By 1860, Jasper had grown enough that the area around the county seat became its own township rather than part of Jackson Township. Eighty people were enumerated, and, as befits the importance of the town, there were many occupations besides that of farmer.
There were two merchants. One was D. Colorgan, age 30, from Virginia. He was simply described as a merchant. He had $500 worth of real estate and $100 in personal property. The other was a grocer named Dennis Cole. He was 35, from Tennessee. He owned $60 in real estate but $300 in personal property, no doubt the stock in his store.
There were two landlords, so there were at least two boarding houses or inns in the town. Daniel P Sims was 41 from Tennessee. He had recently moved to Jasper from Missouri. He owned $200 in real estate and $150 in personal property. The other landlord was William Houston, who was 26, born in Ohio. He owned $300 in real estate and $300 in personal property.
John Marper was a doctor, living on his own in the town. He was 42 and came from Pennsylvania. He owned $52 in real estate and $200 in personal property.
Two blacksmiths made their home in Jasper Township in 1860. One was William Brisco. He was 32, from Alabama, and he had $55 in personal property. The other was James R Vanderpool, 30-year-old from Indiana. He owned $55 in real estate and $100 in personal property. He remained in Newton County, fighting as a captain in the First Arkansas Infantry (US) during the Civil War. He continued living just north of the town on Round Top Mountain until his death in 1880, when he was laid to rest in the Vanderpool Family Cemetery. (1860 Jasper Township, Newton, AR; Find a Grave)
Barbara LeRoy is the author of “Which Side Were They On?,” a new 302 page book listing biographical sketches of the Newton Countians who were involved in the Civil War, available for sale either in the Bradley House Museum or by purchasing online at www.newtoncountyar.com. The book sells for $33.
