The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-12-15
JASPER. INDIANA. FRIDAY. DECEMBER IS. 1899
How Ind lana Counties All Got Their
Names.

now lhu ana SOuIles All WI iulu
Names.
ANDERSON, Ind, Dec. 6.-For
the lst time a condensed history OF
Indiana counties is now being COM
piled. In the ninety-two counties
there are ,0l6 townships, Allen
leading with twenty, Biackiord and
Ohio having the least-.our each.
OF these lOl6 townships toriy-s.x
were named after Jackson, forty
five after Washington, twenty after
Harrison and jefferson; Wayne and
Clay were each hon ored twelve
times.
The census of 1890 gave Indiana
a popu alton of Z,l92 400. placing
1t sixth in list of population. Fnm
1880 to 1890 sixteen counties show
ed a decrease in population. They
and their losses were: Dearborn
X, ,3O7, Decatur 5O2, Franklin |, ,126,
Hendricks ,4S3, jefferson 40,
Jennings ,si5, Owen SOL, Ripley
.2,277, Rush 2Oi, Steuben l61,
Switzerland SD, Tippeconoe SIS,
Union 661, Warren 5i2, Washing
ton 336, Wayne $50. Statistics
which are being compiled leads TO
the belief that there are $4,000 pub
lie oilic.-holders in Indiana, while
many more are employed in other
channels of public work-the school
teachers alone numbering III, 900.
INHONOR OF WAR HEROES.
A. most Of the IndiaUa a counties
were named in the years in which
revolutionary and 1872 war heroes
were the idols of the people, the
list of Indiana counties very nearly
is the role OF honor of these two
wars. The Indian wars of the west
and northwest were also in progress
in those DAYS and they produced
many county names.
Switzerland county gets it name
because the greater portion OF lt-
pioneers were people who came di-
rect from Switzerland and located
in that section to cultivate grapes
as in their own country. III was
lhilly and not unlike their own sec
ltiou in many respects. Tley made
failure of graper raising, but made
success in other ways and called
lit after their mother country
Orange got it, name from a count,
in South Carolina, from which mos
of the settlers came.
Union was the result OF a spill
and the name was the result OF un
ionizing the factions. For severa
years previous to its organization IL
,IlS21 Wayne and Fayette had beer
having trouble over the county line
The new county was sandwiched II
t. settle the dispute and bring th'
people in harmony, and this it did
The county seat was named Liberty
, in order to keep pace with tn
| county.
Elkhart county received its nam'
from little Island of about an acr'
which lay in the mouth OF tn
stream, which the Indians named
i, lElkhart. This island had the shap
OF an elk's heart. The county re-
ceived its came from the stream.
Tippecanoe county owes its nam
to the great number of buffalo fi-i
! in the stream which the Indian
; named "Kathtippe- cenuch, F" mean
ling buffalo fish. This was late
! perverted and shortened to Tippe
canoe.
! Laporte county gets its name be
{, cause of the beautiful prairie in tha
section, which the French calle'
! "la porte" The only two countie
bearing the names Of Indian tribe
! are Miami and Delaware.
One other county was named af
ter the "lndian." 1t was Richard
! Vile, now Howard. This is tn
! only county in the state which ha
/, had its name changed. Richard
vile was an Indian chief. Howar'
:, was distinguished Indianaian
who died while minister to Mexico
:. and the name was changed in hi
i honor.
Wabash gets its name from tn
!, river, which was originally lie
" "Oubachen by the Indians. Ohio
st. Joseph and Vermillion also g'
their names from rivers and LAX
!, gets il from Lake Michigan.
lr AFTER A NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY
y The county over which there h'
le been the greatest discussion and u
most mistakes is Randolph. III
"a general impression has cen that
II was named in honor OF Thpm;
= Randolph, attorney general Of II
III damn ,arritnrv who was Killed