Atkinson, Indiana

Atkinson
Extinct town

Benton County's location in Indiana
Atkinson

Location in Benton County

Coordinates: 40°33′46″N 87°14′48″W / 40.56278°N 87.24667°WCoordinates: 40°33′46″N 87°14′48″W / 40.56278°N 87.24667°W
Country United States
State Indiana
County Benton
Township Center
Elevation 774 ft (236 m)
ZIP code 47971
FIPS code 18-02566[1]
GNIS feature ID 430324[2]

Atkinson is an extinct town in Center Township, Benton County, Indiana. The site of Atkinson is home to the county's only junior/senior high school, Benton Central.

History

A post office was established at Atkinson in 1873, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1923.[3] The town was named for W. J. Atkinson[4] and served as a shipping point on the Big Four railway.

Its population in the 1920s was from 10 to 15.[5]

Geography

Atkinson is located at 40°33′46″N 87°14′48″W / 40.56278°N 87.24667°W on the border of Center and Oak Grove Townships. U.S. Route 52 and the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad both pass northwest through the town.

References

  1. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ↑ "Atkinson, Indiana". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
  3. ↑ "Benton County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  4. ↑ Baker, Ronald L. (October 1995). From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History. Indiana University Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-253-32866-3. The name honors W. J. Atkinson, a prominent cattleman...
  5. ↑ Birch, Jesse Setlington (1942) [1928]. "Towns of the County". History of Benton County and Historic Oxford. Oxford, Indiana: Craw & Craw. p. 200.