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.