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Newton, Kansas
Newton City Hall at 201 E 6th St (2006)
Newton City Hall at 201 E 6th St (2006)
Flag of Newton, Kansas
Flag
Location within Harvey County and Kansas
Location within Harvey County and Kansas
KDOT map of Harvey County (legend)
Country United States
State Kansas
County Harvey
Township Newton
Founded 1871
Incorporated 1872, 1880
Named for Newton, Massachusetts
Area
 • Total 14.57 sq mi (37.73 km2)
 • Land 14.57 sq mi (37.73 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
1,447 ft (441 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 18,602
 • Density 1,276.7/sq mi (493.03/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
67114
Area code 316
FIPS code 20-50475
GNIS ID 484319

Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 18,602. Newton is located 25 miles (40 km) north of Wichita. The city of North Newton is located immediately north and exists as a separate political entity. Newton is located at the intersection of Interstate 135, U.S. Route 50, and U.S. Route 81 highways.

History

19th century

Stouffer's Railroad Map of Kansas 1915-1918 Harvey County
1915 Railroad Map of Harvey County
Newton, Kansas
Downtown Newton, 2006

For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Americans. In 1803, most of modern Kansas was secured by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1872, Harvey County was founded.

In 1871, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway extended a main line from Emporia westward to Newton by July 1871. The town soon became an important railroad shipping point of Texas cattle.

The city was founded in 1871 and named after Newton, Massachusetts, home of some of the Santa Fe stockholders.

In August 1871, there was a Gunfight at Hide Park, in which a total of eight men were killed. The incident began with an argument between two local lawmen, Billy Bailey and Mike McCluskie. Because of this incident, Newton became known as "bloody and lawless—the wickedest city in the west.".

In 1872, the western terminal for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and the railhead for the Chisholm Trail were established here. Shortly after incorporation of the city in 1872, the Newton city council passed an ordinance prohibiting the running at large of buffalo and other wild animals.

20th century

During World War II, the Newton airport was taken over by the US Navy as a secondary Naval Air Station, and the main runway was extended to over 7,000 feet (2,100 m).

Newton served as the Middle Division dispatching headquarters for the "Santa Fe" until the mid-1980s, when all dispatching for the Chicago to Los Angeles system was centralized in the Chicago area. In 1995, the Santa Fe merged with the Burlington Northern Railroad, and is now known as the BNSF Railway. The BNSF continues to be a large industrial taxpayer although its impact as an employer has decreased in the past decade. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe".

Geography

Newton is located at 38°2′39″N 97°20′51″W / 38.04417°N 97.34750°W / 38.04417; -97.34750 (38.044089, -97.347597). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.60 square miles (32.63 km2), all of it land.

The city is in the central portion of the continental United States. U.S. Highway 81, also known as the Meridian Highway, stretches from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Mexico City, Mexico through Central and South America. It passes through Newton, Kansas and is known as "Main Street." U.S. Highway 50 runs past the White House in Washington, DC through Newton, Kansas and continues on to Sacramento, California.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Newton has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 2,601
1890 5,605 115.5%
1900 6,208 10.8%
1910 7,862 26.6%
1920 9,781 24.4%
1930 11,034 12.8%
1940 11,048 0.1%
1950 11,590 4.9%
1960 14,877 28.4%
1970 15,439 3.8%
1980 16,332 5.8%
1990 16,700 2.3%
2000 17,190 2.9%
2010 19,132 11.3%
2020 18,602 −2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
2010-2020

Newton is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area (MSA). It is located in Harvey County which is an agricultural and small manufacturing county with 34,361 people. Harvey County Kansas is part of a 5 county Metro Area with 650,000 people, the largest anchored in the state of Kansas. The major city in this metro area is Wichita, Kansas, 20 miles (20 minutes) to the South via I-135.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 19,132 people, 7,584 households, and 5,045 families living in the city. The population density was 1,518.4 inhabitants per square mile (586.3/km2). There were 8,237 housing units at an average density of 653.7 per square mile (252.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.4% White, 2.2% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 4.7% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.3% of the population.

There were 7,584 households, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.5% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.01.

The median age in the city was 36.8 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

Area attractions

  • Kansas Sports Museum
  • Harvey County Historical Society Library and Museum
  • Kauffman Museum
  • Warkentin House, a Victorian house museum.
  • Mennonite Settler statue
  • Blue Sky Sculpture
  • Carriage Factory Art Gallery
  • Sand Creek Station Golf Course, 18-hole public course, ranked among 2006's best new public courses in America by Golf Digest.

Education

Nhs ks
Newton High School (2006)

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by Newton USD 373 public school district. Students from North Newton and Walton attend middle and upper grades in Newton. Newton public schools consist of:

  • Newton High School.
  • Santa Fe 5/6 Center.
  • Chisholm Middle School.
  • Northridge Elementary.
  • Slate Creek Elementary.
  • South Breeze Elementary.
  • Sunset Elementary.
  • Walton Rural Life Center (in Walton).
  • Cooper Early Education
Private

Newton has two K-8 private schools:

  • St. Mary's Catholic School.
  • Newton Bible Christian School.

College

  • Bethel College is located nearby in the city of North Newton.
  • Hutchinson Community College has a satellite campus at the Axtell Education Center, close to downtown.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Newton Depot
Newton Amtrak Depot at 414 N. Main St. (2006)
Newton, Kansas
Downtown Newton (looking north). Depot on right. (2006)
Santa Fe Route Map 1891
An Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway route map from 1891 issue of Grain Dealers and Shippers Gazetteer.

BNSF Railway passes through Newton for transportation and shipping. Amtrak's Southwest Chief stops in Newton twice each day and provides passenger rail service towards Los Angeles and Chicago. The Amtrak station is located at 414 N Main St.

Bus service is provided daily towards Wichita and Salina by BeeLine Express (subcontractor of Greyhound Lines).

Major roads that pass through Newton are I-135, US-50, US-81, K-15.

Newton City/County Airport, FAA:EWK, is located 2 miles east of Newton. Its 7,002-foot (2,134 m) runway is one of only 11 runways in Kansas 7,000-foot (2,100 m) or longer. It has ILS and GPS approach.

Utilities

  • Internet
    • Cable is provided by Cox Communications.
    • DSL is provided by AT&T.
    • Wireless is provided by Pixius Communications.
    • Satellite is provided by HughesNet, StarBand, WildBlue.
  • TV
    • Cable is provided by Cox Communications.
    • Satellite is provided by DirecTV, Dish Network.
    • Terrestrial is provided by regional digital TV stations.
  • Telephone
  • Electricity
  • Gas is provided by Kansas Gas Service.
  • Water
    • City is provided by City of Newton.
    • Rural is provided by Harvey County RWD #1.
  • Sewer is billed by City of Newton.
  • Trash is billed by City of Newton.

Notable people

See also List of people from Harvey County, Kansas
  • Tom Adair (1913–1988), screenwriter, musician, and composer
  • Donna Atwood (1925–2010), figure skater and Ice Capades star
  • Errett Bishop (1928–1983), mathematician, college professor.
  • Tony Clark (born 1972), MLB first baseman and union executive
  • Reed Crandall (1917-1982), illustrator and penciller of comic books and magazines, inducted into Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009.
  • James Earp (1841-1926), brother of Wyatt Earp and Virgil Earp
  • Harold Foster (1906–1996), head coach of Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team, member of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
  • Orville Harrold, opera singer
  • Elizabeth Hoisington (1918–2007), United States Army officer, one of two women to first attain the rank of Brigadier General
  • John Houston (1890–1975), politician and Mayor of Newton
  • John Janzen (born 1937), professor of anthropology and author
  • Miles Johns (1994-), Mixed martial artist currently competing the UFC's bantam weight division.
  • John Keeny (1860–1939), president of Louisiana Tech University (1908–26), operated a mercantile store in Newton in 1886
  • Samuel Peters (1842–1910), Captain in Union Army (1861-1865), Kansas State Senate (1874-1875), Judge of 9th District (1875-1883), U.S. House of Representatives (1883-1891), editor of Newton Daily Kansas-Republican (1899), postmaster in Newton (1898-1910), lawyer in Newton and Marion.
  • Dustin Richardson (born 1984), MLB pitcher
  • Jacob Schowalter (1879–1953), philanthropist, founder of Schowalter Foundation, Kansas State Representative.
  • Jesse Unruh (1922–1987), California politician
  • Mike Wellman (born 1956), NFL center
  • John Yoder (1951–2017), Kansas and West Virginia state court judge, West Virginia State Senator

Images for kids

See also

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