:: How Jasonville Got It's Name ::
Excerpts from the Ben Sink's book "The Jasonville Story" as featured on the website by Max Griffith, Historian. To go to the complete history of Jasonville, Indiana, located in Greene County, visit The Jasonville Story...
In 1848, Lewis Rogers secured from the Trustees of the Wabash and Erie Canal the following described tract: Beginning at a point on Main street one fourth mile East of Meridian, thence South one half mile to the Shanklin street road, thence East one fourth mile, thence due North to Main street, thence West to the place of beginning, containing 80 acres. He built his first house near the place where the railroad reservoir is now located. He was the father of six sons and six daughters. One of these sons he named after himself and this younger Lewis Rogers was the father of Addison Rogers, a well known as “Squire” Rogers, a Wright township Justice of the Peace for several years.
Another son of Lewis Rogers, Sr., was an uncle of Squire Rogers, was Jason Rogers after whom the town “Jason” ville got its name. About the year of 1859 Jason Rogers opened a store on East Main St and about half mile East of Meridian. In 1858 Jason Rogers filed, on January 23rd, with the Recorder of Greene County the “Plat of the Original Town of Jasonville”. The boundary of the plat was as follows: North, Main street, West, Lawton street, South, Cook street, and East Meridian street. In 1855 he had built a frame building in and moved his store from East Main Street into it. The location of this store and the manner in which it was named has been the subject of controversy, so I give it to you as it was given to me by Uncle Billy Buckallew many years ago, standing in front of the spot where the store had formerly stood. A short time after Jason Rogers had moved his store to the southwest corner of Main and Meridian streets, probably in 1855, Uncle Billy came to town with butter and eggs to trade for needed supplies from Jason’s store. He hitched his team at a hitch rail on the east side of the store. While loitering about the store, before leaving with his supplies, he dipped a stick, or rather a paddle, into the tar bucket of the wagon and scrawled on the East side of the store “JASON VILLE”. I have always had a yen for learning the facts of such lore and legend and I write it as it was told to me by “Uncle Billy” many years later standing on the same corner. I wouldn’t know where to secure more accurate information.
It was quite natural that three years later when Jason filed the first plat of the town lie kept the name of Jasonville, and Jasonville it has been for one hundred years. The plat contained thirteen lots numbered from 1 to 13, inclusive. Rogers soon sold out his store to W.B. Squires and it is reported he operated a store at Howesville afterward. I have little definite information concerning the later activities of Jason Rogers. There was a Jason Rogers from this community in the Union army and I assume it was the same man. Bill Slough, whose wife was a relative of Rogers says that he understands Rogers moved into Illinois and was quite a successful businessman there in later years.
Other additions to the town before the civil war were the Gadberry Addition, South of Main and East of Meridian, and the Barnes and O’Donnell Addition, North of Main and West of Meridian. The name had been established and these were filed, as were all the others to follow, as additions to the Town of Jasonville, Greene County, Indiana. There is no other town or city of “Jasonville” in the United States, nor in the world that I have ever learned of. Until some local citizen goes into the wilds and founds a town, and names it after, and in honor of his old home, I guess, in the parade of town and cities we will walk alone.
:: Jasonville History ::
