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Newport (city), Vermont
Encyclopedia
Newport is a city in and the shire town (county seat
) of Orleans County
, Vermont
, United States
. As of the 2000 census
, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area.
down Lake Memphremagog
and came ashore where Newport is now. They then traveled southeast to his home in New Hampshire
.
Rogers' Rangers
were forced to retreat through the county following their attack on Saint-Francis, Quebec
in 1759. To confound their avenging pursuers, they split up on the east shore of Lake Memphremagog. One group followed the Clyde River
east. Another followed the Barton River
south.
Newport as a settlement began in 1793. The village was first called Pickeral Point, but later renamed Lake Bridge for its location at the head of Lake Memphremagog.
In the early 19th century, the women of pioneer Calvin Arnold's household, refused to live in the Arnold house near what is now Clyde Pond, because of depredations by the Indians.
In 1816, part of the former town of Salem, was annexed to Newport town, and is now part of the city.
The railroad reached the village in 1863.
The city had a scare when they received news of the St. Albans Raid
during the American Civil
War. They thought these raids might repeat throughout the state but particularly at the south end of the lake. The militia was turned out. The ferry from Magog was met with determined looking armed men, much to the captain's surprise, who had heard nothing about the raid. Armed Norwich University
students were shipped in by train. Nothing happened and everyone was sent home in a few days.
In 1868, the Lake Bridge settlement was incorporated as the Village of Newport.
It became a busy lumber
town. The firm of Prouty & Miller, a lumbering firm, was started in 1865. With the end of the lumbering concentration in Vermont, it went out of business in the 1980s.
The Lady of the Lake steam excursion/ferry boat
started operating in 1867. It stopped operations in 1917. This is used as Newport's logo.
In 1868, a livery stable that would ultimately grow to 100 horses, started operating behind a hotel, several blocks from the railway station.
In 1873, the Bellevue Hotel was built to accommodate 75, and later, 100 guests. It was renamed the Newport House by 1891. It was demolished in 1973.
The Newport Wharf Light was a tower built on Lake Memphremagog in 1879. It has since been demolished.
The current county courthouse was built in 1886. That was the year that the legislature moved the shire town here.
By the late 19th century, the Boston & Maine and Central Vermont
railroads were routed through Lake Bridge and the small village experienced a population boom.
The now-historic Goodrich Memorial Library
was built in 1899.
The Memphremagog Hotel burned in 1907.
In 1917, the city of Newport was formed from portions of the towns of Newport
(former village of Newport) and Derby
(former village of West Derby). It was organized on March 5, 1918.
The current federal courthouse was built in 1904. Then, it included the post office.
In 1917, the city paved Main Street. By 1930, 4,000 motor vehicles a day, during the summer, traveled the street.
In August 1942, a single-engined Royal Canadian Air Force
training plane crashed into the lake near the west shore near the city, killing the only occupant, the pilot.
Between 1936 and 1953, the International Club in Newport had the largest dance floor in New England
, 220 by. It was capable of holding 2,000 dancers. Various performers stopped to entertain while enroute between Boston
and Montreal
on the railroad. These included: Louis Armstrong
, Charlie Barnet
, Les Brown
, Cab Calloway
, Rosemary Clooney
, the Dorsey Brothers, Jimmy
and Tommy
; Stan Kenton
, Kay Kyser
, Gene Krupa
, Glenn Miller
, Tony Pastor
, and Louis Prima
.
From its founding, Newport's population plateaued around 5,000 people until 1950 when it started dropping. It reached bottom in 1990 at 4,434. In 2000 it still had not reached its 1950 high which was 5,217. In 2003, the Newport-headquartered Citizens Utility was sold and divided up among Great Bay Hydro and Vermont Electric Cooperative
.
The last passenger train left Newport in 1965.
The city sold its airport
to the state of Vermont in the 1970s.
The Vermont Teddy Bear Company
once had a plant within the city. A Columbia Forest Products
plant once employed about 100 workers. Both closed in 2010.
A local subsidiary of an international ski clothing manufacturer once employed 30 workers. It closed in 2011.
, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.7 km2), of which 6.0 square miles (15.6 km2) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) (20.87%) is water. The city surrounds the southern shore of Lake Memphremagog
. Three of the four major rivers in the county empty into the lake here: the Clyde
, Barton
, and the Black.
Newport borders the towns of Coventry
to the south, Newport
to the west, and Derby
to the north and east.
of 2000, there were 5,005 people, 2,086 households, and 1,191 families residing in the city. The population density
was 830.0 people per square mile (320.5/km2). There were 2,342 housing units at an average density of 388.4 per square mile (150.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.14% White, 0.76% Black or African American
, 0.62% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.22% from other races
, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population. 33% were of French Canadian and French ancestry, 16% English, and 14% Irish.
There were 2,086 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
for the city was $20,054. About 13.0% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
The per capita income is the highest in Orleans County. The income ranks it 108 out of 282 census areas in Vermont.
A Columbia Forest Products
plant employs about 100 workers.
There is a call center employing 120 people.
MSA
manufactures military combat helmets.
is located in the city. The hospital is the cities largest employer, employing 605 people.
Orleans-Essex Visiting Nurses Association and Hospice
employs 100 people locally.
The Northeast Kingdom Human Services
aids mental health needs.
Social services are provided in part by the Northeast Kingdom Community Action
located here and in other Northeast Kingdom sites.
derby
has been held in February since 2004. In 2010, there were 920 participants.
The only Soap Box Derby
in Vermont is held in the city annually. The winner represents the state in the nationals.
, the Newport Court, Reparative Services, and the Vermont Correctional Industries.
Elected government consists of 4 aldermen with staggered two years terms and a mayor.
The city has a paid staff for tax assessment/zoning administrator, public works department, police, fire, recreation and parks, city attorney, and harbor master.
There are decision-making boards which are filled by unpaid appointees: planning commission (5 people, three year terms), harbor commission (5 people, two year terms),development review board (nine people, three year terms), and a recreation committee.
There are normal officers for Vermont cities and sometimes towns, except they are appointed for cities: Delinquent tax collector, town service officer, animal control, health officer, tree warden, weigher of coal, inspector of wood and shingles, representative to NVDA (Northeastern Vermont Development Association) board, representative to EDC board (Vermont Economic Development Authority), and Fence Viewer
s.
. Its mayor is Paul Monette, and the council is composed of Richard Baraw, Tim de la Bruere, Dennis Chenette, and John Wilson. The city clerk/treasurer is James D. Johnson, and the city manager
is John O. Ward.
. There is one private school, the United Christian Academy. It was formerly home to Sacred Heart School in the Burlington Roman Catholic Diocese School District, but closed in fall of 2007.
School Board directors include Lisa Kincaid, Leo Willey (chair), Deborah Cogan, Corinna Lancaster and Marcy Miller.
The budget for the Newport City Elementary School was $4,435,765 in 2007.
In addition, the city belongs to North Country Supervisory Union
with members from nearby towns. They operate the North Country Union High School
and the North Country Union Junior High School. The supervisor hired by this union board supervises the town school, as well as the union schools.
which enrolls nearly 300 students. It awards an Associate's Degree
for these undergraduate studies.
The city has six stoplights, which is most of the stoplights in the county. Five are on Route 5.
The final bridge is the trestle for the railway.
), a non-profit organization, runs out of Saint Johnsbury and services Caledonia and two other counties, including Orleans. For general use, there are four buses north and south during the week from west Newport city to Derby, and two buses each way on Saturday. The fare is US 25 cents.
WACR) - In 2007 WACR was awarded a 30 year contract by the State of Vermont to operate the rail line between White River Junction and Newport. Today the only regular service on this line is freight traffic.
Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway
(known by the reporting mark
MMA) - The MMA operates the line running northwest through North Troy and eventually on to Farnham, Quebec
. It interchanges freight traffic with the WACR at Newport yard, just south of town.
A rail line, which was part of the Quebec Central Railway
, once ran east of Lake Memphremagog up to Lennoxville, Quebec
, but it has been abandoned and the right-of-way has been converted into a mixed-use bicycle and walking path.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
) of Orleans County
Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans County is one of the four northernmost counties in the U.S. state of Vermont. It borders Canada. In 2010, the population was 27,231. Its county seat is Newport. As in the rest of New England, few governmental powers have been granted to the county...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, the city population was 5,005. The city contains the largest population of any government in the county, yet encompasses the smallest area.
History
In 1753, the Abenakis brought the ransomed John StarkJohn Stark
John Stark was a New Hampshire native who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.-Early life:John Stark was born in Londonderry, New...
down Lake Memphremagog
Lake Memphremagog
Lake Memphremagog is a fresh water glacial lake located between Newport, Vermont, United States and Magog, Quebec, Canada. The lake is long with 73 percent of the lake's surface area in Quebec, where it drains into the Magog River. However, three-quarters of its watershed, , is in Vermont. The...
and came ashore where Newport is now. They then traveled southeast to his home in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.
Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
were forced to retreat through the county following their attack on Saint-Francis, Quebec
Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec
Saint-François-du-Lac is a community in the Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 2,002...
in 1759. To confound their avenging pursuers, they split up on the east shore of Lake Memphremagog. One group followed the Clyde River
Clyde River (Vermont)
The Clyde River is a tributary of Lake Memphremagog, over long, in northern Vermont in the United States. It is the easternmost of the four major rivers in Orleans County. It is the most powerful of the four within Orleans County, powering several turbines at damsites...
east. Another followed the Barton River
Barton River
The Barton River is a tributary of Lake Memphremagog, over long, in northern Vermont in the United States.It runs north from Glover through Barton, Brownington, Coventry and drains through Newport into Lake Memphremagog's South Bay.-Course:...
south.
Newport as a settlement began in 1793. The village was first called Pickeral Point, but later renamed Lake Bridge for its location at the head of Lake Memphremagog.
In the early 19th century, the women of pioneer Calvin Arnold's household, refused to live in the Arnold house near what is now Clyde Pond, because of depredations by the Indians.
In 1816, part of the former town of Salem, was annexed to Newport town, and is now part of the city.
The railroad reached the village in 1863.
The city had a scare when they received news of the St. Albans Raid
St. Albans raid
The St. Albans Raid was the northernmost land action of the American Civil War, taking place in St. Albans, Vermont on October 19, 1864.-Background:In this unusual incident, Bennett H. Young led Confederate States Army forces...
during the American Civil
War. They thought these raids might repeat throughout the state but particularly at the south end of the lake. The militia was turned out. The ferry from Magog was met with determined looking armed men, much to the captain's surprise, who had heard nothing about the raid. Armed Norwich University
Norwich University
Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
students were shipped in by train. Nothing happened and everyone was sent home in a few days.
In 1868, the Lake Bridge settlement was incorporated as the Village of Newport.
It became a busy lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
town. The firm of Prouty & Miller, a lumbering firm, was started in 1865. With the end of the lumbering concentration in Vermont, it went out of business in the 1980s.
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
started operating in 1867. It stopped operations in 1917. This is used as Newport's logo.
In 1868, a livery stable that would ultimately grow to 100 horses, started operating behind a hotel, several blocks from the railway station.
In 1873, the Bellevue Hotel was built to accommodate 75, and later, 100 guests. It was renamed the Newport House by 1891. It was demolished in 1973.
The Newport Wharf Light was a tower built on Lake Memphremagog in 1879. It has since been demolished.
The current county courthouse was built in 1886. That was the year that the legislature moved the shire town here.
By the late 19th century, the Boston & Maine and Central Vermont
Central Vermont Railway
The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec....
railroads were routed through Lake Bridge and the small village experienced a population boom.
The now-historic Goodrich Memorial Library
Goodrich Memorial Library
The Goodrich Memorial Library is a public library in Newport, Orleans County, Vermont. It is the largest and only one of two full time libraries in the county.-History:...
was built in 1899.
The Memphremagog Hotel burned in 1907.
Newport (town), Vermont
Newport is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,511 at the 2000 census. The town is referred to by the United States Postal Service and the media as Newport Center, the name of the main settlement of the town.-Town:...
(former village of Newport) and Derby
Derby, Vermont
Derby is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,604 at the 2000 census. The town contains four unincorporated villages: Beebe Plain, Clyde Pond, Lake Salem and North Derby; and two incorporated villages: Derby Center and Derby Line...
(former village of West Derby). It was organized on March 5, 1918.
The current federal courthouse was built in 1904. Then, it included the post office.
In 1917, the city paved Main Street. By 1930, 4,000 motor vehicles a day, during the summer, traveled the street.
In August 1942, a single-engined Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
training plane crashed into the lake near the west shore near the city, killing the only occupant, the pilot.
Between 1936 and 1953, the International Club in Newport had the largest dance floor in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, 220 by. It was capable of holding 2,000 dancers. Various performers stopped to entertain while enroute between Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
on the railroad. These included: Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, Charlie Barnet
Charlie Barnet
Charles Daly Barnet was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader.His major recordings were "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffle".-Early life:...
, Les Brown
Les Brown (bandleader)
Les Brown, Sr. and the Band of Renown are a big band that began in the late 1930s, initially as the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils that Brown led while a student at Duke University. He was the first president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences...
, Cab Calloway
Cab Calloway
Cabell "Cab" Calloway III was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City where he was a regular performer....
, Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
, the Dorsey Brothers, Jimmy
Jimmy Dorsey
James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...
and Tommy
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
; Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb "Stan" Kenton was a pianist, composer, and arranger who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial American jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
, Kay Kyser
Kay Kyser
James Kern Kyser was a popular bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early years:He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Paul Bynum Kyser and Emily Royster Kyser. Editor Vermont C. Royster was his cousin...
, Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
, Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
, Tony Pastor
Tony Pastor (bandleader)
Tony Pastor was an Italian American novelty singer and tenor saxophonist, who played tenor sax with John Cavallaro , Irving Aaronson , Austin Wylie , Smith Ballew , Joe Venuti, Paul Fredricks, Vincent Lopez, and Artie Shaw's first and second orchestras...
, and Louis Prima
Louis Prima
Louis Prima was a Sicilian American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with his seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the 1920s, then successively leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the...
.
From its founding, Newport's population plateaued around 5,000 people until 1950 when it started dropping. It reached bottom in 1990 at 4,434. In 2000 it still had not reached its 1950 high which was 5,217. In 2003, the Newport-headquartered Citizens Utility was sold and divided up among Great Bay Hydro and Vermont Electric Cooperative
Vermont Electric Cooperative
The Vermont Electric Cooperative is a consumer-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Johnson, Vermont.In 2008 VEC served about 34,000 member-customers in 74 towns in northern Vermont, including Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, and Orleans...
.
The last passenger train left Newport in 1965.
The city sold its airport
Newport State Airport (Vermont)
Newport State Airport is a public airport located three miles southwest of the central business district of Newport, a city in Orleans County, Vermont, United States...
to the state of Vermont in the 1970s.
The Vermont Teddy Bear Company
Vermont Teddy Bear Company
The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is one of the largest producers of teddy bears and the largest seller of teddy bears by mail order and Internet. The company handcrafts each of its teddy bears and produces almost 500,000 teddy bears each year...
once had a plant within the city. A Columbia Forest Products
Columbia Forest Products
Columbia Forest Products is the largest manufacturer of hardwood veneer and hardwood plywood in the United States. Founded in 1957, it is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. It specializes in decorative, interior veneers and plywood panels that are used in high-end cabinetry, fine...
plant once employed about 100 workers. Both closed in 2010.
A local subsidiary of an international ski clothing manufacturer once employed 30 workers. It closed in 2011.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.7 km2), of which 6.0 square miles (15.6 km2) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) (20.87%) is water. The city surrounds the southern shore of Lake Memphremagog
Lake Memphremagog
Lake Memphremagog is a fresh water glacial lake located between Newport, Vermont, United States and Magog, Quebec, Canada. The lake is long with 73 percent of the lake's surface area in Quebec, where it drains into the Magog River. However, three-quarters of its watershed, , is in Vermont. The...
. Three of the four major rivers in the county empty into the lake here: the Clyde
Clyde River (Vermont)
The Clyde River is a tributary of Lake Memphremagog, over long, in northern Vermont in the United States. It is the easternmost of the four major rivers in Orleans County. It is the most powerful of the four within Orleans County, powering several turbines at damsites...
, Barton
Barton River
The Barton River is a tributary of Lake Memphremagog, over long, in northern Vermont in the United States.It runs north from Glover through Barton, Brownington, Coventry and drains through Newport into Lake Memphremagog's South Bay.-Course:...
, and the Black.
Newport borders the towns of Coventry
Coventry, Vermont
Coventry is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,014 at the 2000 census.-Local government:A waste system company paid the town about $800,000 in "tipping fees" in 2009. This allows the town property tax rate to be zero...
to the south, Newport
Newport (town), Vermont
Newport is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,511 at the 2000 census. The town is referred to by the United States Postal Service and the media as Newport Center, the name of the main settlement of the town.-Town:...
to the west, and Derby
Derby, Vermont
Derby is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,604 at the 2000 census. The town contains four unincorporated villages: Beebe Plain, Clyde Pond, Lake Salem and North Derby; and two incorporated villages: Derby Center and Derby Line...
to the north and east.
Climate
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,005 people, 2,086 households, and 1,191 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 830.0 people per square mile (320.5/km2). There were 2,342 housing units at an average density of 388.4 per square mile (150.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.14% White, 0.76% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.62% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.22% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population. 33% were of French Canadian and French ancestry, 16% English, and 14% Irish.
There were 2,086 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
Personal income
The median income for a household in the city was $25,544, and the median income for a family was $34,922. Males had a median income of $33,810 versus $19,787 for females. The per capita incomePer capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $20,054. About 13.0% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
The per capita income is the highest in Orleans County. The income ranks it 108 out of 282 census areas in Vermont.
Industry
Poulin Grain ships its farm feed products to customers in New England and upstate New York. It employs about 50 workers. The plant is producing feed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.A Columbia Forest Products
Columbia Forest Products
Columbia Forest Products is the largest manufacturer of hardwood veneer and hardwood plywood in the United States. Founded in 1957, it is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. It specializes in decorative, interior veneers and plywood panels that are used in high-end cabinetry, fine...
plant employs about 100 workers.
There is a call center employing 120 people.
MSA
Mine Safety Appliances
Mine Safety Appliances, or MSA, is a maker of sophisticated safety products that help protect workers who may be exposed to a variety of hazardous conditions...
manufactures military combat helmets.
Health industry
North Country HospitalNorth Country Hospital
North Country Hospital is in Newport City, Vermont.It was founded in 1919. It is run by a board of trustees.Claudio Fort is president and CEO...
is located in the city. The hospital is the cities largest employer, employing 605 people.
Orleans-Essex Visiting Nurses Association and Hospice
Orleans-Essex Visiting Nurses Association and Hospice
Orleans-Essex Visiting Nurses Association and Hospice, also known as Orleans-Essex VNA, is a not-for-profit home care and hospice agency, which has served Orleans County, Vermont and Essex County, Vermont since its inception in 1969...
employs 100 people locally.
The Northeast Kingdom Human Services
Northeast Kingdom Human Services
The Northeast Kingdom Human Services is tasked with providing services to people in the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont. These services include help with: chronic mental illness, developmental disabilities. substance abuse problems and other mental health and medical psychiatric needs.It employed 480...
aids mental health needs.
Social services are provided in part by the Northeast Kingdom Community Action
Northeast Kingdom Community Action
Northeast Kingdom Community Action or NEKCA is a non-profit 5013 government community agency in the Northeast Kingdom area of the U.S. state of Vermont founded in 1964 to address the needs of disadvantaged residents. It has Executive Offices in the historic US Customs House Building at 70 Main...
located here and in other Northeast Kingdom sites.
Tourism
A commercial ice fishingIce fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
derby
Fishing tournament
A fishing tournament, or derby, is an organised competition among anglers. Fishing tournaments typically take place as a series of competitive events around or on a clearly defined body of water with specific rules applying to each event...
has been held in February since 2004. In 2010, there were 920 participants.
The only Soap Box Derby
Soap Box Derby
The Soap Box Derby is a youth soapbox car racing program which has been run in the United States since 1934. World Championship finals are held each July at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio...
in Vermont is held in the city annually. The winner represents the state in the nationals.
Non-local government
Located in the city is the Northern State Correctional FacilityNorthern State Correctional Facility
The Northern State Correctional Facility is a state prison in the city of Newport, Orleans County, Vermont, USA. It holds up to 400 medium security male prisoners. The Vermont Department of Corrections is responsible for running this prison....
, the Newport Court, Reparative Services, and the Vermont Correctional Industries.
City government
Municipal offices are located in the former National Guard Armory, 222 Main Street, Newport.Elected government consists of 4 aldermen with staggered two years terms and a mayor.
The city has a paid staff for tax assessment/zoning administrator, public works department, police, fire, recreation and parks, city attorney, and harbor master.
There are decision-making boards which are filled by unpaid appointees: planning commission (5 people, three year terms), harbor commission (5 people, two year terms),development review board (nine people, three year terms), and a recreation committee.
There are normal officers for Vermont cities and sometimes towns, except they are appointed for cities: Delinquent tax collector, town service officer, animal control, health officer, tree warden, weigher of coal, inspector of wood and shingles, representative to NVDA (Northeastern Vermont Development Association) board, representative to EDC board (Vermont Economic Development Authority), and Fence Viewer
Fence Viewer
A Fence Viewer is a town or city official who administers fence laws by inspecting new fence and settlement of disputes arising from trespass by livestock that have escaped enclosure.The office of Fence Viewer is one of the oldest appointments in New England...
s.
- Budget (proposed 2007-2008) - $2,479,193
Officials
The city is governed under the mayor-council systemMayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
. Its mayor is Paul Monette, and the council is composed of Richard Baraw, Tim de la Bruere, Dennis Chenette, and John Wilson. The city clerk/treasurer is James D. Johnson, and the city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
is John O. Ward.
Former mayors
| Mayors of Newport, Vermont |
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Elections
Fifty-four percent of those registered, voted in the 2008 general election. This was the lowest turnout in the county.Education
Newport has two public schools: an elementary school, Newport City Elementary, and a high school, North Country Union High SchoolNorth Country Union High School
North Country Union High School , commonly known as North Country or NCU, is a secondary school located in Newport, Vermont. The school is operated by the North Country Supervisory Union school district ....
. There is one private school, the United Christian Academy. It was formerly home to Sacred Heart School in the Burlington Roman Catholic Diocese School District, but closed in fall of 2007.
School districts
The city has a school board that governs the operation of Newport Elementary.School Board directors include Lisa Kincaid, Leo Willey (chair), Deborah Cogan, Corinna Lancaster and Marcy Miller.
The budget for the Newport City Elementary School was $4,435,765 in 2007.
In addition, the city belongs to North Country Supervisory Union
North Country Supervisory Union
The North Country Supervisory Union is a school district responsible for the education of students in the Vermont towns of the city of Newport, Newport Town, Derby, Charleston, Coventry, Jay, Troy, North Troy, Coventry, Brighton, Holland, Morgan, Westfield, and Lowell...
with members from nearby towns. They operate the North Country Union High School
North Country Union High School
North Country Union High School , commonly known as North Country or NCU, is a secondary school located in Newport, Vermont. The school is operated by the North Country Supervisory Union school district ....
and the North Country Union Junior High School. The supervisor hired by this union board supervises the town school, as well as the union schools.
- Member, North Country Union High School Board - Tim DelaBruere (2010), Richard Cartee (2008) and James Privee (2009)
Higher education
Newport is home to a branch of the Community College of VermontCommunity College of Vermont
The Community College of Vermont is a two year college founded in 1970 with locations in 12 sites in the state of Vermont. The college is a part of the Vermont State Colleges, a consortium of Vermont's five public colleges governed by a common board of trustees, chancellor, and Council of...
which enrolls nearly 300 students. It awards an Associate's Degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
for these undergraduate studies.
Major routes
-
U.S. Route 5U.S. Route 5U.S. Route 5 is a north–south United States highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Springfield, Massachusetts. From Hartford northward to St...
- connecting Coventry to the south, Derby to the north and east -
VT Route 14 - connecting the Town of Coventry -
VT Route 100 - connecting the Town of Newport -
VT Route 105 - connecting the Town of Newport (concurrent with route 100, and the town of Derby (concurrent with route 191) -
VT Route 191 - "Access Road", connects I-91, Exit 27, to the city of Newport
The city has six stoplights, which is most of the stoplights in the county. Five are on Route 5.
Major bridges
There are three major bridges over the South Bay of Lake Memphremagog, two of which connect two parts of the city, the former village of Newport with the former village of West Derby. Those two are the bridge on Route 5, and the "Long Bridge" connecting Route 5 to Mt. Vernon Street. Plans are underway to replace this latter bridge starting in 2012. It will cost about $5.26 million. The state will pay 90%, the city, the remainder.The final bridge is the trestle for the railway.
Local community public and private transportation
The RCT (Rural Community TransportationRural Community Transportation
Rural Community Transportation is a nonprofit, public bus system headquartered in St. Johnsbury in Caledonia County, Vermont. RCT serves the counties of Caledonia, Essex, Lamoille, and Orleans Counties. It provides regular bus routes to member municipalities.It consists of mainly volunteer drivers...
), a non-profit organization, runs out of Saint Johnsbury and services Caledonia and two other counties, including Orleans. For general use, there are four buses north and south during the week from west Newport city to Derby, and two buses each way on Saturday. The fare is US 25 cents.
Railroads
Washington County Railroad (known by the reporting markReporting mark
A reporting mark is a two-, three-, or four-letter alphabetic code used to identify owners or lessees of rolling stock and other equipment used on the North American railroad network. The marks are stenciled on each piece of equipment, along with a one-to-six-digit number, which together uniquely...
WACR) - In 2007 WACR was awarded a 30 year contract by the State of Vermont to operate the rail line between White River Junction and Newport. Today the only regular service on this line is freight traffic.
Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway
Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway
The Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway is a Class II freight railroad operating in the U.S. states of Maine and Vermont and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec. Its Canadian subsidiary is the Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Canada Company. The entire system is owned by Rail World,...
(known by the reporting mark
Reporting mark
A reporting mark is a two-, three-, or four-letter alphabetic code used to identify owners or lessees of rolling stock and other equipment used on the North American railroad network. The marks are stenciled on each piece of equipment, along with a one-to-six-digit number, which together uniquely...
MMA) - The MMA operates the line running northwest through North Troy and eventually on to Farnham, Quebec
Farnham, Quebec
Farnham is a town located in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Brome-Missisquoi regional county municipality, in the administrative region of Montérégie. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 7,809, making it the second most populated community in the RCM.- History :The...
. It interchanges freight traffic with the WACR at Newport yard, just south of town.
A rail line, which was part of the Quebec Central Railway
Quebec Central Railway
The Quebec Central Railway was a railway in the Canadian province of Quebec, that served the area of Quebec called the Eastern Townships, south of the St. Lawrence River. Its headquarters was in Sherbrooke. It was originally incorporated in 1869 as the Sherbrooke, Eastern Townships and Kennebec...
, once ran east of Lake Memphremagog up to Lennoxville, Quebec
Lennoxville, Quebec
Lennoxville is an arrondissement, or borough, of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Lennoxville is located at the confluence of the St. Francis and Massawippi Rivers approximately five kilometers south of downtown Sherbrooke....
, but it has been abandoned and the right-of-way has been converted into a mixed-use bicycle and walking path.
Airport
The city is served by the Newport State Airport. It contains two runways of 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) each 05-23, and 18-36.Sewage
The city discharged an average of 908917 gal of treated wastewater daily into the Clyde River in 2003-04.Notable people
- Charles Francis Adams, first owner of the Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. - Lane DwinellLane DwinellSeymour Lane Dwinell was an American manufacturer and Republican politician from Lebanon, New Hampshire. Born in 1906 in Newport, Vermont, he served in and led both houses of the New Hampshire legislature before his two terms as Governor...
, 69th Governor of New Hampshire. - Duane GravelineDuane GravelineDuane Edgar Graveline is an American physician and former NASA astronaut. He was one of the six scientists selected in 1965, in NASA's fourth group of astronauts, for the Apollo program. He is most famous for being immersed in water for seven days as part of his zero gravity deconditioning...
, astronaut. - Josiah GroutJosiah GroutJosiah Grout, Jr. was an American lawyer and politician in the US state of Vermont.Born in Quebec, Canada to Vermonter parents, he served in the American Civil War as a Union Army officer before entering the legal profession after the war...
, governor of Vermont. - Winston L. ProutyWinston L. ProutyWinston Lewis Prouty was a United States Representative and Senator from Vermont.Winston Lewis Prouty was born in Newport, Vermont, to Willard Robert Prouty and Margaret Prouty. The Prouty family owned and operated Prouty & Miller, a lumber and building materials company, with forests east of the...
, senator. - George H. ProutyGeorge H. ProutyGeorge Herbert Prouty of Newport, Orleans County, Vermont was a Republican member of the Vermont House of Representatives, 1896–97; member of Vermont Senate, 1904; the 44th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, 1906–08; the 52nd Governor of Vermont, 1908–10; delegate to Republican National Convention...
, governor of Vermont.
External links
- City of Newport, Vermont
- Goodrich Memorial Library
- Memphremagog Historical Society & Museum
- History of Newport at the Old Stone House Museum's website
- NY Times Travel article July 26, 1872