New Pekin, Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids New Pekin, Indiana
Town
New Pekin Town Hall
Location of New Pekin in Washington County, Indiana.
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Washington
Township	Pierce, Polk
Area
• Total	2.40 sq mi (6.23 km2)
• Land	2.38 sq mi (6.17 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation	709 ft (216 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,323
• Density	555.18/sq mi (214.39/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47165
Area code(s)	812 and 930
FIPS code	18-53388
GNIS feature ID	440094

New Pekin is a small town located in Washington County, Indiana, United States. It is part of both Pierce and Polk townships. In 2010, about 1,401 people lived there.

New Pekin's Early Days

The land where New Pekin now stands was first claimed on August 25, 1818. The town itself was officially planned out on December 23, 1883, by W. A. Graves. New Pekin became an official town in 1903. This was done to help raise money to build and run a local school.

The New Pekin post office has been open for a very long time, since 1840.

The Story of "Old" Pekin

Before New Pekin, there was an older town called Pekin. It was founded in 1831 by Christian Bixler. This older town was located south of Mutton Fork, which is part of the Blue River.

Even before 1831, there were buildings in this area. By 1830, stagecoaches regularly traveled between Jeffersonville and Salem. A wagon route also connected Salem and New Albany through this spot. Old Pekin was a popular stop where travelers could rest and change horses.

The town grew and did well until 1851. That year, a new railroad was built. The train station was placed on the flatter north side of the Blue River. Over time, businesses slowly moved to this new location near the train. By 1854, the old town area was no longer officially recognized. It became known as Old Pekin.

America's Oldest Fourth of July Celebration

New Pekin is famous for its Fourth of July celebration. The town says it has the longest-running continuous Fourth of July party in the USA. They started celebrating in 1830. However, Bristol, Rhode Island also claims to have celebrated since 1785.

Not many written records exist about the very first celebrations. Most of what we know comes from stories passed down through families. The first few parties were small, just for neighbors. But they quickly grew bigger. Many families lived in the surrounding areas, and there were not many other social events.

The celebration was held near Old Pekin from 1830 until 1856. Around 1857, it moved closer to the Blue River. Festivities took place there until 1885. One year, either 1872 or 1873, the picnic was held at James Campbell's farm. He had built a special area for recreation there.

In 1884, new fairgrounds were completed. The next year, the celebration moved to these fairgrounds. However, some local people did not like this change. They held a second celebration at a place called Tash Grove.

In 1909, the Gill brothers bought the southern part of the old fairgrounds. This area became known as Gill's Grove. Today, this is the Pekin Community Park. The Fourth of July celebration has been held there every year since.

Today, the celebration is a huge event. It includes a fireworks show, a parade, and live music. There's also a three-on-three basketball tournament, a carnival, and lots of food. You can find a flea market, a reading of the United States Declaration of Independence, and contests. These include a prince and princess contest, a horseshoe pitching contest, and a queen contest. Many families also have their own cookouts and small parties around town.

Former Indiana Representative Mike Sodrel once said in 2006 that the Pekin Independence Day parade felt like a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. He meant it was a perfect example of traditional American life.

Morgan's Raid: A Civil War Event

During the American Civil War, on July 11, 1863, an event known as Morgan's Raid took place. Captain William J. Davis, a leader in Morgan's Raid, and some of his soldiers were captured. This happened while they were crossing the Blue River near New Pekin. They were caught by soldiers from the 73rd Indiana Volunteers and the 5th U.S. Regulars. Captain Davis and other captured soldiers were taken to the county jail in New Albany, Indiana.

The 2012 Tornado

On March 2, 2012, a very strong tornado hit New Pekin. This tornado was rated as an EF4. It caused a lot of damage in the town. Debris from New Pekin was found as far away as 160 miles, in Pleasant Plain, Ohio.

New Pekin's Location and Climate

New Pekin is located at 38°30′13″N 86°0′53″W / 38.50361°N 86.01472°W / 38.50361; -86.01472.

According to the 2010 census, New Pekin covers about 2.4 square miles (6.2 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 2.37 square miles (6.14 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 0.03 square miles (0.08 square kilometers), is water.

Weather in New Pekin

The weather in New Pekin has hot and humid summers. The winters are generally mild to cool. This type of weather is called a humid subtropical climate. On climate maps, it's often shown as "Cfa."

How Many People Live in New Pekin?

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 1,401 people living in New Pekin. These people lived in 563 households, and 383 of these were families. The town had about 591 people per square mile. There were 628 homes in total.

Most of the people in New Pekin were White (97.1%). A small number were African American (0.6%), Native American (0.2%), or Asian (0.1%). About 2.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

About 35.7% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (45.1%) were married couples. The average household had 2.49 people, and the average family had 2.98 people.

The average age of people in New Pekin was 36.8 years. About 25.3% of residents were under 18. About 11.9% were 65 years old or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (48.8%) and females (51.2%).

See also

In Spanish: New Pekin (Indiana) para niños