Newtown, Illinois Explained

Newtown
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Illinois
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Vermilion
Subdivision Type3:Township
Subdivision Name3:Oakwood
Pushpin Map:Illinois#USA
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Newtown within Illinois
Coordinates:40.1672°N -87.7692°W
Elevation Footnotes:[1]
Elevation Ft:728
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CST
Utc Offset1:-6
Timezone1 Dst:CDT
Utc Offset1 Dst:-5
Area Code:217

Newtown is an unincorporated community in Oakwood Township, Vermilion County, Illinois.

History

This settlement is one of the oldest in the county. The name was originally two words, New Town. It was platted by Benjamin Coddington in 1838, but Stephen Griffith was said to have been the first settler in the area some time before this. The first postmaster was Samuel H. Oakwood, and the post office was first called Pilot, but this led to confusion with nearby Pilot Township. The post office closed around the turn of the century. One of the first churches in the county, Old Bethel, was built here in 1835 and served until 1873 when a new building was constructed. A multimillion-dollar coal power station was constructed here around the middle of the 20th century and is the main reason for Newtown's continued existence.[2]

Geography

Newtown is located at 40.1672°N -87.7692°W.

References

  1. Web site: [{{Gnis3|414502}} USGS detail on Newtown]. 2007-10-19.
  2. Book: Stapp , Katherine . W. I. Bowman . History Under Our Feet: The Story of Vermilion County, Illinois . Interstate Printers and Publishers, Inc. . 1968 . Danville, Illinois . 32.

External links