For this week's small town breakdown we're going from North Judson in Starke County to Morocco in Newton County. Morocco is one hour and 50 minutes northwest of Indianapolis, one hour northwest of Lafayette, and one hour and 30 minutes south of Chicago.
The History of Newton County and Morocco, Indiana
Newton County was originally established by the state legislature in 1835 but merged into Jasper County by 1839. Twenty years later, it was re-created from the western portion of Jasper County, and officially organized in 1860. It is the youngest of Indiana’s 92 counties. It was named after Revolutionary War Sergeant John Newton.
Morocco was platted in 1851 by John Murphey. Local legend says John and others met a man passing through wearing Moroccan leather boots, so the town was named Morocco. That’s why a red boot is on the town sign that welcomes visitors to Morocco! It was the first town in Newton County and was once home to Indiana’s largest lake, Beaver Lake, before it was drained in the 1870s.
As of February 2026, Morocco’s population was 1,040, making it the second-largest incorporated town/city in Newton County and the 341st-largest incorporated town/city in Indiana.
Things to Do In or Near Morocco, Indiana
If you’re looking for something to do on Memorial Day weekend, head to Morocco for the Morocco Beaver Fest. Attendees can enjoy food trucks, a car show, parade, kids’ bounce houses, fireworks, and more.
The Sam Rice Baseball Complex is home to two ball diamonds, a basketball court, trails, and the Westfield Community Pool, open during the summer.
Racing fans have to visit the US 41 Dragstrip, which has been a staple of the Midwest racing community since 1994.
History buffs should check out the Scott-Lucas House, a historic home built in 1912 that today operates as a house museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
If you like the outdoors, Morocco has you covered. The nearly 10,000-acre Willow Slough Fish & Wildlife Area is northwest of town and offers recreational opportunities like camping, hunting, fishing, and chances to see Indiana wildlife. It is home to a wetland complex and J.C. Murphey Lake, which spans more than 1,200 acres and has plenty of hot spots. Portions of an old railroad station can be found in Willow Slough as well.
You also can’t miss the Efroymson Prairie at Kankakee Sands north of town. It consists of 8,400 acres of prairies and wetlands and connects Willow Slough, Beaver Lake Nature Preserve, Conrad Savanna Nature Preserve, and TNC’s Conrad Station Savanna, which is a 360-acre sand savanna with black and white oaks growing on rolling sand hills. Together, they make up over 20,000 acres and are home to more than 86 rare, threatened, and endangered species. You can walk trails, take a 2-hour driving tour, and see bison and other wildlife throughout the Kankakee Sands.
Places to Eat or Drink in Morocco, Indiana
There are three places to hit up when you’re in Morocco.
For breakfast, lunch or dinner, Mel’s Downtown has checked every box as the local diner since 2003. They have 4.7 stars on Google and over 2,500 followers on Facebook, more than twice Morocco’s population. Mel is retiring at the end of this year, however, and their last day of business will be December 31. Stop by for a bite and thank Mel for her over 20 years of incredible restaurant service!
The family-owned Morocco Tacos is open six days a week (closed on Tuesday) and serves up carne asada and al pastor tacos, burritos, and other Mexican cuisine.
If you’re looking for a nightcap, Hill Top Tavern is the spot for a cold one and awesome dive bar atmosphere.
Home of a Baseball Hall of Famer
Morocco was the birthplace of Baseball Hall of Famer Edgar “Sam” Rice, who played 20 seasons in the major leagues, including 19 with the Washington Senators and one with the Cleveland Indians when he was 44 years old.
However, tragedy hit before his professional career started. When he was away at a tryout in 1912, a tornado ripped through the area and killed his family. He enlisted in the Navy the following year.
Rice didn’t debut in the majors until he was 25 and was initially a pitcher before quickly developing into one of the game’s greatest hitters. He led the American League with 63 stolen bases in 1920 and had an AL-best 216 hits during Washington’s 1924 run to the World Series title, 4 games to 3 over the New York Giants. He also paced the majors with 216 hits in 1926.
He led the Senators back to the World Series in 1925, but they lost in seven games to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and again in 1933, when they lost in five games to the New York Giants, who were led by Hall of Famers Mel Ott, Bill Terry and Carl Hubbell.
Rice finished his career with a .322 lifetime batting average and 2,987 hits, eclipsing 200 hits in a season six times and batting north of .300 in a full season 13 times. He currently ranks 34th on the all-time hits list.
He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1963.
High School History
North Newton Jr/Sr High School is home of the Spartans. They have won one IHSAA state championship in school history, courtesy of softball in 2025. North Newton defeated Clay City 2-0 in the 1A final to cap off a 24-3-1 season.
Eighteen of the Spartans’ 24 wins were by shutout, and they won their last nine games of the season without allowing a single run, including a 31-0 run differential in the seven playoff games to become just the second state champion softball program in IHSAA history to not allow a run in the state tournament. Right-handed pitcher Sydney Rainford, now playing at Division I East Carolina, was lights out all season and nearly unhittable in the postseason. She started all seven playoff games, allowed just 13 hits and six walks with 108 strikeouts in 50 scoreless innings pitched, and led all softball players in the state of Indiana with a 0.35 ERA and 373 strikeouts on the season.
That's it for small town breakdown No. 87. Where should we head next?
