Newport (city), Vermont
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| Newport | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Vermont | ||
| County | Orleans | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Ellwood Guyette | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 7.6 sq mi (19.7 km²) | ||
| - Land | 6.0 sq mi (15.6 km²) | ||
| - Water | 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km²) 20.87% | ||
| Elevation | 722 ft (208 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 5,005 | ||
| - Density | 830.0/sq mi (320.5/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 05855 | ||
| Area code(s) | 802 | ||
| FIPS code | 50-48850[1] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1461773[2] | ||
| Website: http://www.newportvermont.org/ | |||
Newport is a city in and the shire town[3] (county seat)[4] 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.[5]
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[edit] Government
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
[edit] City
- Mayor - Woody Guyette[6]
- Alderman - Paul Monette
- Alderman - John Wilson
- Alderman - Richard Barraw
- Alderman - Tim de la Bruere
- City Clerk (appointed) - James Johnson
- Treasurer (appointed) - James Johnson
- Manager (appointed) - John Ward
- Budget - $2,479,193
[edit] School Districts
The city has a school board that governs the operation of Newport Elementary. In addition, the city belongs to a separate union school with members from nearby towns. They operate the North Country Union High School.
- Member, North Country Union High School Board - Tim delaBruere and Deborah Cogan
- Director, School Board - Lisa Kincaid
- Director, School Board - Leo Willey
- Budget, Newport City Schools - $4,435,765
[edit] Geography
The city surrounds the southern shore of Lake Memphremagog.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²), of which, 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²) of it is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it (20.87%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] 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/sq mi (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.
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.
[edit] History
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Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
In 1753, the Abenakis brought the ransomed John Stark 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. Another followed the Barton River south to the falls at the outlet of Crystal Lake where they were able to catch fish. From there, they continued south over the summit into the Passumpsic River Valley.[7]
The village was first called Pickeral Point, but later renamed Lake Bridge for its location at the head of Lake Memphremagog. By the late 1800s, the Boston and Maine and Central Vermont railroads were routed through Lake Bridge and the small village experienced a population boom. In 1868, the Lake Bridge settlement was incorporated as the "Village of Newport".
The firm of Prouty and 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.[8]
The Newport Wharf Light was a tower built on Lake Memphremagog in 1879. It has since been demolished.[9]
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).
Newport has been home to the Goodrich Memorial Library for over a century.[10]
Between 1936 and 1953, the International Club in Newport had the largest dance floor in New England, capable of holding 2,000 dancers. Various performers stopped to entertain while enroute between Boston and Montreal on the railroad. These included: the Dorsey Brothers, Jimmy and Tommy; Rosemary Clooney, Glen Miller, and Cab Calloway.[11]
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 it's 1950 high which was 5,217.
[edit] Economy
[edit] 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 income 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.
[edit] Industry
Poulin Grain ships its farm feed products to customers in New England and upstate New York.[12] It employs about 50 workers. The plant is producing feed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.[13]
The Vermont Teddy Bear Company has a plant within the city.[14]
[edit] Government
Newport hosts the Northern State Correctional Facility, the Newport Court and Reparative Services, and the Vermont Correctional Industries.
[edit] Education
Newport has two public schools: an elementary school, Newport City Elementary, and a high school, North Country Union High School, both of the Orleans-Essex North Supervisory Union. It is also the home to one private school: the United Christian Academy. It was formerly home to Sacred Heart School in the Burlington Roman Catholic Diocese School District[15], but closed in fall of 2007.
[edit] Higher Education
Newport is home to a branch of the Community College of Vermont which enrolls nearly 300 students.[16] It awards an Associate's Degree for these undergraduate studies.
[edit] Notable residents
- Charles Francis Adams, first owner of the Boston Bruins.
- Winston L. Prouty, U.S. Senator.
- George H. Prouty, 52nd Governor of Vermont, and grandfather of Winston L. Prouty
[edit] Notable residents currently in the news
Mark "Bigfoot" Shaw Jr., famous Howard Stern Wack Packer.[17]
[edit] See also
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Title 24, Part I, Chapter 1, §11, Vermont Statutes. Accessed 2007-11-01.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.virtualvermont.com/index.php?loc=http://www.virtualvermont.com/towns/barton.html
- ^ Newport elects delaBruere to NCUHS board, The Chronicle, March 7, 2007, page 24
- ^ Darrell Hoyt (1985). Sketches of Orleans, Vermont. Mempremagog Press. ISBN 0-9610860-2-5., page 1
- ^ Vermont Almanac accessed March 2, 2008
- ^ Lighthouses at Lighthouse Depot ... Lighthouse Explorer Database ... Newport Wharf Light
- ^ Goodrich Memorial Library website[1]
- ^ Old Stone House Museum (June 29, 2007). Big band dance to honor Korean War veterans. the Chronicle.
- ^ Poulin Grain - Dealer Locator
- ^ Vermont Business Magazine
- ^ Career Opportunities
- ^ http://www.vermontcatholic.org/CatholicSchools/Burlington
- ^ Facts & Figures - Community College of Vermont
- ^ Creaser, Richard,"Mark Shaw Jr. reborn as legendary Bigfoot,The Chronicle,February 14, 2007, page 1
[edit] External links
- City of Newport Vermont website
- Newport (city), Vermont is at coordinates Coordinates:
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