Newton’s Sister
Counties
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Newton County, Arkansas was
formed in 1842 from Carroll County. Jasper (Zip 72641) is the county seat.
County Clerk has marriage, land records from 1866; divorce records from 1820;
probate, civil court records from 1880. Dec
14, 1842, Governor Archibald Yell signed the legislation creating Newton
County. Newton County was formed from Carroll County. The first county seat
was the home of John Bellah on Shop Creek near Parthenon. In 1843 the county
seat was moved to Jasper. By 1856 there were 10 post offices within Newton
County: Jasper, Walnut Fork, Borkand, Mt. Parthenon, Whiteley, Denton, Forest
Home, Marshall Prairie, Cave Creek, and Mt. Judea. During the skirmishes of
the Civil War in Newton County, Union soldiers came in and moved the citizens
of Newton County to Springfield, Mo. While searching for Confederate John
Cecil, they burned Japser to the ground. During the 1880's and 90's, Jasper
was rebuilt and became a prosperous town. |
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Newton County, Georgia was
formed by the Georgia General Assembly on December 24, 1821 from Henry,
Jasper, Morgan and Walton Counties. Covington (Zip 30209) is the county seat.
Clerk Superior Court has divorce, civil court and land records from 1822;
service records from 1917. Newton
County was named for Revolutionary War hero Sergeant John Newton. The Creek
Indians roamed the land until 1813 when Governor Thorp negotiated a treaty in
which the Creeks gave up their claim to the land A decade later the last of
the Creek Indians were banished to Oklahoma over the "Trail of
Tears." The
first white settlers located in Eastern Newton County in a town then-named
Winton. "The Brick Store" was built in 1822 and still stands today.
Lack of adequate water caused the settlers to move further west and stablish
Newtonsboro. The name was later changed to Covington after General Leonard
Covington, a hero in the war of 1812. In 1853 Covington was incorporated as a
City. The
coming of the railroad in 1845 was the beginning of the growth and stability
of Newton County. Newton County's extensive agricultural base produced
related industries, like textile mills, as early as the 1840's. After 1900, textiles
became a major industry in the area serving the farmers of the surrounding
counties. General
Sherman took many treasures from Southerners and Georgians. His army marched
a path of death, fire and destruction from Savannah northward. Thankfully, Covington
was spared the harsh punishment of these yankee troops. Many original
antebellum homes and buildings still stand blended with modern buildings.
Together they present an excellent comparison of the past and present.
Source: Newton County Chamber of Commerce |
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Newton County, Indiana was
formed in 1859 from Jasper County. Kentland (Zip 47951) is the county seat. County
Health Department has birth and death-records, Town Hall has burial records,
County Clerk has marriage records from 1850; civil court records from 1878;
probate records from 1861; incomplete immigration records. |
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Newton County, Mississippi was formed
in 1836 from Neshoba Decatur (Zip 39327) is their county seat.
Clerk of the Chancery Court has divorce, probate, civil court, wills and deed
records from 1876; Clerk of the Circuit Court has marriage records. Most of
the early records were lost due to a courthouse fire in 1876. The
territory we now know as Newton County was a well-watered, excellent hunting
ground for its native Choctaw Indians, a very powerful, but peace-loving
tribe. There may have been as many as 3,000 to 5,000 Choctaws in Newton
County at the time of its early settlement by white people. Yet, they have
almost gone from our midst, as only about 300 remain in Newton County. The
diverse lands of Newton County are divided into what is termed the ridge and
branch lands -- some loamy, sandy upland, some level with good clay
foundation, and some red clay subsoil. Quite an amount of bottom and creek
lands, and the prairie in the southwestern part of the county. The first to
be cultivated were usually the level table lands, with very little
undergrowth, and rich, virgin soil underneath. Thousands of acres of
prairieland were entirely unobstructed by timber or undergrowth. Most
preferred by the settlers were the level, sandy uplands. Originally
part of Neshoba County, Newton County was included in a purchase by the U. S.
Government, called the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (in Choctaw:
"Chookfa Hitla Bogue"), signed September 28, 1830. Soon, the people
of the southern half of the large county of Neshoba wanted a county of their
own. On February 26, 1836, the Mississippi Legislature admitted Newton as a
separate county, and commissioned three of its citizens -- William Donalson,
Michael Thomas, and Francis Jones -- with the task of organizing the new
county. Newton
County, named for the great philosopher and scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, is
the only county in the state that is in the form of a square. The county is
twenty-four miles square, with its seat of Decatur in the exact center. By
1850, the population had doubled to 4,465 (not including the Indians), and
much more interest was taken in schools and churches, and the general
civilizing of the country. Better houses were being put up, and the Baptist
church was soon built. A new courthouse (and a new jail) had taken the place
of the old log house built in early days. Source:
Brown, A. J., The History of Newton County. (c)Debbie Payne. All
material provided is copyrighted to the public domain for non-commercial,
non-profit use only. No commercial use is legal without permission of the/all
author(s). |
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Newton County, Missouri was
formed in 1839 from Barry County. In 1846 a two mile strip was detached from Newton
and attached to Jasper. Neosho (Zip 64850) is the county seat. Newton County
was named for Revolutionary War hero Sgt. John Newton. County
Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, civil court and land records.
Courthouse burned in 1862, fate of records unknown. |
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Newton County, Texas was
formed in 1846 from Jasper County, Texas. Newton (Zip 75966) is the county seat.
County Clerk has birth and death-records from 1903; marriage records from
1846; probate and civil court records from 1870. |