Newton, Iowa
Encyclopedia
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Jasper County
Jasper County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 36,842 in the county, with a population density of . There were 16,181 housing units, of which 14,806 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,254. It is the home of Maytag Dairy Farms
Maytag Dairy Farms
Maytag Dairy Farms is a manufacturer of blue cheese and other cheeses based in Newton, Iowa. It was established in 1941 by Frederick Louis Maytag II.- History :...
and was formerly home to the Maytag Corporation's corporate headquarters until the Whirlpool Corporation acquired it in 2006. It is also the location of Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond International Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful...
.
History
Newton was founded in 1850 and incorporated as a city in 1857. In the late 19th century, Newton's growth was fueled by the development of coal mines in the region. The first significant mine in the area was the Couch mine of the Jasper County Coal and Railway Company, opened in the 1870s. It was, for a while, the largest mine in the county, producing 70 tons per day. William Snooks opened a mine near Newton in 1886. In the early 20th century, large scale mining in the Newton area had declined, but there were still several mines in the area that were worked intermittently.In the 20th century, Newton was a manufacturing community, much of its growth derived from the washing machine industry. Its most distinctive landmark, the Jasper County Courthouse, was built in 1911.
Newton entered the national stage in 1938 when martial law was declared during a strike at the Maytag Washing Machine Company. Iowa governor Nelson Kraschel ordered the Iowa National Guard
Iowa Army National Guard
The Iowa Army National Guard is the Army component of the Iowa National Guard, a military reserve force with dual federal and state missions. It is empowered to function in a state status if needed to carry out limited actions during non-emergency situations all the way to full scale law...
to protect the company with tanks and machine guns ready against the workers. With the backing of four troops (companies) of the 113th Cavalry Regiment, Maytag company beat the strike and forced workers to return to work with a 10% pay cut.
At the conclusion of World War II, the Maytag Washing Machine Company expanded its operations in Newton, becoming the Maytag Corporation. Known for its dependable line of washing machines and clothes dryers, the company later persuaded the town of Newton to change the name of its headquarters address in the city to “One Dependability Square.” In 2001, a decision to cut labor costs resulted in a reduction of the labor force at the Newton plant in favor of newer Maytag facilities in Mexico. Layoffs at the Newton plant continued through 2005. Whirlpool's acquisition of Maytag in early 2006 led to speculation over the future of Maytag operations in Newton. On May 10, 2006, Whirlpool announced that it would close the Newton plant and corporate offices in the fall of 2007. The plant employed about 1,000 workers and the corporate offices employed about 800 at the time of the announcement.
In January 2007 Whirlpool said in a statement that it sold most of the Maytag headquarters complex to Iowa Telecommunications Services Inc., a Newton-based telephone company which would use the complex to consolidate employees in a single location.
Although the company did not disclose financial details, Newton economic development officials said Iowa Telecom paid $1.5 million for the buildings assessed at more than $12 million.
The Maytag plant officially ended production on October 25, 2007.
In December 2007, TPI Composites announced plans to open a plant to manufacture massive wind turbine blades, which are now in production. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
visited the Trinity Structural Towers plant on 22 April 2009, that year's Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
.
August 31, 1969, on approach to Newton Municipal Airport, a small plane (Cessna 172H
Cessna 172
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
) carrying former heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times...
crashed into a tree in the middle of a corn field owned by Henry Eilander two miles south of Newton, killing Marciano, pilot Glenn Belz, and passenger Frank Farrell instantly.
Geography
Newton's longitude and latitude coordinates in decimal form are 41.698591, -93.046860.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 10.3 square miles (26.7 km²), all land.
Streets and addresses
Newton is divided into four quadrants: 1st Avenue divides the north and south segments of Newton, and 1st Street divides the east and west segments. Roads labeled as avenues run east and west, while roads labeled as streets run north and south. Newton's street numbering system also extends into rural Jasper County.A typical street name
Street name
A street name or odonym is an identifying name given to a street. The street name usually forms part of the address...
would appear "E 5th St S". The east or west label comes first, followed by the street, then followed by the north or south label. This example indicates the street is in the southeast quadrant of Newton.
A typical avenue name would appear "N 5th Ave W". In the case of avenues, the north or south label comes first, followed by the avenue, and then followed by the east or west label. This example indicates the avenue is in the northwest quadrant of Newton.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 15,579 people, 6,713 households, and 4,269 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,518.9 people per square mile (586.3/km²). There were 7,162 housing units at an average density of 698.3 per square mile (269.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.55% White, 0.60% Asian, 0.39% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.
There were 6,713 households out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,345, and the median income for a family was $49,977. Males had a median income of $37,248 versus $22,631 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $20,552. About 4.8% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Mayor
The mayor is elected to a term of two years. Newton's current mayor is Charles "Chaz" Allen, who began his first term in January 2004. His predecessor was David Aldridge, who served four terms from 1996-2004.City council
The city council consists of one member elected from each of Newton's four wards and two members elected at-large. The council members are elected to terms of four years. Regular meetings of the city council are held on the first and third Mondays of each month.State and federal representation
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Newton Post Office.
The Iowa Department of Corrections Newton Correctional Facility
Newton Correctional Facility
The Newton Correctional Facility is a low and medium security correctional institution of the Iowa Department of Corrections. It is located in unincorporated Jasper County, Iowa, near Newton...
is in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Jasper County
Jasper County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 36,842 in the county, with a population density of . There were 16,181 housing units, of which 14,806 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, near Newton.
Radio stations
Notable people
- Jay ClarkJay Clark (sport shooter)Jay Clark, Jr. was an American sport shooter who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.In 1920 he won the gold medal as member of the American team in the team clay pigeons competition....
, OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
sport shooter - John C. CookJohn C. CookJohn Calhoun Cook was a 19th-century American politician, lawyer and judge from Iowa. He was twice elected to the U.S...
, politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, lawyerLawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, judgeJudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open... - Emerson HoughEmerson HoughEmerson Hough was an American author best known for writing western stories and historical novels.-Career:Hough was born in Newton, Iowa on June 28, 1857. He was in Newton High School's first graduating class of three in 1875. He graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in...
, authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:... - F.L. "Fritz" Maytag III, businessman and entrepreneurEntrepreneurAn entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
- Charles MurrayCharles Murray (author)Charles Alan Murray is an American libertarian political scientist, author, columnist, and pundit working as a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, DC...
, American policy writer and researcher, co-author "The Bell Curve" - Mike SpegalMike SpegalMike Spegal is a former Marine and currently owns a UPS store. In 2006, he won his entry into the World Series of Poker Main event in an Online Satellite...
, pokerPokerPoker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player - Nate TeutNate TeutNathan Mark Teut is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Florida Marlins in . He was drafted in the 4th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago Cubs. Neut spent one year each in the Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers organizations, but spent most of his career...
, former MLB player
Points of interest
- Newton Arboretum and Botanical GardensNewton Arboretum and Botanical GardensThe Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens 3 acres are an arboretum and botanical gardens located within Agnes Patterson Park, at the intersection of North Beltline and 4th Street, Newton, Iowa....
- Iowa SpeedwayIowa SpeedwayIowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond International Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful...
- Maytag Dairy FarmsMaytag Dairy FarmsMaytag Dairy Farms is a manufacturer of blue cheese and other cheeses based in Newton, Iowa. It was established in 1941 by Frederick Louis Maytag II.- History :...
- Maytag Park
- Sculpture & Mural Tours
- August Bergman Inn formerly LaCorsette Maison Inn
External links
- Official City of Newton website
- www.newton.k12.ia.us
- www.visitnewton.com Newton Convention and Visitors Bureau
- City Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Newton