Tour of Historic Newton, Ks

Historic Newton

In the opening paragraph of the “Newton” section in his History of Harvey County, (1881) Judge RWP Muse wrote,

“It is an old saying, that a bad beginning insures a good ending, and if this be true, then will the infamous character, which the town justly earned, in the early days, fore-shadow an after career of unexampled greatness and prosperity”.

Newton definitely had a rocky beginning.

On July 17, 1871, the first AT&SF train stopped at the latest shipping point on the Chisholm Trail, Newton, Ks. Texas long horns and cowboys following the Chisholm Trail from Texas through Indian Territory (Oklahoma) to the newest shipping point established early Newton as a rough and tumble place. Prior to 1871, most long horns were driven to Abilene, Ks.

One cowboy later recalled, "the town seemed to go up overnight." He had passed through the area in May 1871 and only saw a few settlers. Later in the summer he came back and he encountered the rowdy cowtown called Newton.

The first three businesses were Robert Walton's blacksmith shop (W 5th) Davis & Steele's Bakery (block north of railroad site) and Peter Luhn's Pioneer Store (6th & Main).

Other businessmen quickly set up establishments to cater to the needs of the homesteader and cowboy a like.

By August, the town had four lumber yards, several grocery, drug, and dry goods stores, restaurants. hotels, twenty-seven saloons and eight gambling halls.

Joseph McCoy's stockyard were located a mile and half southwest of Newton with a large tract of land to the west for grazing up to 40,000 head of cattle.

The most famous part of town was located south of the railroad tracks and known a "Hide Park," because the girls showed so much hide. Although there were saloons along Main street north of the railroad tracks, Hide Park was the most lawless. Early Newton history is filled with stories of violence, corruption and rowdy entertainment, giving rise to the nickname "Bloody Newton and the "wicked town west of the Mississippi.