Atkinson is an extinct town in Center Township

Center Township, Benton County, Indiana

Center Township is one of eleven townships in Benton County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,854. It was organized in June 1875 and was originally known as Prairie Township.-Geography:...

, Benton County

Benton County, Indiana

Benton County is located along in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Indiana, along the border with Illinois. As of 2010, the county's population was 8,854. It contains six incorporated towns as well as several small unincorporated settlements; it is also divided into 11 townships which...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

. The site of Atkinson is home to the county's only junior/senior high school, Benton Central

Benton Central Junior-Senior High School

Benton Central Junior/Senior High School is the only high school in Benton County, Indiana and is located five miles southeast of Fowler in Atkinson. The school mascot is the Bison. BC was a 1960s consolidation of Ambia, Boswell, Earl Park, Fowler, Montmorenci, Pine Township, Oxford, and...

. The town was named for Cephas Atkinson and served as a shipping point on the Big Four railway. Its population in the 1920s was from 10 to 15.

Geography

Atkinson is located at 40°33′46"N 87°14′48"W on the border of Center Township

Center Township, Benton County, Indiana

Center Township is one of eleven townships in Benton County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,854. It was organized in June 1875 and was originally known as Prairie Township.-Geography:...

 and Oak Grove Township

Oak Grove Township, Benton County, Indiana

Oak Grove Township is one of eleven townships in Benton County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 1,694. It was one of the first three townships originally created by the county's commissioners in 1840...

. U.S. Route 52

U.S. Route 52

U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...

 and the Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad

Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad

The Kankakee, Beaverville and Southern Railroad Company is a Class III railroad serving agricultural communities in east-central Illinois and west-central Indiana.-History:...

both pass northwest through the town.

Interesting Factiod: When the windmills were being first planted in Benton County, the Atkinson road sign was hit and the pole was severed that held it in place. Soon after the sign went missing and is suspected to have been stolen by a passer by as a trophy of the criminal action. µ