Newton, Iowa Newton, Iowa Location of Newton, Iowa Location of Newton, Iowa Website Official City of Newton website Newton is the governmental center of county and most crowded city in Jasper County, Iowa, United States. Located 30 mi (48 km) miles east of Des Moines, Newton is in Central Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the town/city population was 15,254.
It is the home of Iowa Speedway, Maytag Dairy Farms, and the Iowa Sculpture Festival.
1.3 "Newton's future" and life after Maytag Newton was established in 1850 and incorporated as a town/city in 1857.
William Snooks opened a mine near Newton in 1886. In the early 20th century, large scale quarrying in the Newton region had declined, but there were still a several mines in the region that were worked intermittently. In the 20th century, Newton was a manufacturing community, much of its expansion derived from the washing machine industry.
Newton entered the nationwide stage in 1938 when martial law was declared amid a strike at the Maytag Washing Machine Company.
Former command posts of the Maytag Corporation, sold to Newton Enterprises in April 2012.
At the conclusion of World War II, the Maytag Washing Machine Company period its operations in Newton, becoming the Maytag Corporation.
Known for its dependable line of washing machines and clothes dryers, the business later persuaded the town of Newton to change the name of its command posts address in the town/city to "One Dependability Square." In 2001, a decision to cut workforce costs resulted in a reduction of the workforce force at the Newton plant in favor of newer Maytag facilities in Mexico. Layoffs at the Newton plant continued through 2005.
Whirlpool's acquisition of Maytag in early 2006 led to speculation over the future of Maytag operations in Newton.
On May 10, 2006, Whirlpool announced that it would close the Newton plant and corporate offices in the fall of 2007.
Although the business did not disclose financial details, Newton economic evolution officials said Iowa Telecom paid $1.5 million for the buildings assessed at more than $12 million. After Maytag announced its departure, improve leaders and City administration worked together to precarious a plan to diversify Newton's economy. After the Maytag plant closed, unemployment skyrocketed rising to almost 10%.
However, in the following years, the unemployment rate dropped considerably down to 5.4% in 2013. More impressively, Newton's populace did not drop following the departure of Maytag.
Newton has had a steady populace of about 15,000 since the 1960s.
Since Maytag's departure announcement in 2006, the following companies have started in or moved to Newton: Underwriter's Laboratory, Trinity Structural Towers, TPI Composites, Caleris, Walter G.
One of the industrialized sectors Newton has thriving in recent years is green manufacturing. In December 2007, TPI Composites announced plans to open a plant to manufacture massive wind turbine blades, which are now in production. Additionally, Trinity Structural Towers, a business which manufactures wind turbine towers, opened in 2008. President Barack Obama visited the Trinity Structural Towers plant on April 22, 2009, that year's Earth Day. While at the factory in Newton, the President said that he traveled to the factory in order to usher in "a new era of energy exploration in America." Newton was awarded the National Sustainable Community of the Year Award (Small City Category) by Siemens and the US Chamber of Commerce in 2010 for its successful, pro-active approach to recovery. In 2012, the Newton City Council passed "Newton's Future: A Comprehensive Plan." The Comprehensive Plan was written with the input of Newton people and reflects the community's goals for the future; the top goals identified in the plan were to (1) Grow Newton's population, specifically targeting young families, (2) Increase employment opportunities, (3) Improve the City's curb appeal, and (4) Fill vacant buildings and increase small-town shopping options. Newton has an active arts community, with a several non-profit organizations dedicated to the arts and many artists residing in the city.
The Iowa Sculpture Festival is an annual event hosted in Newton which began in 2002. The purpose and goal of the Iowa Sculpture Festival is to jubilate the evolution and expansion of sculpture as an art form and to feature artists who problematic sculptures.
In addition to the annual Sculpture Festival, Newton features nearly 90 displays of enhance art with sculptures and painted murals throughout the community. The Iowa Sculpture Festival Committee sponsors a year-round sculpture and mural tour. The Centre for Arts and Artists opened in Newton in 2005. The Centre for Arts and Artists is composed of 10 resident artist studios, a clay and kiln room, a therapeutic art room for children, a classroom, and an extensive art collection. Classes for all ages are taught at the Centre throughout the year. In addition to having an active visual arts community, Newton also has an active music and theater community.
Each summer, Newton hosts the Bowlful of Blues, a blues festival at the Maytag Bowl featuring famous blues artists from athwart the county such as John Primer, Walter Trout, Shaun Murphy, Willie Kent, and others. Additionally, the City of Newton Parks and Recreation puts on no-charge weekly concerts at the Maytag Bowl throughout the summer in an event called "Evenings at the Bowl." This event features small-town bands of all genres.
The Newton City Band, a full concert band composed of Newton people, also performs at this event. The Newton Community Theater performs a several shows each year ranging from large-cast musicals, such as Les Miserables, to small cast ensemble plays, such as The Dixie Swim Club. The Newton Drive In is the earliest of all of these theaters, having opened in 1948. The Capitol II Theater is positioned in the historic downtown precinct of Newton and has been in operation since April 1927; originally operating as a vaudeville theater. The Jasper County Historical Museum is positioned on the South West side of Newton and features historical artifacts from throughout Newton's history, including many early-model washing machines produced by Maytag. The exhibition is managed by the Jasper County Historical Society.
Newton also hosts the Miss Iowa USA and Miss Teen Iowa USA Pageants annually. The winners of these competitions go on to represent Iowa at the Miss USA Pageants.
Newton is home to Iowa Speedway, a 7/8 mile racing track purchased by NASCAR in 2014.
The Newton High School completes in class 4 - A athletics through the Iowa High School Athletic Association.
Newton is home to a several parks and recreation areas.
The City maintains 13 City parks and recreational areas, including the flagship park of the community, Maytag Park.
Maytag Park is on the National Registrar of Historic Places. Amenities at Maytag Park include the Maytag Bowl a historic bandshell, a enhance swimming pool, and a disc golf course. In addition to the City parks, Project AWAKE, a small-town non-profit organization, maintains the Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens as well as Sersland Park, a downtown park.
The Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is situated in six acres of territory and features over 150 species of trees, a rose garden, a butterfly garden, a water garden, and a native prairie. Newton is divided into four quadrants: 1st Avenue divides the north and south segments of Newton, and 1st Street divides the east and west segments.
Newton's street numbering fitness also extends into non-urban Jasper County.
This example indicates the street is in the southeast quadrant of Newton.
Newton is administered by a mayor and a six-person town/city council.
His predecessor was Charles 'Chaz' Allen. The town/city council consists of one member propel from each of Newton's four wards and two members propel at-large.
The United States Postal Service operates the Newton Post Office. The Iowa Department of Corrections Newton Correctional Facility is in unincorporated Jasper County, near Newton. Newton Daily News Lyle Goodhue, scientist and inventor, born in Jasper County and graduated from Newton High School "Newton's Future: A Comprehensive Plan" (PDF).
City of Newton Comprehensive Plan.
"Iowa (USA): State & Major Cities - Statistics & Maps on City Population".
Henry Hinds, The Coal Deposits of Iowa, Chapter I of Annual Report, 1908, Iowa Geological Survey, 1909, pages 161-163 "Iowa Workforce Development: Jasper County 2013".
"Newton's Future: A Comprehensive Plan" (PDF).
"Newton, IA Rocky Marciano Killed In Plane Crash, Aug 1969 | Gen - Disasters ...
"Iowa sculpture festival affairs set for this weekend".
Newton Daily News.
"Newton's Centre for Arts and Artists hosts open home".
Newton Daily News.
Newton Daily News.
"Newton Theatre".
Newton Community Theatre.
Newton Daily News.
Newton Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
Newton Daily News.
City of Newton.
"The Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens".
Newton Daily News Street Names "Newton Correctional Facility." Wikimedia Commons has media related to Newton, Iowa.
Official City of Newton website www.visitnewton.com Newton Convention and Visitors Bureau City Data Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Newton Municipalities and communities of Jasper County, Iowa, United States County seat: Newton Baxter Colfax Kellogg Lambs Grove Lynnville Mingo Mitchellville Monroe Newton Oakland Acres Prairie City Reasnor Sully Valeria
Categories:
Newton, Iowa - Populated places established in 1850 - Cities in Iowa - Cities in Jasper County, Iowa - Micropolitan areas of Iowa - County seats in Iowa - Company suburbs in Iowa - 1850 establishments in Iowa
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