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A−History
History · Jasper

Jasper dates to 1818, and 10% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 79% of U.S. towns · #240 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it

8 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 54 buildings. Below: maps from 1886 on and the census since 1870.

1818founded
8on the National Register
10%homes built before 1940
11famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Jasper began

When was Jasper founded?

1818

Jasper dates its founding to 1818 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 547 in 18702020 census: 16,703208 years

How historic is Jasper?

A−

More historic than 79% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1832.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Jasper’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Jasper is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #240 of 593 in Indiana. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Jasper’s overall grade.
Founding era1818, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194010.3% of homes (±3.2) · typical IN town 14.4% · U.S. 8.4%B−National Register8 listings, 62 historic buildings, 38.8 per 10,000 residents · typical IN town 7.9 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 79%
NewerOlder
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 60%

Indiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Indiana town has 7.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Jasper’s 38.8 sits above most of its state (72% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 62 historic buildings outnumber those of 86% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.2 points). Two sources give 1818.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Jasper’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Jasper are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe Jasper Downtown Historic District takes in 54 historic buildings.Mapped building by building4 fire insurance maps, 1886 to 1909, drew every building in Jasper.Landmarks on the Register8 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Jasper’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Jasper’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

8 listings protect 62 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
8
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
62
each building in a district counts
first listed
1980
St. Joseph Catholic Church
St. Joseph Catholic Church, built 1880Gramelspacher-Gutzweiler HouseJohn Opel HouseDubois County CourthouseSturm, Louis H., Hardware StoreJasper Downtown Historic DistrictJasper High School GymnasiumIndiana Desk Company
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Federal2
Romanesque1
Neo-Classical Revival1
Italianate1
St. Joseph Catholic ChurchRomanesque · Built 1880
Gramelspacher-Gutzweiler HouseFederal
John Opel HouseFederal
Dubois County CourthouseNeo-Classical Revival
Sturm, Louis H., Hardware StoreItalianate
Jasper Downtown Historic DistrictDistrict
All 8 listings
Jasper High School GymnasiumBuilding · listed 2025Indiana Desk CompanyBuilding · listed 2025

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Every building

Jasper, building by building, 1886–1909

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Jasper fire insurance map, 1886, sheet 11886Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Jasper came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Jasper.

Read it all →

Jasper was founded in 1818. The Enlow family were the first settlers of the town. Jasper was originally going to be named "Eleanor" after the wife of early settler Joseph Enlow, but she opted to suggest a name herself, and named the city after a passage in the Bible (Revelation 21:19).

Jasper was not officially platted until 1830. That year, the community became the new county seat of Dubois County, succeeding Portersville.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Jasper, 1818 to 1958

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1818
    FoundingJasper is established
  3. 1832Post officeThe Jasper post office opens
  4. 1853Born hereCharles Hall Dillon is born here
  5. 1880BuiltSt. Joseph Catholic Church is built
  6. 1892Born hereFrank W. Milburn is born here
  7. 20th century
  8. 1946On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 1954Born hereMike Braun is born here
  10. 1958Born hereBrad Ellsworth is born here
By decade

Jasper, decade by decade

Today7 recent
Sunset, June 16 2022 - Flickr - matt.walter2022Sunset, June 16 2022 - Flickr - matt.walterJasper, IN, USA - panoramio (75)2013Jasper, IN, USA - panoramio (75)Jasper, IN, USA - panoramio (44)2013Jasper, IN, USA - panoramio (44)Jasper, IN, USA - panoramio (14)2013Jasper, IN, USA - panoramio (14)Ruxer Municipal Driving Range2005Ruxer Municipal Driving RangeRuxer Municipal Clubhouse2005Ruxer Municipal ClubhouseKlubHaus 512005KlubHaus 51
On the map

Jasper on the map, 1946 to 1990

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Jasper. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Jasper on the 1946 USGS mapJasper on the 1960 USGS mapJasper on the 1980 USGS mapJasper on the 1990 USGS map1946Jasper sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Jasper.

People over time

Jasper, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,00016,00018,0001880190019201940196019802000202016,703

Grew from 547 people in 1870 to 16,703 in 2020, more than tenfold.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Jasper’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

11 famous people were born in Jasper

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Mike BraunAmerican businessman and politician · b. 1954
Brad EllsworthAmerican politician · b. 1958
Frank W. MilburnUnited States Army general · b. 1892
Charles Hall DillonAmerican politician · b. 1853
D
Daniel M. BuechleinRoman Catholic archbishop in the United States · b. 1938
Mark MessmerAmerican politician · b. 1967
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Bainbridge Township8 historic placesB+Madison Township1 historic placeC+

Questions about Jasper’s history

What year was Jasper founded?

In 1818, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Jasper’s post office opened in 1832, and the census of 1870 counted 547 people here.

How does Jasper rank for history?

Jasper is more historic than 79% of U.S. towns, #240 of 593 in Indiana. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Jasper?

8 listings: 7 buildings, among them the St. Joseph Catholic Church (listed 1980, the first), and 1 historic district, the Jasper Downtown Historic District, with 54 contributing buildings. 62 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Jasper?

10% of Jasper’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.2 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1982.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (7), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.