Newton, Kansas

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Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States.<ref name="GNIS"/> As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 18,602.<ref name="Census-2020-Profile">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Census-2020-QF">Template:Cite web</ref> Newton is located Template:Convert north of Wichita. The city of North Newton. located immediately north, 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

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19th century

A 1915 railroad map of Harvey County
1905 Warkentin Mill

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.<ref name="Santa Fe Rail History">Santa Fe Rail History</ref> The town soon became an important railroad shipping point of Texas cattle.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The city was founded in 1871 and named after Newton, Massachusetts, home of some of the Santa Fe stockholders.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In August 1871, the Gunfight at Hide Park occurred, in which 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."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Route of the Chisholm cattle trail in Kansas; Kansas Historical Society, 1960s.</ref>

20th century

View of the main street, 1920s

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 Template:Convert.

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.

21st century

On February 25, 2016, Newton was the site of the first of several related shooting incidents, which culminated in a mass shooting at an Excel Industries building in nearby Hesston that left three people dead and 12 others injured.<ref name=KWCH>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The shooter, identified as Excel employee Cedric Larry Ford, was then killed by a responding police officer.<ref name="nbc">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="usatoday">Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, all land.<ref name="Gazetteer files">Template:Cite web</ref>

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, where it 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, Newton has a humid subtropical climate, Cfa on climate maps.<ref>Climate Summary for Newton, Kansas</ref>

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Demographics

Template:US Census population Newton is included in the Wichita metropolitan statistical area. It is located in Harvey County, which is an agricultural and small manufacturing county with 34,361 people. Harvey County is part of a five-county metropolitan area with 650,000 people, the largest anchored in the state of Kansas. The major city in this metro area is Wichita, 20 miles to the south via I-135.

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 18,602 people, 7,501 households, and 4,798 families in Newton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=:0 /> The population density was 1,276.4 per square mile (492.8/kmTemplate:Sup). The 8,256 housing units had an average density of 566.5 per square mile (218.7/kmTemplate:Sup).<ref name=:0>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The racial makeup was 78.79% White (73.12% non-Hispanic White), 2.53% Black or African-American, 1.01% Native American or Alaska Native, 0.88% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 6.72% from other races, and 10.04% two or more races.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Hispanics or Latinos of any race was 17.77% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Of the 7,501 households, 29.4% had children under 18, 47.2% were married couples living together, and 27.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.1% of households consisted of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.<ref name=:0 /> The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.0.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The percentage of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 21.5% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The city's age distribution was 24.1% under 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.9 males.<ref name=:0 /> For every 100 females 18 and older, there were 106.8 males.<ref name=:0 />

The 2016-2020 five-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $56,729 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,501) and the median family income was $66,806 (+/- $5,072).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Males had a median income of $41,413 (+/- $3,677) versus $29,782 (+/- $3,872) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $35,192 (+/- $2,644).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Approximately, 6.7% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under 18 and 9.4% of those 65 or over.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2010 census

As of the census<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2010, 19,132 people, 7,584 households, and 5,045 families were living in the city.<ref name="Census2010">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. The 8,237 housing units had an average density of Template:Convert. 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. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 16.3% of the population.

Of the 7,584 households, 33.1% had children under 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 not families. About 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 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, and the age distribution was 26.4% under 18; 7.9% from 18 to 24; 24.9% from 25 to 44; 25% from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

Area attractions

1886 Warkentin House (2007)
Former Newton Carnegie Library, now Harvey County Historical Society Library and Museum (1912 postcard)

Education

Newton High School (2006)

Primary and secondary education

The community is served by Newton USD 373 public school district. Newton public schools consist of:

High school
Intermediate schools
  • Santa Fe 5/6 Center
  • Chisholm Middle School
Elementary
  • Northridge Elementary
  • Slate Creek Elementary
  • South Breeze Elementary
  • Sunset Elementary.
Early education
  • Cooper Early Education
Private

Newton has two kindergarten - grade-8 private schools:

College

Media

Railroad Savings and Loan Building, across street from rail depot (2018)

The Newton Kansan (GateHouse Media) serves Newton and the surrounding area as the daily local newspaper. It is not published on Sundays or Mondays. The Wichita Eagle is the major newspaper for the region. Harvey County Now newspaper is also based in Newton and covers Harvey County.

Radio

Television

Newton is served by over-the-air ATSC digital TV of the Wichita-Hutchinson viewing market area,<ref>Wichita-Hutchinson TV market.</ref> cable TV by Cox Communications, and satellite TV. See Media in Wichita, Kansas.

Infrastructure

Transportation

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

Template:See also 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.<ref>Amtrak - Southwest Chief route</ref> The Amtrak station is located at 414 N Main St.<ref>Amtrak - Newton Station</ref>

Bus service is provided daily towards Wichita and Salina by BeeLine Express (subcontractor of Greyhound Lines).<ref>BeeLine Express</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While there is no local fixed-route transit service, Harvey Interurban provides dial-a-ride transit service to the community.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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

Newton City/County Airport, FAA:EWK,<ref>Newton City/County Airport map</ref> is located 2 miles east of Newton. Its Template:Convert runway is one of only 11 runways in Kansas Template:Convert or longer. It has ILS and GPS approaches.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Newton City/County Airport information</ref>

Utilities

Notable people

See also List of people from Harvey County, Kansas

See also

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References

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Further reading

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