Jewel of the Forest (Jasper slogan)

“Jewel of the Forest” is the slogan of Jasper, a city in Jasper County in East Texas. Jasper is located in the Piney Woods area of Texas, and the slogan (used since at least 1953) has helped Jasper to advertise the natural beauty of the region.
 
     
Jasper, Texas
Jasper is a city in Jasper County, Texas, United States, on U.S. highways 96 and 190, State Highway 63, and Sandy Creek in north central Jasper County. The population was 8,247 at the 2000 census (2006 estimate-7,465). It is the county seat of Jasper County and is situated in East Texas, specifically the Deep East Texas subregion. Jasper is about 110 miles (180 km) northeast of Houston. 
 
City of Jasper, Texas
Jasper, Texas is known far and wide as the “Jewel of the Forest”. Mild winters, low cost of living, high quality of life, and abundant natural beauty make Jasper a great place to put down roots. Located in deep East Texas amid beautiful majestic pines and two beautiful lakes, Jasper is a caring community. With a population of approximately 8500 people, Jasper is the county seat of Jasper County. Jasper boasts southern charm and a small town atmosphere while offering many modern amenities.
   
Wikipedia: Piney Woods
The Piney Woods is a terrestrial ecoregion in the Southern United States covering 54,400 mi² (140,900 km²) of East Texas, Southern Arkansas, Western Louisiana, and Southeastern Oklahoma. This coniferous forest, is dominated by several species of pine, including Longleaf Pine, Shortleaf Pine and Loblolly Pine, as well as several varieties of hardwoods including Hickory and Oak. The World Wide Fund for Nature considers the Piney Woods to be one of the critically endangered ecoregions of the United States.
 
Texas Forest Country
Jasper Country, Texas
Tradition, hospitality and an abundance of natural beauty await you in Jasper County. As one of Texas’ original counties, its rich history is surpassed only by the majesty of its forests, lakes and rolling hills. Jasper, the county seat, is known as “The Jewel of the Forest”. Located at the crossroads of US 190 and US 96, it’s a bustling retail and medical center. In addition to quaint shops in its historic downtown, Jasper has big retailers, branded hotels and charming bed and breakfasts. The nearby communities of Browndell, Buna, Evadale and Kirbyville all enrich the Jasper County experience. No matter where you are in Jasper County, you are just minutes away from some of the best birding, fishing and hiking in the Lone Star State.
 
September 1953, Texas Parade:
Jasper, Jewel of the Forest
 
4 September 1961, Dallas (TX) Morning News, “‘Sorehead Signs’ Annoy Milford” by Frank X. Tolbert, section 4, pg. 1:
QUITE INNOCENTLY, as usual, this department has stirred up bad blood between the Cities of Jasper, in the Piney Woods county of the same name, and Milford, down in Ellis County.
 
For many years, Milford has had signs on highway approaches to the town which proclaim that “MILFORD IS A CITY OF 750 FOLKS AND A FEW OLD GROUCHES.” This has been much commented on by travelers, and many stop and make pictures of the signs.
 
Recently, the Jasper Chamber of Commerce has some artistic signs made (but not erected yet) which read: “WELCOME: THIS IS JASPER, JEWEL OF THE FOREST, AND THE HOME OF 5,000 FRIENDLY FOLKS AND A FEW OL’ SOREHEADS.”
   
MENTIONED JASPER’S proposed highway signs to Milford’s city secretary, Paul H. Clifford. And Mr. Clifford commented: “Those Jasperites have no right to steal our ideas. I’m going to talk this over with our mayor, C. O. Miller, and others of our citizens, including the grouchiest ones. And we’ll probably get up a petition of protest an send it to those copy cats in Jasper.”
 
PROBABLY, MILFORD has nothing to worry about. Mayor Marvin P. Hancock and many other Jasper inhabitants have become very “soreheaded” about the proposed sign. “I think the highway signs should just read ‘Jasper, Jewel of the Forest’ followed by some complimentary and informative statistics on the town,” said Mayor Hancock.

3 February 1974, Abilene (TX) Reporter-News, pg. 17A, col. 3:
...seven miles west of Jasper, the Jewel of the Forest.
     
11 March 1982, Park Cities People (Dallas, TX), pg. 2, col. 1:
Jasper, the Jewel Of The Forest, in deep southeast Texas, has pine trees so tall and thick, that the people who live there pipe in the sunshine.
   
14 October 1984, Deer Park (TX) Progress, pg. 4A, col. 4:
So I packed up my bedroom suite and my new Foley’s loveseat and headed for Jasper (Jewel of the Forest as the country folks call it) in Deep East Texas.
 
OCLC WorldCat record 
Jasper, Texas
Type: Map; English
Publisher: Jasper, Tex. : Chamber [distributor, 1991?]
Document Type: Map
Notes: Panel title: A map to Jasper, Texas : Jewel of the forest, where life is worth living. Includes indexes and insets of Rollingwood and Holmwood. Map of Jasper/Newton County and advertisements on verso.
Description: 1 map : col. ; 56 x 42 cm., folded to 23 x 10 cm.
Responsibility [prepared for] Jasper Chamber of Commerce.
 
Texas Monthly (August 1998)
Jewel of the Forest
by Paul Burka
FINALLY JASPER IS ALONE. THE KLAN AND THE NEW BLACK PANTHERS and the politicians and the media have left town, and the conversation around the long table at Texas Charlie’s restaurant has returned to dry weather and Viagra humor.