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One of the earliest white settlers
was John R. Bevil, who moved to Texas before 1829 and received a first-class land grant on the Angelina River near
the site of present Jasper. Bevil's settlement became known as Bevilport and was an important river-navigation
point from 1830 until 1860. In 1829 Lorenzo de Zavala obtained a Mexican empresarial grant covering most of what
is now Jasper County. During the Texas Revolution volunteers from Bevilport joined other Texans in confrontations
with Mexican troops at Anahuac, Bexar, and Nacogdoches.
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In the 1860 presidential election
a substantial majority of Jasper County voters chose John Breckinridge, a Southern Democrat, over Constitutional
Unionist John Bell. Meetings to discuss secession were held throughout the county, and in early 1861 the county's
voters chose secession by a margin of 318 to 25. A Jasper County resident, Dr. William Neyland, was appointed brigadier
general of the Second Brigade of Texas State Troops and placed in charge of recruiting for the Confederacy in Jefferson,
Orange, Newton, Tyler, Liberty, Hardin, Polk, Chambers, and Jasper counties. One of the first companies to be organized
in Jasper County was Company C of the Twenty-fifth Texas Dismounted Cavalry. In 1862 Company E of the Lone Star
Rifles was mustered into service in Jasper. The Confederate government in Texas collapsed in the summer of 1865,
and Union troops arrived in Jasper County the following year.
Cities and Towns
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Browndell
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Evadale
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Brookeland
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Jasper
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Buna
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Kirbyville
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