Jasper County was named for a Revolutionary War hero in 1836

The Convention of 1836 created Jasper County. Its borders were set by law in 1837. The county was named for William Jasper. He was a hero of the American Revolution. He died trying to plant the American colors at the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Commissioners named the county seat of Jasper in 1836. The town grew up around an early log courthouse on the main square.

The county covers 907 square miles in Southeast Texas. It sits in the Piney Woods, a region of mixed pine and hardwood forest. Timber, cattle, and oil and gas have driven the local economy. The Neches River runs along the western edge. The Angelina River flows through the county and empties into Sam Rayburn Reservoir. For more history, see the Handbook of Texas at tshaonline.org.