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Chapter XXXIX
Newton Township
Pg. 346
Organization - Boundaries - Natural Features - Population -
Elections - Tax Valuations - Historical Notes
Newton township, in which the
city of the same name is situated, is about in the
geographical center of the county, and is now constituted
comprises twenty-four sections of congressional township 80,
range 19 west. At its north is found Malaka township,
on its east is Kellogg, on the south is Palo Alto township
and on the west is Sherman township. Cherry creek and
smaller streams drain and water this part of the county.
There are beautiful groves of native timber, once heavy,
large forest trees in the west and north-western part of
Newton township, but much has been cut off with the passing
of years and the development of the county.
Newton was organized in 1851 by County Judge Jesse
Rickman who decided the boundaries of Newton township
should be as follows: "Commencing at the northeast
corner of township 81, range 18 west, and run twelve miles
west to the northwest corner of township 81, range 19;
thence south six miles to the southwest corner of said
township and range; thence west two miles to the northwest
corner of section 2, township 80, range 20; thence south to
Skunk river; thence east to the range line 18; thence north
to the place of beginning."
It will be seen that originally this township took in
much more than its present territory, including Kellogg
township of today. In 1857 it took its present form
and size.
The population of this township, outside of the city of
Newton, in 1905, when the state census was taken, was nine
hundred and two.
At the presidential election in 1852, when Gen.
Winfield Scott and Franklin Pierce ran for the
presidency, Newton township gave the former sixty-eight
votes and the latter thirty-two votes.
In April, 1855, in voting on the prohibition question,
this township gave the measure of prohibition one hundred
and eighty-eight votes and fifty-three against the measure.
In 1878 the records show that there was personal
property valued at $22,308 in Newton township, outside the
city. This included 324 head of horses, 11 mules and
274 head of cattle of taxable age.
At the above date the total valuation of property in
the township was $252,425, on which was paid a total tax of
$4,559.46.
For the first five or six yeas the history of Newton
township is partly summed up by the following extracts from
the records now on file:
1848 - The record for this year shows that William
M. Springer was sworn in as township clerk, by T. J.
Adamson, a justice of the peace. William C.
Smith was school inspector. The township trustees
were Charles C. Thorp, Ballinger Aydellotte and
Henry Hammer. In April the same year, Lewis
Herron and James Pearsons qualified as fence
viewers and overseers of the poor. In June, Moses
Lacy was appointed constable, while in August, Hart
Spring was made another constable for Newton township.
1849 - The trustees were Evan Anderson, Seth Hammer
and John B. Hammack. It was during that
year that the township was divided into four road districts.
1850 - The trustees ordered twenty-eight dollars and
twenty-five cents to be paid for "the benefit of John
Sewell." On March 30th the order read to "call out
all the 'respectful' hands in the road districts, and open
up the county road laid from Newton to the Marion county
line, in the direction of Red Rock.
1852 - Joseph Dodd and J. N. Edgar were
elected justices of the peace; Jesse Hammer and T.
J. Densmore, constables.
1853 - Three new road districts were established in
this township. At the April election were elected
Edwin White, Ezekiel and Shipley and T. J. Allen as a
trustees. W. M. Springer was clerk and
Lawson D. Sims, assessor.
1856 - The sum of fifty-one dollars was voted to defray
the sick and burial charges of Mary Jane
McConkey, as pauper. William R. Davis was
assessor that year. The same year ten dollars was
allowed for defraying the expense of caring for Mary
Johnson, a pauper, and a like amount for a "sick man.
The history of the city of Newton appears elsewhere in
this work, it being given a chapter by itself.
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