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	712 ft (217 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)
FIPS code	18-53388
GNIS feature ID	440094

New Pekin is a town in Pierce and Polk townships, Washington County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,401 at the 2010 census.

History

The land for the town of New Pekin was first entered on August 25, 1818. The original town plat was made on December 23, 1883 by W. A. Graves. The town of New Pekin was incorporated in 1903 to provide funds to build and operate a school.

The New Pekin post office has been in operation since 1840.

"Old" Pekin

On September 29, 1819, Isaac Davis entered section 30 in what was to become Polk Township. Several years later in 1831 Christian Bixler laid out the town of Pekin on the south side of Mutton Fork, Blue River.

Before 1831, there were several buildings at this location. As early as 1830 stage coaches were making regular runs between Jeffersonville and Salem. A wagon route between Salem and New Albany also passed through this area. Pekin was a staging stop where horses were watered and changed.

The town prospered until 1851 when the railroad was completed. The train station was built on the more level north side of Blue River. Businesses gradually migrated to the new location. In 1854 the County Commissioners declared the town vacant and the area became known as Old Pekin.

Fourth of July celebration

The town of New Pekin claims the distinction of having the oldest consecutive Independence Day celebration in the United States of America. Pekin began celebrating Independence Day in the year 1830. Bristol, Rhode Island claims to have celebrated since 1785.

Few historical facts about the earliest celebrations exist, with the information available coming from oral tradition. The first several celebrations were said to be neighborhood affairs, though it is assumed that it did not stay that way for long. Many families lived in the surrounding townships and there were few social activities.

Various sources recount that the celebration was held near Old Pekin from 1830 until 1856. Circa 1857 the celebration was moved to near the Blue River, where festivities were held until 1885. In either 1872 or 1873 the picnic was held at the farm of James Campbell, where he had built a recreational area.

The fall of 1884 saw the completion of the fairgrounds. The following year, the celebration was moved to the new fairgrounds. Many local residents did not agree with the celebration being moved there and held a second celebration at Tash Grove.

In 1909, the Gill brothers bought the southern part of the old fairgrounds, which became known as Gill's Grove. This became the present location of the Pekin Community Park, where the celebration has been held every year since.

Today the celebration consists of a fireworks display, a parade, live bands, three-on-three basketball tournament, carnival, food vendors, a flea market, reading of the United States Declaration of Independence, prince and princess contest, horseshoe pitching contest, a queen contest, cookouts and many other small celebrations around the town of Pekin.

Morgan's Raid

On July 11, 1863, while crossing Blue River near New Pekin, Captain William J. Davis of Morgan's Raid and some of his men were captured by 73rd Indiana Volunteers and a detachment of the 5th U.S. Regulars. Captain Davis and several other soldiers were taken to New Albany, Indiana and secured in the county jail.

Early March 2012 tornado outbreak

On March 2, 2012, an EF4 tornado hit New Pekin. All five fatalities in Washington County occurred in New Pekin. Debris from New Pekin was found 160 miles away in Pleasant Plain, Ohio.

Geography

New Pekin is located at 38°30′13″N 86°0′53″W / 38.50361°N 86.01472°W / 38.50361; -86.01472 (38.503585, -86.014816).

According to the 2010 census, New Pekin has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.22 km²), of which 2.37 square miles (6.14 km²) (or 98.75%) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) (or 1.25%) is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, New Pekin has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,401 people, 563 households, and 383 families residing in the town. The population density was 591.1 inhabitants per square mile (228.2/km²). There were 628 housing units at an average density of 265.0 per square mile (102.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.1% White, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

There were 563 households, of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.0% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the town was 36.8 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 27.3% were from 45 to 64; and 11.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

See also

In Spanish: New Pekin (Indiana) para niños