However, John Newton's heroics are said to be a product of Parson Weems, who also fictionalized the story of George Washington and the cherry tree.

In 1853, disputes led to the building of a courthouse and town in the county's geographical center instead of in Burkeville, a community 11 miles north northeast of Newton.

A second courthouse in Newton, a Second Empire style structure, was built in 1902–1903 with bricks from nearby Caney Creek, according to a Texas Historical Commission marker.

The site of the college later became the Powell Hotel and now serves as a museum and houses the city's chamber of commerce.

The growth of the city during the first half of the 20th century was largely due to the dominant timber industry in East Texas.

The county courthouse, a focal point of a city square that featured extensive Christmas lighting in the early 1990s, was severely damaged by a fire in August 2000.

[5] Although almost 80 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, Newton suffered extensive damage in September 2005 from Hurricane Rita.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.