Newton County is made up of parts of Henry, Jasper and Walton counties dating to 1821. Its name honors Sergeant John Newton, a companion of the Revolutionary War hero William Jasper. Covington, the county seat, is named for Patriot General Leonard Covington. Newton was the first county in the United States to give public school students free transportation, the idea of School Commissioner G. C. Adams in 1893. He also founded the first 4-H Club.