Timeline

Newport, Vermont & Surrounding Area

1608      Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec

1620   Pilgrims in Mayflower land at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts 

1749 First grant in Vermont sold by NH Governor

1754 French and Indian War: 1754-1763

1758 Rogers’ Rangers expedition against the Indians of  St. Francis

1759 Siege of Quebec

1775 Revolutionary War: War, 1775 to 1783

1776 Generals Jacob Bayley and Moses Hazen carve out a road through the southern part of the future Orleans County to be used as a military road with quick access to Canada during the Revolutionary War. 

1777 Founding of the Republic of Vermont in Windsor with own coins, militia, foreign trade and naturalized foreign citizens

1778 First settlement in the town of Minden (Craftsbury) by Col. Ebenezer Crafts of Woodstock, CT

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1780  Salem: Original land grant given to Josiah Gates & 120 others, to be known as Gatesborough

1780 Land Deeds are now only recorded in Town Offices

1781   Salem: Gov Chittenden sold the Grants to Colonel Jacob Davis

1781 Township of Duncansborough [23 acres] granted to Nathan Fisk, George Duncan and others.

1789 Town of Greensboro first settled by Messrs. Ashbel and Aaron Shepard with their families, from Newbury, NH.

1789 Timothy Hinman, of Woodbury, CT, explores the largely uninhabited northeastern corner of the state of Vermont.

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1790 US Census [constructed usually from Tax Lists]

1790 Minden is renamed Craftsbury to honor Col. Ebenezer Crafts.

1790 First white child born in Orleans County, William Shepard, son of Ashbel Shepard, in Greensboro.

1791   Vermont becomes 14th state; population of Vermont is 85,341

1791 US Census in VT- no Orleans County: most of area was in Orange County or Chittenden County [14 people lived in “Greensburrough, 3 in Hardwick”]

1791 Timothy Hinman begins building the road north from Greensboro, VT, that will open up the land of the future Orleans County to settlers

1792 The County of Orleans is incorporated with 22 townships and “some” gores.  05 Nov 1792:  Orleans created from Chittenden and Orange. Orleans not fully organized, western part was attached to Chittenden and the eastern part was attached to Caledonia 

1793 First settlement made by the families of James Calendar Adams and his brother, Deacon Martin Adams on the Lake Road.  Name unofficially by then was Duncansboro

1793 First marriage in the county, Joseph Stanley of Greensboro and Mary Gerould of Craftsbury, which was solemnized at Greensboro by Timothy Stanley.

1793 Hinman Settler Road passable from Greensboro to Derby

1793 Brothers James & Deacon Adams settled on Adams Bay/Lake Road in Newport

1794 The first white child born in Duncansborough was Allen Adams, born Dec 29, 1794

1795 First settler in Barton arrives, Asa Kimball of Glocester, RI.

1795 Westford (Westmore) is settled. Includes the families of Jabesh Hunter, Allen Wait, James Lyon, Jeremeel Cummings, Lot F. Woodruff, David Porter and Abel Bugbee.

1796 Probate Records of Orleans County  [index 1780-1970] moved from Irasburg to Newport

1796 Brownington is settled by Peter Clark, a potter from Lyndeborough, NH.

1797 Troy is settled by a Mr. Morrill.

1798 First settler in Westfield, Mr. Jesse Olds from Massachusetts.

1798 Town of Glover settled by James Vance of Londonderry, NH, and Ralph Parker of New Haven, VT.

1798 First settler arrives in Irasburgh by the name of Caleb Leach.

1799 Land Records of Orleans County [1799-1849]

1799 The VT legislature establishes courts in Orleans county in Brownington and Craftsbury.

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1800 US Census  Duncansborough census total: 50 in 11 families; Derby 178; Salem 16

1800 1st framed house was Martin Adams house on Lake Road

1800 First settlement in the town of Holland by Edmund Elliott from New Hampshire, and Joseph Cowell from Connecticut.

1800 Town of Coventry settled by Samuel Cobb and son Tisdale Cobb of Westmoreland, NH.

1800 Erastus Spencer and Elijah Spencer of Brownington and two other men went to a pond at the base of Bald Mountain in Westmore to fish; in one day they caught 500 pounds of trout, weighed after being dressed.

1801 $10 raised for support of a school in Duncansborough. (EN)

1802 Duncansborough received its charter from Gov. Isaac Tichenor on Oct 30, 1802

1802 Morgan is settled by Mr. Nathan Wilcox with his family from Killingsworth, CT.

1802 Town of Navy (Charleston) is settled by Abner Allyn of Barton

1803 First settler in town of Kellyvale (Lowell) by the name of Major Wm. Caldwell, from Barre, Mass.

1804 Newport first town meeting on Feb 15, 1804

1807    First School in Newport built on Nov 1, 1807 on School Street 

1808 beginning of French Canadians to northern VT from the Eastern Townships of Quebec

1809 Town of Jay settled by Robert Barter of Portsmouth, NH.

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1810 US Census: Orleans County included:  Barre, Barton, Brownington, Coventry, Craftsbury,  Derby, Duncansboro, Eden,  Elmore, Glover,  Greensboro, Holland, Hyde Park,  Irasburg,  Lutterloch [Lowell],  Morgan, Morristown,  Navy [Charleston],   Not Stated,  Salem, Troy, Westfield, Wolcott.      Duncansboro 1810 census total: 112

1810 East Main Street Cemetery opened, originally in Town of Salem, then West Derby, now East Main Street in City of Newport

1810   Runaway Pond drains out from Glover and blazes a trail of destruction through the river valleys up to Lake Memphremagog.

1811 First Merino Sheep sent to VT, starting new industry

1812 Orleans Co laid out & constructed highway from Troy to Derby Center, via ferry Whipple Pt to Indian Point past Norris House  where stagecoaches stopped. [now corner of Bluff and Stagecoach Drive] (EM vol1 pg 38)

1812 The War Of 1812; June 18, 1812, the US Congress declared war on Great Britain

1813 Hand ferry chartered to Jedidiah Richardson-crossed from Pender’s Point (The Bluffs-also called Indian Point) to Whipple Point (later called Strawberry Acres). [some remains of wooden bridge in cove still there in 2017]

1816-30 First wave of Irish to Northwestern Vermont via Quebec

1816 Name changed from Duncansboro to Newport; parts of Salem and Coventry, west of the lake, were annexed later.

1816 Irasburgh becomes the county seat, replacing Brownington and Craftsbury

1816 “The Year Without a Summer” - Snow fell through the entire summer, destroying crops and driving settlers from the area.

1816 Samuel Read Hall of Rumford, Maine, future Orleans County educator, is the first man in the US. to use a blackboard., to illustrate arithmetic; the first one was a large sheet of dark paper which could be marked upon and erased easily.

1817 In Vermont, 'Warnings Out' at the town level became illegal

1818 March 18, 1818 U. S. Congress granted pensions to Revolutionary War veterans 

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1820 US Census [Alphabetical, foreigners not naturalized]

1820 William Baxter introduces a bill to the VT legislature for a secondary school in Orleans County. Bill passed November 15th.

1820 Barton Landing (Orleans) is first settled by Roger Enos.

1823  Alexander Twilight, first African American to earn college degree in US, graduates from Middlebury College, VT.

1823 June 7, 1832 service-pension acts benefiting Revolutionary War veterans was passed 

1823 Orleans County Grammar School (a.k.a. Brownington Academy) is built in the town common in Brownington, VT. It is the only secondary school for Orleans County.

1825 The town of Navy changes its name to Charleston.

1825 Erie Canal in New York state opened, creating a migration route to mid-west

1825 Census of Lower Canada June 20-Sept 20, 1825

1826 1826 to 1834 Missionary Priests in Orleans County.   Register of Sacre-Coeur-de-Jesus of Stanstead, Quebec, contains records of the sacraments, primarily baptisms, administered by Catholic missionary priests

1829 Craftsbury Academy opens.

1829 Rev. Alexander Twilight arrives in Brownington to teach at the Orleans County Grammar School.

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1830 US Census

1831 Census of Lower Canada Jun 1 to Oct 1 1831

1831 First newspaper in Orleans County is printed by J. M. Stevens, in Derby, called the Northern Oziris.

1831 First Congregational Church of Newport started w/7 people; first minister Rev Reuben Mason 1837 (EN vol 1 pg 142)

1832 Log bridge built across “The Narrows” between W Derby & Newport gave the settlement the name: Narrows Bridge then Lake Bridge.

1830's Road put through from Burlington to Lake Bridge, across the new bridge and on to West Derby and Derby. [En vol2 pg 69]

1834 "....and a log house in which the Congregational Church was organized in 1834, and in which meetings were sometimes held.  (EN vol 1 pg 23]

1834   Rev. Alexander Twilight of Brownington, VT begins building Athenian Hall, a dormitory for Grammar School students. The building later becomes known as the “Old Stone House.”

1834 Foundation of Parish of Sacred Heart at Stanstead, Que; one of 1st Roman Catholic parishes in Diocese of Sherbrooke

1835 Orleans County lost towns of Hardwick & Elmore to newly formed Lamoile Co. Those probate records still in Orleans Co.

1836 Athenian Hall in Brownington is completed and opens to students.

1836 to 1837 Alexander Twilight runs for state representative and spends most of the school year in Montpelier.

1837 Craftsbury Academy is given half of the public county funds for secondary schools, cutting the Orleans County Grammar School’s funds in half.

1838 Bridge replaced across “The Narrows” between W Derby & Newport when original collapsed while a team was crossing it in 1837 [EM pg 16]

1838 first 'axe hewn frame' of later Memphremagog House was begun... see 1845

1838 1838 to 1840 The register of St-Jean-Chrysostome of Chateaugay County, Quebec, contains the sacraments, primarily baptisms, administered by Catholic missionary priests.  [These would be the early Catholic records.]

1839 Derby Academy opens.

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1840 US Census

1840-60 Second wave of Irish to Vermont

1840 1st Catholic mass was held on Indian Point; 25 or 30 people present were French---rest were Irish

1840 Samuel Read Hall takes charge of Craftsbury Academy and aims to make it more of a Normal school.

1841 The Brownington Village Congregational Church is built.

1845 Phineas Page bought property of early Memphremagog Hotel.......... enlarged it in 1854.

1847 Alexander Twilight leaves Brownington to teach in Quebec, Canada.

1848 1848 to 1860 Missionary Priests in Orleans County.   Register of Sacre-Coeur-de-Jesus of Stanstead, Quebec, contains records of the sacraments, primarily baptisms, administered by Catholic missionary priests

1848 July 29, 1848 Congress provided life pensions for widows of veterans of Rev War

1848 California Gold rush 1848-1855

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1850 1st US Census to list all family members

1850 May; "Orleans Co Gazette” weekly started

1850 The Mountain Maid steamboat was launched and operated until 1870; September 1850 was 1st trip

1851 Canadian Census Jan 12, 1852 [for next birthday-in 1852] also Agricultural Census

1851 The first Catholic Mass was said in Barton in 1851.

1851 Memphremagog House started by Mr and Mrs. Phineas Page -[VARYING FACTS: "apparently axe hew frame 1838, purchased by Page 1845-enlarged 1854 ". (EN pg 142)

1852 Area first mapped or sketched by General John Stark who passed through here as an Indian prisoner

1852 Alexander Twilight returns from Canada to teach at the Orleans County Grammar School again.

1853 The Orleans County Natural and Civil History Society (precursor to the Orleans County Historical Society) is established.

1853 Oct 5th first train ran into Newport according to 10/9/1903 Express & Standard Newspaper

1854 Samuel Read Hall becomes the minister of the Brownington Congregational Church and is so until 1867.

1855 Samuel Read Hall is preceptor at Orleans County Grammar School for one term.

1856 The first high school in Newport built by Ashley Gould on corner of present Main Street & Field Avenue

1856 Methodist Episcopal Church organized , built church on Third Street May 1869

1856 Orleans Independent Standard is first published in Irasburgh by A. A. Earle.

1857 Vermont mandated registering births, marriages & deaths, but not universally done

1857 Alexander Twilight dies.

1858 First drugstore (Baldwin) was in the Coburn Block (EN)

1858 Newport was called Lake Bridge at this time (J. Currier – also map)

1859 Walling Map of Orleans County

1859 Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railways from south reached Barton Landing (Orleans), Vermont

1859 Athenian Hall, the granite dormitory in Brownington, closes its doors.

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1860 US Census 

1861 Canadian Census Jan 17, 1861 [age on next birthday], also Agricultural Census & deaths

1861 Newport Center became officially known as Newport Town

1861 Congregational Church constructed........ white wooden building; last service April 14, 1889 in preparation for new church.

[Moved to Concord Ave off E Main-now Advent Christian Church]

1861 Joseph Coburn built the building that later became the Foster Block (LF)

1861 Converse Goodrich built his house on the corner of 2nd and Main (GML)

1862 Homestead Act of 1862, which provided appx 160 acres to person(s) who could stay & improve property for min of 5 years. 

1862-3 First Long Bridge was built from Salem/West Derby to Newport Village EM pg 152; piles driven into the ice.

1862 The Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railways come to Newport.

1863 Passumpsic Railroad from the south reached Newport using the long railroad bridge over the South Bay (EN)

1863 Lake House hotel built after Passumpsic RR reached Newport ; later moved across square near short bridge & burned c 1901-2 (EN) Raymond Hotel built in that spot.)(Sanborn Maps)

1863 James Y. Green built his store and home on Main Street between 2nd and 1st St. - now Coventry St.  (BA) (EN pg 171)

1864 2nd St. constructed (EN)

1864 Newport Village officially broke away from Newport Town

1864 Henry Blanchard built the Horton Block where Fishmans was (EN)south side .

1864 The 'Newport Republican' was published for 5 months Oct to Feb 1865.... [GML has this book]

1865 'Newport Express' [GML has ¾ of 1865 and all of 1868 bound]

1866 Root Block was built (corner of Coventry and Main Streets)

1866 Gilman moved to the corner of Lake and Main and bought block (EN) After 1886  became Gilman & Co

1867 Lady of the Lake launched 28 September 1867.  Operated until 1917 when it was scrapped

1868 Dr Thomas Hoskins in Newport Center credited with planting first Macintosh apple seedling in U. S.

1869 Railroad from north [Beebe] connected to Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers RR  in Railroad Square, Newport 

1869 Gould house [formerly housed high school of Academy] burned 1869; lot then used for Field Opera House [EN-24 & 143]

1869 Methodist Episcopal Church [later United Church of Newport] wooden-framed building constructed cor 3rd & Summer St

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1870 US Census

1870 Newport Academy and Graded School.......... location was changed and new bldg on west side of North School Street; In 1878 Beers map and photo shows bldg had flat front: 1885 Sanborn map shows bumped out front. Formerly on the corner of  Bayview and Main [Gould House].

1870 George W. Blodgett sold the lot and building between the John Gale house and the Goodrich house to Samuel Horton (BM)

1870 Mountain Maid stopped operating

1871 Samuel Horton bought a building block on Main St. (BM) James Green Bldg. ??

1871 Canadian Census April 2, 1871 [age at next birthday], plus deaths & 8 schedules

1871 Newport Express [GML has one issue + the gift of ¾ of 1865 and all of 1868]

1871 Npt Exp: advertisement for Memphremagog House in May 17, 1871 W. F. Bowman, Proprieter [sic]

1872 Newport Express & Standard

1872 Orleans County Monitor – Weekly newspaper was in existence until 1923

1872 First train from west-Richford over new railroad bridge on Prouty Bay built on the ice by Solomon Fields of Newport

1873 Bellevue Hotel built across Main St from Memphremagog House.  Name changed to Newport House & torn down in 1973

1873 First parish Mass at St. Mary Star of the Sea-Pleasant St -wooden frame church holding 250 (EN vol 1/141 & vol 2 pg 183]

1874  Newport Academy & Graded School built on west side of School Street

1875 July 4, 1875 cornerstone of first Star of Sea was blessed

1875 St. Columban Roman Catholic Church was founded in Lowell. 

1876 John Prouty and Oscar Miller bought the lumber operation from Newtons-renamed Prouty & Miller

1876 St Mark's Episcopal Mission formed; Church built 1882 on Second Street

1877    Star of Sea completed [now Knights of Columbus Hall] and blessed on August 22, 1877

1877 Samuel Read Hall [well known educator] dies.

1878 Beers Atlas of Orleans & Essex County, Vermont

1878 as per Beers map, there was a Long Bridge to the bottom of Herrick Street [2019 a few traces still there]

1878 Josephine Stone, a colored girl, valedictorian ...........graduated from Newport High School

1879 Solomon Field constructed the Field Opera House (site of armory/city office) (BM) (NE&S)

1879 Newport Wharf Light was a tower built on Lake Memphremagog in 1879 [Wikipedia]

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1880 US Census

1880 appx. year Crawford Block on Main Street was built; formerly known as Lane-Dwinnel Bldg

1880 appx. time Butterfield's in Derby Line opened a plant that straddled the border, eventually becoming a Tap & Die manufacturer which was later purchased by Litton Industries to become Union Butterfield.  In 1980's after several incarnations, it was purchased by French company, Tivoly, Inc  in 1991. (NDE 4/29/22)

1881 Canadian Census April 4, 1881 [age on last birthday], no agricultural census

1881   Salem was annexed to Derby with eastern strip on South Bay called Glenside [now Glen Road]

1883 International Mill built north of RR Square in West Derby........ on the lake

1883 Childs’ Gazetteer of Lamoille & Orleans Counties-had a directory of sorts for each town

1884 Orleans County Seat was changed from Irasburg to Newport

1884 Universalist Chapel Company/Christian Science Society, East Main Street

1884 Wm. True’s tin shop was on Lake St. (EN) then called Rag Alley [then North Ave and now Seymour Lane]

1884 Brady House built before 1885 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map

1885    Excavation begun for Courthouse. Stone came from the new quarry opened on the land of Ira Adams in West Derby (LF)

1885 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map 1885

1885 Death of Capt Fogg in NES newspaper 4/4/1885

1885 Sherman & West opened wholesale & retail grain & feed store on RR Sq.  

1886 Prouty and Miller bought out the International Mill

1886 J.E. Foster purchased the Coburn Block which became the Foster Block (Boston Clothing Store) (EN)

1886 Orleans County Courthouse built – land from Lucius Robinson estate (BM)

1887 white wooden Cong'l Church sold to Advent Church in W Derby and moved to Concord Avenue [EN vol 1 pg 142]

1887 Sherman & West became Sherman & Brady until 1903 on RR Sq.  

1887 True and Blanchard building erected on Main St. (EN)

1887 The Orleans County Natural and Civil History Society reorganizes and changes their name to the Orleans County Historical Society. They began holding annual meetings, hosting prominent speakers.

1888 Seymour Lane & Charles Davis built new block....northwest corner of Main & Lane Ave, was later rebuilt as Lane-Dwinnel Dept Store

1888 True & Blanchard purchased G. W. Pratt's Kathan property on Main Street (1896 supplement)

1889    True & Blanchard erected building (1896 supplement)

1889 Sherman & Brady -roller process grist mill in RR Square-300 bushels per 10 hr day (EN)

1889 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map 1889

1889 Advent Christian Church purchased  the Main St Congo Church and moved to Concord Ave 

1889 Cornerstone of the Congregational Church on the corner of School and Main July 27, 1889.  Brick church burned in 1956

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1890 No Census…..it burned 1921 [US veterans pension schedules saved & can be used as a partial substitute]

1890      Population of Newport was: 3,045 and of Derby:   2,548

1890 Central Block – east corner of Main and Central. Ranney printing and stationery there (EN)

1890 Newport Electric Co. formed (EN)

1890 newspaper article on Congregational Church: Ex & Stan June 17, 1890

1891 Electric lights on Main Street of Newport

1891 Orleans Trust Company-according to 1925 Directory and (EN vol 2 pg 71)

1891 Canadian Census April 6, 1891 [age on last birthday], no agricultural census

1891 B.F. Moore began his overall business.  Later known as Slalom Ski Wear.

1891 David W. Sisco purchased the Lake House in RR Sq

1892 Newland Block built on west corner of Central and Main (EN)

1893 Capt. J. Lambert bought E. W. Langmaid bakery in Hibbards factory-corner of  Bayview & Main (1896 supplement)

1893 Lane Block [Opera House] built.(Main Street and Lane Avenue)

1893 Charles R. Moore invented and patented the combination storm and screen door

1893 Conversion of St. Paul was founded in Barton with Rev. Joseph Turcot as first resident pastor. 1893 Newport Ctr became 1st US station on Canadian Pacific Railroad

1893 Railroad station is built in Barton Landing (Orleans).

1893 Bigelows Pharmacy was in the Hall Block (west corner of Main and Lake) (EN)

1893 Exchange Block – Newcomb (middle of the south block between Coventry and Central (EN)

1894 Brattleboro Reformer [Fri, July 13, 1894] had whole section on Newport [clipping crumbling- as yet not paper online]

1894 "The Lady of the Lake made her trial trip to Georgeville last Thursday, giving to everyone a free ride. She will make regular trips after June 25th."  Ex & S June 25, 1894

1894 The International Mill burned (OSH list)

1894 B S Curtis  & Company, Undertakers, Embalmers was started on Bay Street in Newport. (NDE 4/29/22)

1895 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 1895

1895 last change to Vermont county boundaries

1895 Newport Public Library now located in printing office of C. F. Ranney ___________

1895 Main and Coventry: Lawrence General Store which became Lorimer and Macdiarmand (EN)__(1896 supplement)

1896 Field Opera House destroyed by fire  April 21, 1896

1896 Pine Grove/Ripple Cove Cem opened, originally in Town of Salem, then West Derby, now off Bluff Road-City of Newport

1896 Newport Directory published, included Village and W Derby

1896 fire in Root's block in April 1896

1896 Halsey R. Flower............. present elegant quarters in Hall's block. (1896 supplement)

1896 Samuel Parker installed the clock tower on the courthouse -ten years after it was built. (BM)

1896 By 1896 Newport City had 18 arc lights in their electrical system., there were many incandescent lights in the city (EN)

1897 Klondike or Yukon Gold rush 1897-1899

1898 Goodrich Memorial Library built by CG & Almira Goodrich completed; they died before opening

1898 Supt. E. B. True informs us that he has laid 3700 feet of 4 and 6 inch pipe, 4000 ½ and ¼ inch pipe, set seven new hydrants, four 4in., two 6in. and two 8in. gates; and made 40 new connections, which increases the revenues about $400, giving a total of $5,000 per year. 

1898 Spanish American War: April 25–August 12, 1898, ten-week war was fought in Caribbean and Pacific

1898 Company L, 1st Infantry Regiment of Newport mustered into service for the Spanish American War

1889 The Hall block on Lake street was burned in January and a new block was built on the same site, T. Powers doing the work, and it is now occupied by F. W. Carr, with a good line of stoves and tinware, on the first floor; C. M. Flint occupies the second floor with a large line of furniture. (OM Dec 1898 article)

1898 Lewis Lamond moved the store occupied by his daughter for a millinery store on to a vacant lot which he owned on Lake street, and by building on an addition has converted it into a good dwelling house, in which he now lives. On the site, upon which the above building stood is now being built the Goodrich library.

1898 County clerks were required in 1896 to submit the number of divorces granted and their cause & added to registry in 1898

1899 Federal government bought lot corner of 2nd and Main from Adolphus Brown (BM)

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1900 US Census

1900 Express & Standard 16 January, reports that Goodrich Library will now have a card catalog

1900 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps-did not have RR Sq bldg on map

1900 Central Street on Sanborn fire map

1900 W Derby Grammar School built about turn of the century [EN pg 159]

1901-2 Lake House hotel burned c 1901-2 (EN)

1901 Canadian Census March 31, 1901 [age on last birthday], + dates of birth, immigration & relationship

1902  original Newport Rail Road Station fire burned on Sunday January 26, 1902

1902 West School building constructed 

1903 Herbert Pratt built new photo shop building east corner of Bayview and Main (EN)

1903 Raymond Hotel built on site of Lake House in RR Sq.  It burned before WW II (EN)

1903 11/20/1903 Express & Standard: Orleans Co Jail is new 

1903 CPR RR Station built (LF)

1903   St Mary’s Star of Sea started and cornerstone put down May 1904

1904    Federal Building w/Post Office built, dedicated April 1904

1904 Derby Academy Historical Sketch in NES 5/27/1904

1905 VT issued the 1st license plate for $2; 373 vehicles were registered [from 100 aniv newspaper clipping 5/24/2005]

1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

1905 Jewish Community formed, Synagogue in 1943 on Clyde Street

1905 Sisters of Sacred Heart Convent, moved into Green Mt Hall on Prospect Street 1909

1905 The name Coventry St. appears with 1st St. on Sanborn Fire map

1906 Canadian Census for Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba

1907 Memphremagog House burned. 7 May 1907

1908 Memphremagog Yacht Club built.  It burned in the 1920’s (EN)... [Emily Nelson's book wrong]

or 1946 May Memphremagog Yacht Club  burned (LF) still on the Sanborn 1925-1943 map.

1908 Maxfield Light House was still on the Lake Memphremagog map......... not sure when it disappeared.

1908 VT Sec of State creates first index cards for state copies of vital records

1909 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps  

1909 St. Mary Star of the Sea Church completed and was dedicated August 1, 1909

1909 Steamer Anthemis began operation. Continued til 1948 - sold to Mr Vaillancourt in Magog , sold again several years later

1909   Village of Barton Landing officially became the village of Orleans on January 1, 1909

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1910 US Census

1911 Canadian Census June 1, 1911 to Feb 26, 1912

1911 Blair and Delorme Veneer Mill on Glen Road burned. 

1913 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

1913 Methodist Episcopal Church [later United Church of Newport] rebuilt + new bell tower..... cor 3rd & Summer St

1916 Newport Directory & West Derby Directory published, a few businesses listed phone numbers; Passumpsic Telephone Co., Exchange Blk, 35 Main Street

1916 The Orleans County Historical Society incorporates in August to collect and preserve the history of Orleans County, beginning with the purchase of the former granite dormitory, the Old Stone House.

1916 December: DB Gould conveyed property at west corner of Main & Coventry to Orleans Trust Co (LF)

1917 World War I: 1917 – 1919

1917 Lady of the Lake stopped operating

1917 Draft Records for WWI for 24 million men born between 1873 and 1900

1918 March 1918-July 4, 1921……. before that is Newport City Records 

1918 Villages of Newport and West Derby were united by charter to form Newport City

1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic killed between 20-50 million people worldwide

1919 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

1919 end of WWI on 11 November, 1918

1919 Raymond House was called the 'New City Hotel' [EN pg 109 photo]

1919-21 Town Clerks created index cards for their copies of vital records + church records & gravestone transcriptions prior to 1870

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1920 US Census

1920 start of Prohibition

1920's Gardner Park built (BM pg 28)

1921 Canadian Census now released to public

1920    19th Amendment grants women’s suffrage

1920     Newport Armory built

1922 Orleans County Memorial Hospital ground broken; articles registered in 1919

1921 Newport Town records destroyed:  available May 1921-Present [check VT archives for copies of those previous to 1921]

1922 "Palladium and News -1922-1931 [sister newspaper to Express & Standard]

1922 Newlands Central Street building gutted  (OSH list)

1922 Aubin Block 12 families lost their homes(OSH list)

1923 Elisha Lane's Opera House  1892-1923

1923 Lane Building destroyed by fire (BM)  

1923 National Bank of Newport built building east of old Exchange Block (BM)

1923 Joseph Greenwood started the first bus service – Greenwood Bus Line (LF) [original location presently unknown]

1924 Dr Gaines sold property (old Goodrich home) to Flint. Named it Elizabeth Apartments.

1924 July 1, 1924 Orleans County Memorial Hosp opened doors

1924 Jan. 30, 1924: Frank Burns purchased the property of E. Lane & Son which building was burned in Dec. Picture theater will be  there – also 5 and 10 cent store.

1924 Woolworth's opened in Oct 1924 according to 1954 paper

1925 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

1925   Newport High School constructed on west side of School Street

1925 Newport still did not have telephones

1925 The Old Stone House Museum opens with exhibits of historical items from Orleans County.

1925 Newport Directory published

1926 Green and Borroughs Block (OSH list)

1927 Flood of November 3, 1927; the short bridge removed by the flood waters (NE&S)

1927 R. F. Hamblett built a 3 story bakery building behind his store  on south side of Main (EN)

1927 J.C.Penney bought the Gilman Block – corner of Main and North Ave. (NE)

1927 Farrants Greenhouse was opened on Farrants Street by Harold Jenks; still in business in 2022.  (NDE 4/29/22)

1928 Present Causeway Bridge was built after the 1927 flood destroyed the old wooden one; cement, completed 15 Dec 1928 

1928 County Jail improvements Aug 31, 1928

1928 Canadian Gateway Airport in Derby had an air show September 14-16

1928 according to newspaper: Trade Week-million dollar event Sept 8-15 [Hoosier $59.75]

1929 Long Bridge was pronounced unsafe & closed May 1929; completed 14 March 1930 (NE&S)

1929 Montgomery Ward will build on Main St. (NE&S)

1929 W.T.Grant will build on north side Main St. (NE&S)

1929 M.H. Fishman block on Edson Hope property Main St- south side of street (NE&S)

1929 National Bank of Newport was using money printed with it own name on it, bills needed signed by an ?owner or director

1929 Fires:  Stables of Ed Eastman-owned by Cady McQueen; storehouse owned by Ralph Sisco & Ed Eastman-spread to barn of W O Flanders

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1930 US Census 

1930 Newport House (hotel) badly damaged (OSH list)

1930 Long Bridge closed May 1929; completed 14 March 1930; 534 feet long  (NE&S)

1930 Hinman Park & Playground project rec by Rotary Club to cover causeway dump; 28 Nov, 1930 (NE&S)

1931 Agreement signed by various local businessmen loaning money to keep National Bank of Newport from defaulting

1930 Early 1930’s R. Hamblett Inc erected new building in space next to his retail store. 

(Between present Treasure Shop and the Pewter Mug) (EN)

1932 1932, the city had a poor farm for the indigent [Wikipedia.org]

1933 Charles Brady house torn down – west corner of Field and Main – for filling station (LF) [built before 1885 Sanborn Map]

1933 end of Prohibition

1934 ...before 1934, the Burn Theatre was opened....[part of it having been moved from Premier Theatre on Coventry St 

1935 Newport City Directory published

1935 Works Progress Administration (WPA) Hist Rec Survey was responsible for creating inventories, indexes and transcriptions of historical records & The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) for public works projects

1935 George Phelps takes over Livingston Pharmacy -east corner of Main & Central(NE&S)

1935 Fire in Burrough/Green Building (LF)

1936 Hall/Bigelow Pharmacy sold to Lewis -corner of Main & North Ave (LF)

1937 Lot chosen by Treasury Dept. for new Customs/Immigration building (NE)

1937 Endicott Johnson goes into Foster Block (LF)

1937 Handy [Newland] block fire (LF) Towers gone and building ended up one story w/flat front

1938 Immigration Building  built

1938 Chart of Lake Memphremagog does not show the Maxfield Light House- just an Iron Light House in about the same spot, the Stake Light House off  Whipple Point/Strawberry Acres and the Memphremagog Yacht Club on Newport shore.

1938 The Hurricane of September 21, 1938

1939 Named changed to Newport Daily Express newspaper

1939 June 12 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

1930' & 40's Grandstand in Gardner Park was built..............  [ will probably stumble on an article one day with date!]

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1940 US Census – Last Currently available to the general public-digitized and indexed on online

1940    American Indians are recognized as citizens, although not all are allowed to vote until 1947

1941 World War II:  7 Dec. 1941 - 31 Dec. 1946

1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor --morning of Sunday December 7, 1941

1941 Raymond House /New City Hotel in RR Square torn down. (LF) 

1942 August 1942, 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. [Wikipedia]

1942    Hurst Hotel closed after 35 years (1907) demolished soon after. Land was originally part of late Harry Stuart estate. (LF)

1943 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 1925-43 revised

1943 Long Bridge was still on wooden piers according to Sanborn

1944 Long Bridge declared unsafe and closed about July 1944

1944 Newport Airport was completed

1944 Oct. Jesse Levin bought Salvation Army block on North Ave.(LF)

1944 Lewis Pharmacy sold to Greenwood Bus Line (LF) location: later absorbed by Woolworths

1940’s Colodny Block, east corner of Main and Central, burned (EN)

  Renihan's Palace of Sweets closed. Royal Cafe starts up on south side of Main.(NE)

1945 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 1945 to 1964 revised

1945 Newport Hotel sold to Keenan Bros. (LF)

1945 Lakewood Plywood, built by arthur Roe had 130 employees; Atlas Plywood took over plant for next 5 yrs. It then disolved until 1958 when it reopened as Indian Head Pllywood, then Columbia Plywood Corp in 1966.  After several other changes, in the 1980's it became an employee-owned corporation. (NDE 4/29/22)

1946 Jan. International Mill chimney demolished (NE)   & scrapbook 17 

1946 Feb. Crawford Block gutted by fire (LF)

1946 May Memphremagog Yacht Club  burned (LF).....MYC burned on May 2, 1946.

1946 July Gilman Block bought by O.S. Searles (NE)

1946 Nov. Foster Block sold to Harry Farber (LF) (NE)

1946 Crawford Block on Main Street burned [newspaper 15 Feb 1946] formerly Lane/Dwinnel Bldg

1946 end of WWII, 31 Dec. 1946

1948 Steamer Anthemus stopped operating

1948 April: Hamblett bought Elizabeth Apts.. gives him corner block. (LF)

1948 October,  Governor Prouty Inn opens. (NDE)

1949 March, J.C. Penney moved to N.Y. (LF)

1949 Steeple of First Baptist church dismantled (NDE)

1949 Building on the north corner of North Ave torn down. New clinic office building will be built. (LF)

1949 R. Hamblett Inc opened new supermarket, Bakery in basement. (LF)

1949 O.S.Searles remodeling Gilman Block. Searles and Endicott Johnson on Main St. (NE)

1949 Aug. Dean Huntington, former clerk at Penneys, bought out the Beebe Bros Store. (LF)

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1950 US Census taken; not yet available

1950 Korean War:  27 June 1950 - 31 June 1955 

1950 ???Newport Railroad Station torn down

1950 February 1950 Derby-Port Drive-In was started, opened May 26, 1950 playing Northwest Passage.  The screen can tumbling down on Monday May 13, 1985. (NDE 4/29/22)

1951 Frank Towle, a high school teacher started Newport's first Little League in Gardner Park   (NDE 4/29/22)

1951 Church of the Nazarene organized, now on Elm Street [1953]

1952 Karaberis of the Royal Café bought Andres Diner (LF)
1952 "store being built on old Drew block lot now owned by Curson-owner of Burns Theatre."[Aubuchon / Dairy Joy?] (LF)

1952 Mr Hovey sold his beach property on Bluffs to Mr Hayes......hence Hayes Beach

1953 New Sacred Heart High School opened

1953 Between 1936 &1953, International Club in Newport had the largest dance floor in New England, 220x60 feet [Wikipedia]

1953 Harvey Gardyne bought W.W.Blodgett Store in True and Blanchard Building (NE)

1954 Article: Orleans Trust Co. and Valley Savings joining Chitttenden Trust (LF)

1954 Hamblett’s bakery building burned  in March (EN) (LF)

1955 Arkins Shoe Store closed 31 Main St. (NE)

1953 Sacred Heart High School opened, [1940 year that high school classes began]

1955 Hamblett remodeling former Sam Horton Block (LF)

1955 Korea Peacetime: 1 Feb. 1955 - 4 Aug. 1964

1956 The City Garage burned down. (OSH list) 

1956 Newport Congregational Church burned May 4, 1956

1957 Orleans Trust renovating building for Geach Electric

1957   WT Grant Store opened on site of former Vermont Store & True & Blanchard 

1957 July 1957:  The former Hall Block being taken down. LF

1957 construction on new JJ Newbury Co starts 

1957 M H Carter Paint Store opened 3-5 Third Street-July [Mel Carter also opened Gr Outdoors Trading Post for short time-later]

1957 Orleans Trust Co. Building renovated. Geach Electric to move in (LF)

1957 True and Blanchard Building  taken down in March (Vermont Store) replaced by new W.T.Grant Store (NE)

1957 Former Hall block owned by Jesse Levin sold to J.J.Newberry Chain Stores (LF)

1958 United Church of Newport formed from the Methodist Episcopal Church and First Congregational Church on 3rd St

1959 Johnny's Market in the Colodny Block will close soon. (LF)

1959 telephone dial tone comes to area

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1960 US Census taken; not yet available

1960  Interstate 91 was built in stages in the late 1950s and through the 1960s

1960 Faith Lighthouse Assembly of God started on Union Street

1960 Newport gets the '334' telephone designation

1960's Space Research Corp compound was built on 6000 acres straddling the border of Jay/Mansonville, Que.  It made long range munitions & shells.  In 1979  Dr George Bull & some associates were put under scrutiny of US Gov and he was eventually assignated in Brussels Belgium on March 20, 1990.

1961 Vietnam War 1961- April 30, 1975 (NDE 4/29/22)

1961 Church of Christ, now on corner of Sias and Prouty Drive

1962   Hillside School constructed on site of East School [now Newport Elementary School]  [formerly W Derby Grammar School built about turn of the century. (EN pg 49 &159)

1962 Npt Directory: A&P Grocery now in Bigelow Furniture store location- west corner of Main & Bay

1963 I-91 Section completed: Derby (2.106 miles) - August 21, 1963

1963 Army National Guard armory on Union Street........ May 30, 1963 EN

1964 24th Amendment prohibits poll taxes

1964 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 1945 to 1964 revised

1965 The last passenger train left Newport in 1965 [wikipedia] and station closed

1966 newspaper had picture of Railroad Station being demolished July 15, 1966

1966 Grandstand at old Gaines Trotting Park down Picture: (4/13/66 NDE)

1966 August 1966 the Valley Corporation conveyed property at west corner of Main & Coventry to Fedele Family (LF)

1966 Farrants Flower Shop was opened on Main Street until the block was torn down (NDE 4/29/22)

1966 new US Post Office on Coventry Street-nice pic of Federal Building (LF)

1967 Newport City 75th Anniversary

1967 Last Newport High School class to graduate

1967 North Country Union High School opened Sept 6, 1967

1960's Orleans Essex North Supervisory Union was formed as largest supervisory Union in VT w/520 sq miles in 2 counties

1968 North Country Union High School-first graduating class

1968     West School Building demolished [now a playground]

1968 Root Block, next to Hotel Newport, burned (EN) May 20, 1968

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1970 US Census taken; not yet available

1971    26th Amendment lowers voting age to 18

1971 North Country Hosp & Health Center ground broken on 30 acres on Prouty Drive

1971 October, David Phelps sold his drug store-in business 35 year /Jan 1936, now a luncheonette owned by Mrs Turner 

1972 Iola's Beauty Shop [location?] and MH Carter Paint Store  [Crawford Block] opened October

1973 Newport Hotel torn down

1973 Chittenden Trust Company built on site of Newport Hotel

1973 July 12, 1973: a fire at the  Military Personnel Records Center in St Louis destroyed 16-18 million personnel files for a period of just before WWI through 1963, causing a record void for all  veterans.

1974 North Country Hosp & Health Center opened doors Jan 4, 1974

1974 November, Passumpsic Bank moved into old Chittenden Bank

1975 Vietnam War 1961-1975

1976 November Montgomery Ward closing Dec 22, 1976 after 30 years

1976 US Bicentennial and  Dedication of Newport Municipal Dock- July 4, 1976

1977 “Frontier Crossroads, the evolution of Newport, Vermont” by EM Nelson; pub: Newport History Com   

1978 “Frontier Crossroads, the people of Newport, Vermont” by Emily M. Nelson 

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1980 US Census taken; not yet available

1984 Barton Chronicle newspaper indexed obituaries March 1984-Nov 1987

1987 January, Prouty & Miller Lumber Yard Bldg burned on Bay St & they moved to I191 access road

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1990 US Census taken; not yet available

1990 Gulf War-Operation Desert Storm:  2 Aug. 1990 to 28 Feb 1991

1991   Memphremagog Historical Society chartered  by Newport Women's Club 1991 to acquire, restore, preserve, display artifacts covering life in Newport, VT & the towns surrounding Lake Memphremagog

1995 United Christian Academy opened in former Newport High School on School Street

1996 Due to ‘911’ calls, streets were re-numbered and some renamed

1999   Emery A. Hebard State Office Building officially opened on October 1, 1999

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2000 US Census taken; by law will be available in 72 years

2000 January 1 - Millennium celebrations take place throughout the world.

2001 July 28, 2001 Memphremagog Hist Soc Museum opened in Emory Hebard State Office Building on location of former Memphremagog Hotel, Gilman, Foster & Farber Blocks, Woolworth/Burns Theatre Block

2004 August -Phish Concert on Airport Road........... reams of articles

2003    Invasion of Iraq, from March 19 to May 1, 2003

2007 Sacred Heart School closed its doors  [2025  bldg still empty]

2008 OENSU became North Country Supervisory Union July 1, 2008

???? Newport Career Center opened on Veterans Ave next to North Country Union High School -maybe 2009

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2010    US Census taken; not yet available

2011 start of rebuilding of new ‘Long Bridge’ in Railroad Square

2011 Bogner of America, a local subsidiary of an international ski clothing manufacturer ..... closed in 2011. [Wikipedia.org]

2011 Hurricane Irene did minimal damage in Orleans County, more damage in rest of the state

2012 new excursion boat ‘Newport Belle’ on Lake Memphremagog-owners: Cook [not Coast Guard approved]

2012 1940 US Census will be released April 2, 2012

200? Mater Dei Catholic Parish serves the faithful in surrounding towns and areas of Newport, Derby, Island Pond and West Charleston. 

2013 New "Long Bridge" completed from RR Sq to Mt Vernon Street

2013 Cruise boat 'Northern Star' launched ......... Chris Johanson? [built 2002]

2013 Newport Airport sold to Bill Stenger and runway to be lengthened and plane manufacturer announced

2014 Demolition of mini-mart and office bldg to east ......... on Main & Third and construction on new Maplefield's complex

2014 Demolition of 6 blocks on the south side of Main, from Central to Second Street [2019 still a big hole]

2014 Bldg on northwest end of Long Bridge being demolished in March

2014 ANC Biotek company [old Bogner Bldg] permits applied for with City of Newport

2015 Work on ANC Biotek halted due to money concerns; turns out to be a fraudulence scam

2016 All work on EB5 projects in area halted and projects put into government receivership due to alleged fraud

2017 Preparations for City of Newport's 100th Birthday in 2018

2017 last summer of cruise boat “Northern Star'

2018 100 Centennial Celebration of union of West Derby & Village of Newport to make the City of Newport, VT

2019 'hole' still on Main Street and many empty storefronts; ANC Biotek apparently was a fraud & scam

2019 July 1: Official certified & non-certified vital records are only issued by the Statewide Registry System through the Dept of Health, all town clerks and VT State Archives and Records Administration

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2020 Covid-19 Pandemic hit US from China and Europe 

2020 CENSUS 24  taken on April 1, 2020 in the middle of the Pandemic

2021 North Star cruise boat now back on Lake Memphremagog having been purchased by local residents

2021 “Newport Republican” 1864-5 and “Newport Express “1865 & 1868 newspapers given to Goodrich Library by Roger Cartee; from Gilpin & Hunt Print Shop c1970's and were microfilmed & digitized.

2021 Newport Main Street re-pavement with extra federal Covid19 money

2021 September saw a huge number of Covid19 patients, estimated to be mostly unvaccinated; worse than the middle of the pandemic. Businesses are trying to operate in-spite of the lack of labor.

2021 Preliminary plans in the works for the 'hole' in Main Street to be filled by a VT State Courthouse in near future and the present Old Post Office/Federal Bldg/VT court will be torn down

2021 'word on the street' that the above has fallen through.........  back to square one?

2022 April 1, 2022 is release of 1950 US Census; to be indexed by AI by Ancestry.com and volunteers at FamilySearch.org

2022 A small ‘parklet’ has been created on the corner of Main & Field Avenue …...money from Covid grant.

2022 Russian/Putin War on Ukraine

2023 Canadian Government releases 1931 Census to the public

2023 Nothing has been done on the ‘hole’ on Main Street but we now have lots of 30’ maple trees growing there.  The old Hamblett Bakery chimney is still standing.

2023 Dena Gray of the Eastside Restaurant has purchased the Newport Belle tour boat and plans to make into bar/dining in future

2023 Canadian Government releases 1931 Census to the public

2023 Multiple strong storms over about 10 days did spotty damage in Orleans County-rising the level of Lake Memphremagog but causing vast damage in rest of the state

2024 Doug & Vivian Spates led a group of residents in buying and creating an over-look on Shattucks Hill and was dedicated in June; it is owned by the Town of Derby.  They are collecting funds for an endowment fund.

2024 Vermont had more flooding & washouts on the same day of the year in various parts of the state

2024 Church of Christ building , corner of Sias and Prouty Drive, has removed steeple and is now up for a lease

2024 All About Home kitchen shop has move into old jewelry store next to the Goodrich

2024 Warehouse Restaurant at Newport downtown Tasting Ctr has closed

2025 The City of Newport is having financial problems due to changes in income and accounting errors. City was forced to borrow funds to take care of the deficiency.

2025 The Newport Belle is dockside at the Eastside Restaurant; use unknown

2025 Memphremagog Historical Society has registered as a charity with VT and USA; officially reforming with a new BOD & officers; mailing address as old Montgomery Ward bldg.

2025 North Country Union High School building (Veterans Ave) has continuing PCB contamination problems and there are plans to potentially build a new school

2025 Lago Trattoria and Walgreens closed in June

2025 Old house on corner of East Main St and Causeway has been moved to back of lot onto a new foundation and will be renovated by NCUHS building trades class-use: housing; makes the corner safer for traffic

2025 For 3rd year Vermont had more flooding on the same day of the year in various parts of the state

Reference Sources:

EN Emily Nelson, "Frontier Crossroads", vol 1 & 2 

NE&S Newport Express and Standard newspaper

NE Newport Daily Express newspaper

NDE Newport Daily Express special section 4/29/22

OSH list of fires compiled by Liz Nelson from Orleans Monitor newspapers  

BA          Beers Atlas of Orleans and Lamoille Counties, 1878

BM Barbara Malloy, articles and "Newport and the Northeast Kingdom"

GML Goodrich Memorial Library

LF Lettie Foster journal & scrapbooks in Goodrich Old Book Room [missing years 1922-1935]

1894 Brattleboro Reformer newspaper-July-transcribed

1896 Exp & Std Supplement-Dec-transcribed

1908 Exp & Std Supplement-July?-transcribed

1864-65 Newport Republican-microfilmed, digitized but not indexed

1868 Newport Express-microfilmed, digitized but not indexed