Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
4 places in town are on the National Register. Below: old-book passages.
The Newport post office opened in 1809, the earliest record of the town by name.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Newport’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Newport.
The first settlement took place after 1786. The town was formed in 1805 from parts of the towns of Fairfield, Herkimer, Norway, and Schuyler.
Two structures in the town are listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places:
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Passages that mention Newport, cut from the printed page as they were published.
In 1640 the town of Newport became the seat of government for the island, and William Coddington was chosen governor, and held the office until 1647, when the government of Providencff Plantations was re-organized under the charter granted in 1648 by Charles I., the office of governor was abolished, and that of president set up in its place. John Coggeshall was chosen president, and Coddington assistant for the town of Newport. The next year he was (diosen president of the colony.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The first settlements in the town of Newport were made in conformity with the order of the incorporators, agreed upon in general meeting, that " the town be laid out and built on both sides of the spring and by the sea southward." This spring had its source at or near the head of what was for many years known as Tanner street but now is West Broadway. There was then a pond at this place (Vaughan's pond) and a flow of water from it sufficient to drive a mill. In fact the first struc-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
The Newport post office opened in 1809, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
