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Indiana County
Newton County, Indiana
Kentland and Indiana's flattest terrain - from Kentland's role as the governmental hub of one of Indiana's most level counties to Newton County's Kankakee River wetlands and Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area (Newton County was once part of the vast Kankakee Marsh, one of the largest wetlands in North America, and today the Willow Slough Fish and Wildlife Area preserves significant restored wetland habitat that attracts waterfowl hunters and wildlife enthusiasts from across the region).
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Office: Newton County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via newtoncounty.in.gov.
Sheriff: Newton County Sheriff’s Office – 304 E. Seymour Street, Kentland, IN 47951 | (219) 474-3331 | Fax (219) 474-3333 | Toll-free (888) 663-9866. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-24 and US-41 serve Kentland, the county seat, on the Illinois state line in northwestern Indiana, 85 miles south of Chicago and 105 miles north of Indianapolis.
Notes: Newton County has an unusually complex organizational history. Originally formed by statute February 7, 1835, as a large square area, its northern border was cut back to the Kankakee River in 1836 (that land going to Lake and Porter counties), and the county was then abolished entirely in 1839, merged into Jasper County. It was recreated December 8, 1859, with essentially its current borders, named for Sergeant John Newton. Kentland was designated county seat in 1860, named for Alexander J. Kent.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Newton County Courthouse – One Courthouse Square, Kentland, IN (built 1906, Renaissance Revival brick with limestone trim, architects Joseph T. Hutton and Erick Lund; National Register of Historic Places since 2008).
Notes: Newton County was home to George Ade, a nationally celebrated humorist, playwright, and newspaper columnist sometimes called “the Hoosier Aesop” for his popular Fables in Slang; his Hazelden estate near Brook hosted a 1911 political rally for President William Howard Taft, both honored with state historical markers. The county also produced Warren T. McCray, who served as Indiana’s governor in the early 1920s, and Edgar Charles “Sam” Rice, a Hall of Fame Major League Baseball outfielder from Morocco.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Newton County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via newtoncounty.in.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Kentland Community Public Library (Kentland) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The George Ade Hazelden Estate, the Newton County Courthouse, and the Iroquois and Kankakee River corridors are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine literary legacy of George Ade – celebrated nationally as “the Hoosier Aesop” – is among the standout local cultural facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Newton County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via newtoncounty.in.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via newtoncounty.in.gov; Newton County Sheriff’s Office, (219) 474-3331, for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Newton County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via newtoncounty.in.gov.
NOTES: Newton County is the fifty-seventh county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine literary legacy of George Ade, “the Hoosier Aesop,” is among the standout local cultural facts covered in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Newton County
Newton County is northwest Indiana’s flat prairie border county – drained from its original Kankakee Marsh character into some of Indiana’s most productive agricultural land, Newton County delivers exceptional corn and soybean yields while the restored Willow Slough wildlife area preserves a remnant of the region’s original wetland heritage.
Kentland (the county seat, population ~1,700) is Newton County’s governmental hub, a small county seat serving one of Indiana’s most rural and sparsely populated northwestern counties near the Illinois border.
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Newton County Assessor at 201 N. 3rd Street, Kentland, IN 47951, phone 219-474-6081. IN assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Newton County Circuit Court at 201 N. 3rd Street, Kentland, IN 47951, phone 219-474-6081, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
201 N. 3rd St., Kentland, IN 47951
(219) 474-6081
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
201 N. 3rd St., Kentland, IN 47951
(219) 474-6081
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Newton County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Newton County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Newton County Circuit Court 201 North 3rd Street, Kentland, IN 47951 (219) 474-5131 Newton County is a small, rural county in northwestern Indiana along the Illinois border.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Indiana has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – probate is governed by Indiana Code Title 29. Indiana offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where the gross probate estate (less liens, encumbrances, and funeral expenses) is $100,000 or less. Available 45 days after death. The affidavit must be signed and recorded with the county recorder’s office before a personal representative is appointed. No court filing is required.
Devolution of Real Estate Affidavit – a separate affidavit specifically for transferring real property, available 7 months after death, with no value limit on the real estate, recorded with the county recorder.
Unsupervised Administration – a simplified probate track available when the estate is solvent and all inheritors agree; fewer court appearances and filings than supervised administration.
Supervised Administration – full court oversight, used for contested, complex, or insolvent estates.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and for Issuance of Letters (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Appointment of Personal Representative (if intestate) with the Newton County Circuit Court.
The court reviews the will for compliance with Indiana Code § 29-1-5-3 (in writing, signed by the testator, witnessed by at least 2 credible witnesses).
The court issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (intestate) appointing the personal representative.
Publish notice to creditors; creditors generally have a limited window (commonly 3 months from first publication) to file claims.
The personal representative marshals assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and distributes the estate.
File a closing statement or final accounting to formally close the estate.
What it costs
Indiana does not have a state estate or inheritance tax.
Filing fees vary by county – confirm current amounts with the Newton County Circuit Court.
Indiana has no statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives – fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval.
Typical timelines: Small Estate Affidavit – a minimum 45-day wait; Unsupervised Administration – roughly 6-9 months if uncontested; Supervised Administration – 9-12+ months.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
201 N. 3rd St., Kentland, IN 47951
(219) 474-3331
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
201 N. 3rd St., Kentland, IN 47951
(219) 474-6081
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Newton County Health Dept
(219) 474-5302
IN FSSA — Northwest Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Franciscan Health Rensselaer
franciscanhealth.org/rensselaer
IU Health White Memorial (Monticello)
iuhealth.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Newton County Health Department – confirm current contact via newtoncounty.in.gov.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Kentland
Population: 13,500
Area: 402 sq mi
Established: 1859
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Newton County residents.
