Newton County, Indiana

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Newton County, Indiana
County
Newton County Courthouse in Kentland
Newton County Courthouse in Kentland
Location in the state of Indiana
Location in the state of Indiana
Indiana's location in the U.S.
Indiana's location in the U.S.
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Country United States United States
State Indiana Indiana
Region Northwest Indiana
Metro area Chicago Metropolitan
Organized February 7, 1835
Abolished 1839
Re-organized December 8, 1859
Named for Sgt. John Newton
County seat Kentland
Largest town Kentland
(population and total area)
Incorporated
Municipalities
Five Towns
Government
 • Type County
 • Body Board of Commissioners
 • Commissioner Kyle Conrad (1st)
 • Commissioner Timothy Drenth (2nd)
 • Commissioner Mickey Read (3rd)
Area
 • County 403.44 sq mi (1,044.9 km2)
 • Land 401.76 sq mi (1,040.6 km2)
 • Water 1.68 sq mi (4.4 km2)
 • Metro 10,874 sq mi (28,160 km2)
Area rank 43rd largest county in Indiana
 • Region 2,726 sq mi (7,060 km2)
Elevation 692 ft (211 m)
Population (2010)
 • County 14,244
 • Estimate (2013) 14,087
 • Rank 82nd largest county in Indiana
2,165th largest county in U.S.[1]
 • Density 35.5/sq mi (13.7/km2)
 • Metro 9,522,434
 • Region 819,537
Time zone Central (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) Central (UTC-5)
ZIP Codes 46310, 46349, 47922, 47942-43, 47948, 47951, 47963, 47978
Area code 219
Congressional district 4th
Indiana Senate district 6th
Indiana House of Representatives districts 15th and 19th
FIPS code 18-111
GNIS feature ID 0450376
Interstate and U.S. Routes I-65.svg US 24.svg US 41.svg US 52.svg
State Routes Indiana 10.svg Indiana 14.svg Indiana 16.svg Indiana 55.svg Indiana 71.svg Indiana 114.svg
Airport Kentland Municipal
Waterways Iroquois River – Kankakee River
Website www.newtoncountyin.com
  • Indiana county number 56
  • Second county in Indiana to bear this name
  • Youngest county in Indiana
Demographics (2010)[2]
White Black Asian
96.2% 0.4% 0.3%
Islander Native Other Hispanic
(any race)
0.0% 0.3% 2.8% 5.0%

Newton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 14,244.[3] The county seat is Kentland.[4] The county is divided into 10 townships which provide local services.[5][6]

Newton County is included in the Chicago metropolitan area.

History

The original Newton County was formed by statute on February 7, 1835, and was a roughly square area some 30 miles on a side, encompassing what is now the northern half of the county, the northern half of Jasper County, and a large section to the north. The northern border was cut back to the Kankakee River on February 1, 1836, with all land north of the Kankakee River going to Lake and Porter counties. The county was abolished and combined with Jasper County in 1839. On December 8, 1859, the county was re-created and the borders were redrawn to essentially their current state.

Newton County is named after Sgt. John Newton, who served under Gen. Francis Marion (the "Swamp Fox") in the American Revolutionary War. It is adjacent to Jasper County, which was named after Sgt. William Jasper, whose story is similar. At least four other states, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas, have adjacent Jasper and Newton Counties, as though these two were remembered as a pair.[7]

Upon its re-creation, Newton County was the last county to be organized in Indiana.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 403.44 square miles (1,044.9 km2), of which 401.76 square miles (1,040.6 km2) (or 99.58%) is land and 1.68 square miles (4.4 km2) (or 0.42%) is water.[8]

Newton County is the site of the Kentland crater, a probable meteorite impact crater located between Kentland and Goodland.

J.C. Murphy Lake is at the center of Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area.

Major highways

Railroads

Adjacent counties

Municipalities

The municipalities in Newton County, and their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:

Towns

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Census-designated places

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Townships

The 10 townships of Newton County, with their populations as of the 2010 Census, are:

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3

Climate and weather

Kentland, Indiana
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
1.8
 
 
31
14
 
 
1.6
 
 
36
18
 
 
2.8
 
 
48
29
 
 
3.4
 
 
61
38
 
 
4.1
 
 
73
50
 
 
4.5
 
 
82
60
 
 
4
 
 
85
63
 
 
3.7
 
 
83
60
 
 
3.3
 
 
78
53
 
 
2.8
 
 
65
41
 
 
3.2
 
 
49
31
 
 
2.4
 
 
36
20
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Source: The Weather Channel[9]

In recent years, average temperatures in Kentland have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 85 °F (29 °C) in July, with a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.60 inches (41 mm) in February to 4.51 inches (115 mm) in June.[9]

Government

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See also: Government of Indiana

The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana and the Indiana Code. The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms and are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes and service taxes.[10][11]

The executive body of the county is made of a board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered terms, and each serves a four-year term. One of the commissioners, typically the most senior, serves as president. The commissioners are charged with executing the acts legislated by the council, collecting revenue and managing day-to-day functions of the county government.[10][11]

The county maintains a small claims court that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court.[11]

The county has several other elected offices, including sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder, surveyor and circuit court clerk. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and be residents of the county.[11]

Each of the townships has a trustee who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief and manages cemetery care, among other duties.[6] The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.[12]

Newton County is part of Indiana's 1st congressional district and in 2008 was represented by Pete Visclosky in the United States Congress.[13] It is part of Indiana Senate district 6[14] and Indiana House of Representatives districts 15 and 19.[15]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 2,360 —
1870 5,829 147.0%
1880 8,167 40.1%
1890 8,803 7.8%
1900 10,448 18.7%
1910 10,504 0.5%
1920 10,144 −3.4%
1930 9,841 −3.0%
1940 10,775 9.5%
1950 11,006 2.1%
1960 11,502 4.5%
1970 11,606 0.9%
1980 14,844 27.9%
1990 13,551 −8.7%
2000 14,566 7.5%
2010 14,244 −2.2%
Est. 2014 14,156 [16] −0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]
1790-1960[18] 1900-1990[19]
1990-2000[20] 2010-2013[3]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 14,244 people, 5,503 households, and 3,945 families residing in the county.[21] The population density was 35.5 inhabitants per square mile (13.7/km2). There were 6,030 housing units at an average density of 15.0 per square mile (5.8/km2).[8] The racial makeup of the county was 96.2% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 1.8% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.0% of the population.[21] In terms of ancestry, 30.4% were German, 16.9% were Irish, 11.0% were English, 8.1% were Polish, 7.6% were Dutch, and 6.5% were American.[22]

Of the 5,503 households, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.3% were non-families, and 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age was 42.4 years.[21]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $60,242. Males had a median income of $45,389 versus $29,891 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,055. About 4.8% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.[23]

Education

Public schools in Newton County are administered by two districts:

High Schools and Middle Schools

Elementary Schools

See also

Bibliography

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References

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  2. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics 2010, Table DP-1, 2010 Demographic Profile Data. American FactFinder. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
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  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

 Kankakee County, Illinois Lake County
Iroquois County, Illinois Jasper County
  Newton County, Indiana  
Benton County
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