NEWTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS HISTORY AND INFORMATION A Virginian who migrated to Arkansas Territory in 1820, and began his career "riding the one-horse mail" out of Arkansas Post, was honored in the naming of Newton County when that county was created in December of 1842. He was Thomas W. Newton, born in 1803 (or 1804), and who was buried in Little Rock after his death in 1853. Newton's service as a mail carrier through the wilderness, along the north side of the Arkansas River to Cadron, was by no means the principal reason for the honor later paid him. He formed a fruitful friendship early with Robert Crittenden, one of the territory's most influential men, and studied law with Crittenden and lived in his home. Through the years Newton was, at one time or another, clerk of the legislature, a member of the house of representatives and later of the state senate, postmaster at Little Rock, private secretary to Governor Yell, U.S. marshall, vice president of the Temperance League, and a member for a month of the U.S. Congress, filling out Yell's term. He held other public positions as well. Newton County was formed from a part of Carroll County. John Bellah's house was designated temporary county seat, but Jasper soon thereafter was chosen for the permanent seat. Bellah's place was described as being on Hutson's Fork of the Buffalo. Jasper is on the Little Buffalo River. The origin of the name of Jasper for the town is not certain. Walter Lackey, a native and author of a history of the county, recorded that a postoffice was established in 1843 and given the name of Jasper. This was to conform to the name of a village that already existed. Lackey surmised that the name originated from a block of marble quarried in the county and shipped to Washington, D.C., in 1836, for the Washington monument. Lackey also speculated that two men who helped with the quarrying, John Ross and Samuel Kelly, were mindful of stones mentioned in the Bible. Of possible significance is the fact that Jasper, Minn., apparently was named for a reddish rock mined in the vicinity, Several American towns and counties are named Jasper in honor of William Jasper, a Revolutionary War hero. Another explanation of interest concerning the name appeared in the Newton County Times in recent years, in a letter written by a resident of Wisconsin who vacationed in the Ozarks. By this account, an early settler, Frank Villines, and other white new-comers were treated kindly in the 1830's by Indians thereabouts. In turn, Villines and other pioneers gave food and other necessities to migrating Cherokees who came through on the Trail of Tears, enroute to Oklahoma. In gratitude, Chief John Ross of the Cherokees gave Villines a great ring, set with a hard stone, and told Villines that a town would grow there and should be named Jasper. For some years, Cherokees and Jasper people alternated in keeping the ring and the Indians returned for visits. Date Created 14 December 1842 Formed From Carroll County County Seat Jasper NOTE: COURTHOUSE FIRE IN 1866 COUNTY COURTHOUSE, COUNTY GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETIES: Newton County Courthouse P.O. Box 410 Jasper, AR 72641-0435 Telephone: (870) 446-5125 Newton County Clerk P.O. Box 410 Jasper, AR 72641 (870) 446-5125 Newton County Historical Society P. O. Box 360 Jasper, AR 72641 BIRTH RECORDS N\A MARRIAGE RECORDS Marriage Records beginning 1866 Courthouse fire in 1866. Earlier Marriage Records filmed by LDS (Mormon Church)and obtainable from LDS Family History Library near you. Check with them for the microfilm numbers. DEATH RECORDS Death Records (early deaths not recorded) Write to Arkansas Department of Health Little Rock, Arkansas LAND RECORDS <A HREF="ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ar/newton/land/newton.txt"> Newton County Land Records</A> ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ar/newton/land/newton.txt COUNTY PROBATE RECORDS Probate Index found on-line at: <A HREF="http://www.rootsweb.com/~arnewton/">NEWTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS</A> http://www.rootsweb.com/~arnewton/ LDS has microfilmed these records also. Check with your nearest LDS Family History Center Library. NEWTON COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT RECORDS, CHANCERTY COURT RECORDS LDS has microfilmed these records also. Check with your nearest LDS Family History Library for the microfilm number to order. DEED RECORDS, EARLY TAX RECORDS, PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RECORDS, WILL RECORDS Filmed by LDS. Contact your nearest LDS Family History Library for microfilm numbers to order. NEWSPAPERS: Newton County Times Newspaper P O Box 453 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 phone (870) 446-2645 FAX (870) 446-6286 Evelyn Flood Rkinfolks@aol.com GENEALOGY MEM-O-RA-BIL-IA