Newton is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Newton County Newton County is the name of six counties in the United States. All except for Arkansas (and perhaps Mississippi) are named for Sgt. John Newton, a soldier of the American Revolutionary War who became a fictionalized hero. Many counties share a bo ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, United States.
The population was 1,633 at the 2020 census.
History
Both
Newton County Newton County is the name of six counties in the United States. All except for Arkansas (and perhaps Mississippi) are named for Sgt. John Newton, a soldier of the American Revolutionary War who became a fictionalized hero. Many counties share a bo ...
and its county seat, Newton, were named after
John Newton, a supposed hero of the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. However, John Newton's heroics are said to be a product of
Parson Weems, who also fictionalized the story of
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
and the cherry tree. In 1853, disputes led to the building of a courthouse and town in the county's geographical center instead of in
Burkeville, a community 11 miles north northeast of Newton. A second courthouse in Newton, a Second Empire style structure, was built in 1902–1903 with bricks from nearby Caney Creek, according to a Texas Historical Commission marker. The town was incorporated in 1935 and remains the only incorporated city in the county. The town's public school began when the W.H. Ford Male and Female College was chartered in 1889. The site of the college later became the Powell Hotel and now serves as a museum and houses the city's chamber of commerce. The growth of the city during the first half of the 20th century was largely due to the dominant timber industry in East Texas. The town had at least one newspaper prior to 1920s.
The county courthouse, a focal point of a city square that featured extensive Christmas lighting in the early 1990s, was severely damaged by a fire in August 2000. Various funding and other problems pushed back the timeframe for the restoration of the interior for years. The historic building finally reopened in December 2012.
Although almost 80 miles from the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
, Newton suffered extensive damage in September 2005 from
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Gulf of Mexico and the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. Part of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, which included three of the top ten L ...
. The
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...
estimated wind gusts in the vicinity of Newton to be between 80 mph to 100 mph. Some residents were without electricity for one month.
Geography
Newton is located at (30.850397, –93.754149).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.18% is water.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 1,633 people, 796 households, and 539 families residing in the city.
At the
2000 census there were 2,459 people, 731 households, and 508 families living in the city. The population density was 446.9 people per square mile (172.6/km). There were 900 housing units at an average density of 163.6 per square mile (63.2/km). The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 59.78% White, 31.60% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 6.02% from other races, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.28%.
Of the 731 households 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 28.9% of households were one person and 13.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.12.
The age distribution was 23.9% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 129.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 138.3 males.
The median household income was $26,667 and the median family income was $31,250. Males had a median income of $28,571 versus $18,542 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,416. About 25.0% of families and 27.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 35.1% of those under age 18 and 17.6% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The City of Newton is served by the
Newton Independent School District
Newton Independent School District is a public school district based in Newton, Texas, Newton, Texas (United States, USA).
In 2009, the school district was rated "Texas Education Agency accountability ratings system, academically acceptable" by t ...
and home to the
Newton High School Eagles.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Newton has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
Climate Summary for Newton, Texas
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Notable people
* Todd Gilbert
Christopher Todd Gilbert (born October 19, 1970) is an American politician currently serving as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates. He has been a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2006, representing the 15th distr ...
, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2021–Present)
* James Gulley (born 1965), professional basketball player for Ironi Ramat Gan
Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan ( he, מכבי עירוני רמת גן, formerly Ironi Ramat Gan) is a male basketball club based in Ramat Gan in central Israel. The team plays in Liga Leumit (basketball), Liga Leumit, the second division in Israeli baske ...
in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Ligat HaAl ( he, ליגת העל, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is the top-tier level league of professional sports, professional competition in Israeli sports club, club basketball, making ...
Sam Force Collins— (June 9, 1928 – November 3, 2021) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member in the Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...
from 1959 to 1964.
References
External links
City of Newton Website
{{authority control
Cities in Texas
Cities in Newton County, Texas
County seats in Texas
Populated places established in 1853
1853 establishments in Texas