Tipton is a city in and the county seat of Tipton County, Indiana, United States. The population was estimated to be 5,275 as of July 1, 2021. Tipton is approximately 19 miles southeast of Kokomo, Indiana and approximately 42 miles north of Indianapolis, Indiana.
History
The Tipton County Courthouse and Tipton County Jail and Sheriff's Home were added to the National Register of Historic Places 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 the town on April 16, 1839. The town was named Kingston. Despite efforts, King failed to sell any of the plots that he platted. A few Miami Indians resided in the area still.
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 becomes Tipton
In 1845, a post office 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 and the War of 1812. He was also the leader of the Indiana Rangers. Tipton served as United States Senator 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.
Cholera epidemic
Around August 1, 1845, the city entered into a cholera 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.
Late 1800s and incorporation
In 1854, the Tipton Presbyterian Church was founded in the city, after being dissolved in Normanda. A Christian church 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. 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.
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. The school closed in 1977. A Baptist church 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 was located on the southeastern part of the town square. On the north side of the square was a slough. Wolves, bull frogs, deer, mosquitos, and wild game were commonplace.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Tipton has a hot-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Tipton was on June 29, 2012, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 19–20, 1994.
|source 2 = National Weather Service
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Tipton had a population of 5,275. The median age was 41.9 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 85.0 males age 18 and over.
99.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.4% lived in rural areas.
There were 2,238 households in Tipton, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.6% were married-couple households, 19.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 5,106 people, 2,218 households, and 1,356 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,471 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.1% White, 0.1% Black, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 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 Merchandise was delivered to Tipton via wagons and on horseback from Lafayette, Peru, and Indianapolis. Canning 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 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 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 factory was the largest in the state.
Tourism
A hotel was founded in 1852 by Harrison A. Woodruff. As of 1914, the hotel had become the location of an Oddfellows 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."
Annual cultural events
Every year, the weekend after Labor Day 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 plants.
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.
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 students. It ceased operations in 1972. As of 2006, 93% of the school population was Caucasian.
Tipton Schools counts 1,851 students in K-12, with 97% being white, and the remaining 3% either African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Indian, or multiracial.
St. John the Baptist School served grades K-5, and was a Roman Catholic school. This institution closed in 2014 due to low enrollment.
thumb|Tipton County jail.
Tipton has a public library, 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 and transported people through the large amounts of mud in the area. Even in 1914, Tipton had more paved streets than any other city in the state.
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 was piped in from West Virginia to a depot in Elwood for distribution in Tipton. The Tipton Electric Light and Water Works was founded in 1898. The water supply station was built in 1894-5 for $3,500.
- Chris Faulkner (football player) was born in Tipton in 1960.
- Brad Maynard, NFL punter who played most of his career with the Chicago Bears
- 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.
- Daniel W. Waugh, U.S. representative from Indiana
References
Footnotes
Sources
- Pershing, Marvin W. "History of Tipton County, Indiana: Her People, Industries and Institutions". Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen (1914).