the Enlow family. Originally, it is recorded, the townspeople wished to name the town "Eleanor," after Enlow's wife, but she chose the name Jasper instead.
Below is a timeline of unique Jasper history.
1838: Father Joseph Kundek moved to Jasper, Indiana, making him the first resident Catholic Priest.
1849: A Cholera Epidemic sweeps through the area, decreasing the population.
1866: Jasper is incorporated as a town.
1869: On December 11th, the city of Jasper is lit for the first time by electric lights.
1973: An official school board in Jasper is established.
1879: On February 14th, a train pulls into Jasper for the first time.
1880: Construction on Saint Joseph Catholic Church is completed, and the building is blessed.
1902: On June 27th, an automobile passes through Jasper for the first time. It travels eight miles for every forty minutes.
1915: Jasper is formally incorporated as a city.
1951: On July 14th, Memorial Hospital officially opens its doors to the public, and begins accepting patients.
1971: A three-million dollar addition to Memorial Hospital expands the hospital to 55,000 square feet and increases the bed capacity by 56.
1977: The Civic Auditorium opens.
1993: On the square of downtown Jasper, present day city hall is built.
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