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Indiana Counties
Indiana is divided into ninety-two counties. The oldest and newest Counties in Indiana are Knox County (created 1790) and Newton County (created 1857).Many Indiana counties are named for the US Founding Fathers and personalities of the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and Battle of Tippecanoe; early leaders of Indiana Territory and Indiana, as well as surrounding states like Michigan and Kentucky; plus Native American tribes and geographical features.Newton County, Indiana
Newton County Education, Geography, and History
Newton County is a county located in the state of Indiana. As of 2010, the
population was 14,244. Newton County was
created on December 9, 1859. The county
seat is Kentland. The county is named
for Sergeant John Newton, hero of the American Revolutionary War.
Newton County is included in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Etymology - Origin of Newton County Name
The county is named for Revolutionary War hero Sergeant John Newton.
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts
Newton County History
Newton County was last of Indiana's 92 counties to be established and began its official existence December 9, 1859. It was first organized by the act of 1838 and later joined to Jasper County and continued as a part of that county for twenty years, when the commissioners of Jasper County made the final border defining the boundaries of the new county.
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
sections 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 recreated 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.
Other states, including Texas, have adjacent Newton and Jasper Counties, as though these two were remembered as a pair.
Newton County was the last county to be organized in Indiana.
Newton County is divided into 10 Civil Townships as follows: Beaver, Colfax, Grant, Iroquois, Jackson, Jefferson, Lake, Lincoln, McClellan and Washington.
Geography: Land and Water
As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 404 square miles (1,045 km2), of which 402 square miles (1,041 km2) is land and 2 square miles (4 km2) (0.42%) is water.
Newton county is located in northwest Indiana. Newton County is the site of the Kentland crater, a possible meteorite impact crater between Kentland and Goodland. J.C. Murphy Lake is located at the center of Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area in this county.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- North: Lake County
- Northeast: Jasper County
- South: Benton County
- Southwest: Iroquois County, Ill.
- Northwest: Kankakee County, Ill.
Education
Public schools in Newton County are administered by two districts:
North Newton School Corporation
South Newton School Corporation
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