Local History and Genealogical Abstracts from Jonesboro and Gas City, Indiana, Newspapers, 1889-1920

“Jonesboro and Gas City are located in east-central Indiana in the old ‘Trenton natural gas field’ that was discovered, developed, and exhausted within approximately two decades, 1887–1910. Discovery and utilization of natural gas in and near these towns abruptly changed the local rural agricultural economy to an industrial society that urbanized convulsively. Many local early settlers were Protestant Scots-Irish [who] came from Virginia, Ohio, or the Carolinas. With the development of industry, particularly glassmaking, newcomers tended to come from northeastern states and they included several Roman Catholic families. The major overseas group that came in as immigrants were Protestants from Wales.” The author has read and here abstracted all known extant newspapers covering this Indiana region between 1889 and 1920; several years of the various newspapers are missing. The abstracts are presented alphabetically by subject’s surname, and contain births, deaths, marriages and many other events which might be mentioned in newspapers. A number of editors published reminiscences from early settlers and school teachers, providing a certain amount of early local history dating back to before the Civil War. Each abstract contains reference to its source and date.