Newport lies on the western border of Penobscot County, 25 miles west-north-west of Bangor. Corinna bounds it on the north, Stetson on the east, Plymouth on the south and Palmyra, in Somerset County, on the west. The surface is pleasantly varied by bills and valleys, but is without lofty elevations. Newport Pond lies nearly in the centre of the town. It has an area of about 8 square miles, and a circumference of about 15. This excellent reservoir receives the overflow of Stetson Pond, lying in the next town eastward, of two ponds in Dexter, and of one in Corinna. Its owp outlet forms the east branch of the Sebasticook River. The dam might readily be raised so as to give eight feet of storage on the pond, which would then afford 252 horse powers gross on the whole fall for ten hours a day, 312 days in the year, or about 10,000 spindles. The natural fall at this place is 14 feet in 78 rods. No damage has ever been done by freshets. A good quality of granite for building is abundant here. The principal centre of business is Newport village on the outlet of the pond, in the southwestern part of the town. Other centres are East and North Newport and Wedgewood Corners. Newport village, and East Newport have stations on the Maine Central Railroad, which also sends a branch from Newport village to Dexter. The manufactures at the village consist of lumber (2 mills), carriages, meal and flour, marble, granite and slate work, iron work, boots and shoes, etc. The soil of this town is fertile, and the main business of the inhabitants is agricultural. The buildings generally in the rural parts of the town, as well as in the villages, show tokens of thrift. The place is likely to have a greater growth in years to come. The settlement of this town was commenced about the year 1808. Among the earliest settlers were William Martin, Isaac Lawrence, Nathaniel Burrill, John Whiting, Daniel Bicknell, John Ireland and Elam Pratt, most of whom came from Bloomfield and purchased the land upon which to settle, of Benjamin Shepard, of that town. The settlement was called East Pond Plantation until its incorporation under its present name, June 14, 1814. The denominations which have societies here are the Methodists and the Christian. All hold their meetings in the Union church. There is in the village a circulating library of 500 volumes. The number of public schoolhouses is ten, valued, with their appurtenances, at $8,000. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $540,927. In 1880 it was $378,168. The population in 1870 was 1,559. In 1880 it was 1,451.

Return to [ Maine History ] [ History at Rays-Place ] [ Rays-place.com ] Maine Counties - Androscoggin - Aroostook - Cumberland - Franklin - Hancock - Kennebec - Knox - Lincoln - Oxford - Penobscot - Piscataquis - Sagadahoc - Somerset - Waldo - Washington - York