[6] The first white person to settle in the area now known as Tipton was Samuel King, who purchased land between 1835 and 1836.

The area had to be cleared of trees and plants, and John Criswell did the surveying for $2 a day.

[10][13] Tipton served as United States Senator for Indiana from 1831 until shortly before his death in 1839.

[10] Early Tipton was unorganized, with log cabins and poorly built homes riddling the streets and not following the platting.

Cows wandered through town and wild game was chased by residents through the streets.

By 1850, the population doubled and a physician, Isaac Parker, had founded his practice in the city.

One resident, Mason Lyons, freed all the animals that were still alive, allowing them to wander into the forest to feed.

[16][17] In 1854, the Tipton Presbyterian Church was founded in the city, after being dissolved in Normanda.

The Methodist church served as the court house for three years until the new courthouse was finished.

[20] In 1872, the Jefferson street canal was built, which helped to drain the surface areas of the town.

A small church was built and they founded St. Joseph Academy, a parochial school.

According to the 2010 census, Tipton has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.47 km2), all land.

[26] In 1849, the city was covered in trees, underbrush, logs, stumps and wild vines and weeds.

Wolves, bull frogs, deer, mosquitos, and wild game were commonplace.

On the east side of the town square, Cassler ran his business out of a log cabin.

[10] Merchandise was delivered to Tipton via wagons and on horseback from Lafayette, Peru, and Indianapolis.

[16] The Lake Erie & Western Shops were located in Tipton, which, as of 1914, employed 350-400 people.

Tomato processing was common due to the high quality black loam in the area.

The Fame Canning Company canned corn, peas and tomatoes.

The Oakes Manufacturing Company produced poultry incubators and related supplies for international distribution.

[32] Every year, the weekend after Labor Day the Tipton County Pork Festival takes place.

The event features a parade, a queen contest where Miss Pork Cuisine is crowned, food and music.

[33] In the early 20th century, 26 acres of land were set aside for a Tipton City Park, with streams and trees.

Teachers were poorly paid and often boarded with the families of the students they taught to make ends meet.

A frame school house was built in 1852, which provided a permanent learning space for residents.

[37] Tipton Schools counts 1,851 students in K-12, with 97% being white, and the remaining 3% either African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Indian, or multiracial.

[39] In the mid to late 19th century, Tipton was known as being a very dirty and muddy place.

Representatives from Tipton traveled to Bloomington, Illinois, to examine that city's brick streets and upon returning to Tipton they commissioned 2 1/2 blocks of brick paving on Jefferson Street.

The train would stop anywhere on the line and pick up people, not needing a proper station.

Natural gas was piped in from West Virginia to a depot in Elwood for distribution in Tipton.