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Tipton 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Tipton County,
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, United States. The population was estimated to be 5,275 as of July 1, 2021. Tipton is approximately 19 miles southeast of
Kokomo, Indiana Kokomo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Indiana, United States. Its population was 60,093 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 estimate. It is the principal city of the Kokomo, Indiana metropolitan area, Kokomo metropol ...
and approximately 42 miles north of
Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
.


History

The Tipton County Courthouse and Tipton County Jail and Sheriff's Home were added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1984.


Samuel King founds Kingston

The first non-native person to settle in the area now known as Tipton was Samuel King, who purchased land between 1835 and 1836. The land was still a part of Hamilton County. He resided in Rush County, but visited the area frequently. Strawtown, Indiana, was the closest trading post. King decided to found a town on the land he purchased and he
platted In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...
the town on April 16, 1839. The town was named Kingston.Pershing, p. 92 Despite efforts, King failed to sell any of the plots that he platted. A few
Miami Indians The Miami ( Miami–Illinois: ''Myaamiaki'') are a Native American nation originally speaking the Miami–Illinois language, one of the Algonquian languages. Among the peoples known as the Great Lakes tribes, they occupied territory that is no ...
resided in the area still.Pershing, p. 93 In January, 1844, Tipton County was founded and a county seat needed to be created. The county seat was originally going to be located in the middle area of the county, however, Miami Indians resided on the land and they were unable to create a town there. The county commissioners put out a call for landowners to propose that the county seat be placed on their land. King offered to donate 100 acres of Kingston. On October 16, 1844, the commissioners accepted his offer.


Canton

The commissioners were in charge of also naming the new town. Commissioner John D. Smith, who used to reside in
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, proposed to name the town Canton, after
Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, eighth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 70,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Canton–Massillo ...
. The commission accepted the name. After October, it was decided to
plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...
Canton. The area had to be cleared of trees and plants, and John Criswell did the surveying for $2 a day. Sales of the plots began in November. As of March 1845, 34 lots had been sold.Pershing, p. 94


Canton becomes Tipton

In 1845, a
post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
was going to be established in Canton. However, this did not proceed because it was discovered that there was a town already named Canton in the state, which was founded in 1838. The town was renamed Tipton, after John Tipton, a veteran of the
Battle of Tippecanoe The Battle of Tippecanoe ( ) was fought on November 7, 1811, in Battle Ground, Indiana, between United States Armed Forces, American forces led by then Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and tribal forces associated with Sh ...
and the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. He was also the leader of the
Indiana Rangers The Indiana Rangers, also known as the Indiana Territorial Mounted Rangers, were a mounted militia formed in 1807 and operated in the early part of the 19th century to defend settlers in Indiana Territory from attacks by Native Americans. The ra ...
. Tipton served as
United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...
for Indiana from 1831 until shortly before his death in 1839. Finally, a post office was founded and John S. Ressler became the first
postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...
. Early Tipton was unorganized, with log cabins and poorly built homes riddling the streets and not following the platting. Cows wandered through town and wild game was chased by residents through the streets. It was very
rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...
. There was no telegraph or steam train, so communication with areas outside of the area were rare during this time. Residents lived mainly on hunting. Agriculture was poorly developed. Tipton was also known for flooding and mud, with people having to frequently walk through flood waters and swamp-like areas to get from house to house during wet seasons. By 1850, the population doubled and a physician, Isaac Parker, had founded his practice in the city.Pershing, p. 97


Cholera epidemic

Around August 1, 1845, the city entered into a
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
epidemic. The majority of residents fled the city. Livestock began dying of starvation and dehydration due to being left in their pens due to their owners deaths or fleeing of the city. One resident, Mason Lyons, freed all the animals that were still alive, allowing them to wander into the forest to feed. Stores and businesses closed. There were three doctors in town, including Isaac Parker. Over 20 people died. The epidemic lasted approximately one month.Pershing, p. 98


Late 1800s and incorporation

In 1854, the Tipton
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
Church was founded in the city, after being dissolved in Normanda. A
Christian church In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus Christ. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a syn ...
was founded in Tipton in 1855. Its congregation met at the Methodist Episcopal church until a church was built in 1870. The congregation built a new church, the West Street Christian church, that was completed in 1908. The court house burnt down in 1857. The Methodist church served as the court house for three years until the new courthouse was finished. In 1872, the Jefferson street canal was built, which helped to drain the surface areas of the town. The canal was nonexistent by 1914. The first
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
church was built in Tipton in 1874. By 1880, Tipton was primarily low-income and had little to no economy. Saloons were the most profitable businesses. Starting in 1880, the town began to rebuild its reputation. An incentive was offered to whoever built the first brick building. The Methodist church outgrew its building and the new church was the first brick building, starting the trend for two-story brick buildings in the town. Tipton was incorporated in 1884, becoming the "city" of Tipton. The first city election was held in 1884. In 1888, the Sisters of St. Joseph arrived in Tipton to settle. A small church was built and they founded St. Joseph Academy, a
parochial school A parochial school is a private school, private Primary school, primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathem ...
. The school closed in 1977. A
Baptist church Baptists are a denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers ( believer's baptism) and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches generally subscribe to the doctrines of ...
was organized in Tipton in 1898, with a church being built in 1900.


Geography

Tipton is located 42 miles (68 km.) almost due North of the state Capital, Indianapolis and 19 miles southwest of Kokomo, Indiana. According to the 2010 census, Tipton has a total area of , all land.


Natural environment

In 1849, the city was covered in trees, underbrush, logs, stumps and wild vines and weeds. A large
swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
was located on the southeastern part of the town square. On the north side of the square was a
slough Slough () is a town in Berkshire, England, in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4, M40 and M25 motorways. It is part of the historic county of Buckinghamshire. In 2021, the ...
.
Wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
, bull frogs,
deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...
,
mosquito Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...
s, and wild game were commonplace.Pershing, p. 96


Demographics


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 5,106 people, 2,218 households, and 1,356 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 2,471 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.1%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.1%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 2.7% of the population. There were 2,218 households, of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.9% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.


2000 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 5,251 people, 2,239 households, and 1,415 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,401 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.00%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.15%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.17% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population. There were 2,239 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.91. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,075, and the median income for a family was $47,083. Males had a median income of $35,805 versus $22,112 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $19,489. About 3.8% of families and 7.2% 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 ...
, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.


Economy


19th century

Daniel Smith opened the first
tavern A tavern is a type of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that ...
in Tipton, then known as Canton, called the Canton House. A second tavern was opened in 1846 by Andrew J. Redmond, who would eventually become the town
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
. John Cassler was the first merchant to locate his business in Tipton. On the east side of the town square, Cassler ran his business out of a
log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a minimally finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first-generation home building by settl ...
. In 1845, he was granted the license to sell groceries and liquor. Starting in 1850, Newton J. Jackson began selling goods. He eventually became the first
auditor An auditor is a person or a firm appointed by a company to execute an audit.Practical Auditing, Kul Narsingh Shrestha, 2012, Nabin Prakashan, Nepal To act as an auditor, a person should be certified by the regulatory authority of accounting an ...
for the county. Charles and Conde Bishop were the first
carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenter ...
s in Tipton. A tanyard was founded by William and Elijah Hall in 1847. The business closed in 1882 due to innovations in tanning.Pershing, p. 95 Merchandise was delivered to Tipton via wagons and on horseback from Lafayette,
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
, and
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
. By 1851, Tipton had
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
s, a
cabinetmaker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (solid ...
, a bakery, a
saddlery Tack is equipment or accessories equipped on horses and other equines in the course of their use as domesticated animals. This equipment includes such items as saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, and harnesses. Equipping a horse is ...
, and a
gunsmith A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. The occupation differs from an armorer, who usually replaces only worn parts in standard firearms. Gunsmiths do modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very ...
. The Young Furniture Company was founded in 1850.


20th century

The Lake Erie & Western Shops were located in Tipton, which, as of 1914, employed 350-400 people. The Tipton
Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...
was founded on March 24, 1914.Pershing, p. 103
Canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although under ...
was a popular industry in Tipton during the early 20th century. The industry was brought to Tipton by N.S. Martz. Tomato processing was common due to the high quality black
loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...
in the area. The Fame Canning Company canned corn, peas and tomatoes. The Snider Preserve Company processed tomato pulp. The Oakes Manufacturing Company produced
poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...
incubators and related supplies for international distribution. There were two buggy factories in Tipton, too: the Binkley Buggy Company and the Charles Bros. Carriage Factory. The J.J. McIntosh
broom A broom (also known as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool, consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a ...
factory was the largest in the state.Pershing, p. 104


Tourism

A hotel was founded in 1852 by Harrison A. Woodruff. As of 1914, the hotel had become the location of an
Oddfellows Odd Fellows (or Oddfellows when referencing the Grand United Order of Oddfellows or some British-based fraternities; also Odd Fellowship or Oddfellowship) is an international fraternity consisting of lodges first documented in 1730 in London. ...
hall. A second hotel, the Smith Hotel, was built in 1852, too, at the corner of Main and Jefferson. Two additional hotels were built in the town, the City Hotel, which is no longer standing, and a frame hotel built by John Long in 1865. The hotel was destroyed by a fire in 1873. A brick hotel was built on the same site, called the Commercial Hotel. In 1914, it was described as "a first-class hotel," with "all modern hotel conveniences."


Arts and culture

The city library was founded in 1900 and built in 1901. It opened in Spring 1901 and over 500 books were donated to the library. In 1915,
Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...
donated $10,000 to the city with the agreement that city would contribute $1,000 towards library operations annually. The Carnegie Library began construction on October 15, 1902. The library does not stand today. An endowment was founded by a donor, Nannie R. Shirk, who named the endowment after her late husband, E.H. Shirk.Pershing, p. 101


Annual cultural events

Every year, the weekend after
Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...
the Tipton County Pork Festival takes place. The event features a parade, a queen contest where Miss Pork Cuisine is crowned, food and music.


Parks and recreation

In the early 20th century, 26 acres of land were set aside for a Tipton City Park, with streams and trees. The park was prone to flooding from Cicero Creek, however, during the summer, the park was popular for its
honeysuckle Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or Vine#Twining vines, twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae. The genus includes 158 species native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Widely kno ...
plants.


Education


Early history

The first school to open in Tipton was in the winter of 1846–7. School took place at a
log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a minimally finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first-generation home building by settl ...
in what is now downtown Tipton. Students attended school two to three months out of the year. Teachers were poorly paid and often boarded with the families of the students they taught to make ends meet. A frame school house was built in 1852, which provided a permanent learning space for residents. The school was also used as a church at times, and as of 1914 a church had been built on the former school site.Pershing, p. 186 In 1867, a new school was built due to the growth of the population. The new school cost $15,000, had two stories and six rooms and a library. Classes were first held in 1869. A second school, totaling eight rooms, was built in 1890. A high school was built in 1910.Pershing, p. 187 The Sisters of St. Joseph came to Tipton in 1888 and founded a parochial school called St. Joseph's Academy. The school served
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
students. It ceased operations in 1972.


Today


Primary and secondary schooling

Tipton Community School Corporation serves the city of Tipton, and the southern half of Tipton County, with an
elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
,
middle school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...
, and
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
co-located on one campus on the south-side of town. District enrollment for the 2014–15 school year comprised 1,732 students. As of 2006, 93% of the school population was Caucasian. Tipton Schools counts 1,851 students in K-12, with 97% being
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, and the remaining 3% either
African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
,
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
, Native American, Indian, or
multiracial The term multiracial people refers to people who are mixed with two or more races (human categorization), races and the term multi-ethnic people refers to people who are of more than one ethnicity, ethnicities. A variety of terms have been used ...
. St. John the Baptist School served grades K-5, and was a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
school. This institution closed in 2014 due to low enrollment. Tipton has a
public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...
, a branch of the Tipton County Public Library.


Infrastructure


Transportation

In the mid to late 19th century, Tipton was known as being a very dirty and muddy place. Transportation was poor, with a poorly maintained railroad and "mud boats" being noted types of transportation. Mud boats were boat-like vehicles which were powered by
oxen An ox (: oxen), also known as a bullock (in BrE, British, AusE, Australian, and IndE, Indian English), is a large bovine, trained and used as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castration, castrated adult male cattle, because castration i ...
and transported people through the large amounts of mud in the area. Flooding was also common during this period. In 1890, Tipton became the first city in the state to have brick paved streets. Representatives from Tipton traveled to
Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census showed the city had a population of 78,680, making it the List of municipalities in Illinois, 13th-most populous ci ...
, to examine that city's brick streets and upon returning to Tipton they commissioned 2 1/2 blocks of brick paving on Jefferson Street. It was resurfaced with brick in 1914.Pershing, p. 100 Even in 1914, Tipton had more paved streets than any other city in the state. Highways * State Road 19 to State Road 22 (North) and
Noblesville, Indiana Noblesville is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Indiana, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States, a part of the north Indianapolis suburbs along the White River (Indiana), White River. The population was 69,604 at the 2020 Unite ...
(South) * State Road 28 to Frankfort, Indiana (West) and
Elwood, Indiana Elwood is a city in Madison County, Indiana, Madison and Tipton County, Indiana, Tipton counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. The Madison County portion, which is nearly all of the city, is part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area, Indianapoli ...
(East) RailRoads Historically, Tipton had no formal railroad. Around 1850, a railroad was located in the area and was described by a visitor as being "the worst railroad bed I had ever seen." The train would stop anywhere on the line and pick up people, not needing a proper station. It sometimes did not stop, moving slowly enough that people could jump onto it. *
Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...


Utilities

The Tipton Light, Heat and Power Company was founded in 1888. Citizens' Gas Company as founded in 1892. Indiana Gas Light Company bought Citizens' in 1913.
Natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
was piped in from
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
to a depot in Elwood for distribution in Tipton. The Tipton Electric Light and Water Works was founded in 1898. The
water supply Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Th ...
station was built in 1894-5 for $3,500. As of 1914, Tipton had a sewer system with 12 miles of piping.


Healthcare

As of 1845, Tipton had no proper healthcare.
Quinine Quinine is a medication used to treat malaria and babesiosis. This includes the treatment of malaria due to ''Plasmodium falciparum'' that is resistant to chloroquine when artesunate is not available. While sometimes used for nocturnal leg ...
and
whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...
were used to help with miasma from the surrounding wetlands and country. By 1850, the first physician had founded his practice in Tipton, Isaac Parker. In 1854, the town suffered from a cholera epidemic.


Notable people

*
Babe Adams Charles Benjamin "Babe" Adams (May 18, 1882 – July 27, 1968) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1906 to 1926 who spent nearly his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Noted for his outstanding contro ...
(baseball player) was born in Tipton in 1882. He played with the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
* John Bunch (
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
pianist) was born in Tipton in 1921. * Chris Faulkner (football player) was born in Tipton in 1960. * James T. Sears (author and professor) was born in Tipton in 1951. * Charles Tidler, playwright * Rossini Vrionides (composer and actress) was born in Tipton in 1896.


References


Footnotes


Sources

* Pershing, Marvin W. "History of Tipton County, Indiana: Her People, Industries and Institutions". Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen (1914).


Further reading

* *


External links

* {{authority control Cities in Indiana Cities in Tipton County, Indiana County seats in Indiana Kokomo, Indiana metropolitan area