Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Dubois County, Indiana, United States, located along the Patoka River. The population was 16,703 at the 2020 census making it the 48th largest city in Indiana. On November 4, 2007, Dubois County returned to the Eastern Time Zone, after having moved to the Central Time Zone the previous year. Land use in the area is primarily agricultural. The Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, which honors players and others associated with the national pastime who were born or lived in Indiana, is located in Jasper.

History

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. The Jasper post office has been in operation since 1832. During the New Deal era, Jessie Hull Mayer won a federal commission to paint a mural as part of the Section of Painting and Sculpture′s projects, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department. Indiana Farming Scene in Late Autumn depicts a harvest scene on a farmstead, with no indication of the town. In 1975, the painting was featured as part of a film, Art for Main Street: The Indiana Post Office Murals, produced by the Indiana Historical Society. Jasper was incorporated as a town in 1866, and was incorporated into a city in 1915.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Jasper has a total area of 13.191 sqmi, of which 13.1 sqmi (or 99.31%) is land and 0.091 sqmi (or 0.69%) is water. The city is located in the townships of Bainbridge, Madison and Boone.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Jasper, IN has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Jasper is the principal city of the Jasper Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Dubois and Pike counties and had a combined population of 54,734 at the 2010 census.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, the population of Jasper was 15,038 and there were 5,994 households. The gender makeup of the city is 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

Ethnicities

The racial makeup of the city was:

Age

Of the total Jasper population:

Income

Economy

Jasper is a regional center in Southwestern Indiana, with German Catholic ancestral roots. Jasper has been called the "Wood Capital of the World", with furniture companies such as Jasper Group, Kimball International, and Masterbrand Cabinets are located here. Also located in Jasper are Southern Indiana Education Center, Jasper Engines and Transmissions, and a satellite campus of Vincennes University. In 2022, Jasper won the annual Strong Towns "Strongest Town" competition. The largest industry sectors by employment in Jasper are manufacturing, retail, and health care and social services.

Arts and culture

Jasper has the only municipally supported Arts Council in Indiana; it is part of city government. The City of Jasper and the Jasper Community Arts Commission won the Governor's Arts Award in 1987 and 2007. The Jasper Strassenfest is a four-day event held annually during the first weekend in August. The "Fest" is a celebration between Jasper and its German sister-city Pfaffenweiler, a village in southwest Germany, and some citizens of Pfaffenweiler travel to Jasper around this time of year. The street festival encompasses the city square, and features food stands, rides, a beer garden, parade, fireworks, golf tournament, beauty pageant (Miss Strassenfest), fishing tournament, and a network of German "Polka Masses" at the three Roman Catholic parishes. On average, over 1300 lb of bratwurst are consumed during the event. In 2021, the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center and public lending library opened.

Sites listed on National Register of Historic Places

Sites in Jasper listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Dubois County, Indiana include:

Parks and recreation

Jasper has 18 city parks covering 355 acre.

Government

The following persons have held the office of mayor of Jasper, Indiana.

Education

In 1970, the school system of Ireland, Indiana, was consolidated into that of Jasper. Schools in Jasper include:

Media

Newspapers

Radio

The following stations are licensed in the city of Jasper

Infrastructure

Highways

Notable people

In popular culture

The fictional town of Orson, Indiana, from the TV series The Middle, is based on Jasper.

Sister cities

Jasper participates in the sister cities program, as designated by Sister Cities International, and is a sister city of Pfaffenweiler, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.