Tipton, Indiana | |
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City | |
Tipton County courthouse in Tipton
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Location in the state of Indiana |
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Coordinates: 40°17′6″N 86°2′25″W / 40.28500°N 86.04028°WCoordinates: 40°17′6″N 86°2′25″W / 40.28500°N 86.04028°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Indiana |
County | Tipton |
Government | |
• Mayor | Don Havens (R) |
Area | |
• Total | 2.50 sq mi (6.47 km2) |
• Land | 2.50 sq mi (6.47 km2) |
• Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
Elevation | 869 ft (265 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 5,106 |
• Estimate (2012) | 5,008 |
• Density | 2,042.4/sq mi (788.6/km2) |
Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
ZIP code | 46072 |
Area code(s) | 765 |
FIPS code | 18-75986 |
GNIS feature ID | 444784 |
Tipton is a city in and the county seat of Tipton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,106 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kokomo, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named after John Tipton, a politician.
The Tipton County Courthouse and Tipton County Jail and Sheriff's Home were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The first white 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 closet 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.
The commissioners were in charge of also naming the new town. Commissioner John D. Smith, who used to reside in Ohio, proposed to name the town Canton, after Canton, Ohio. The commission accepted the name. After October, it was decided to plat Canton. The area had to be cleared of trees and plants, and John Criswell did the surveying for $2 a day. Sales of the plots began in November. As of March 1845, 34 lots had been sold.