A history of Newport,
since 1870
Postcards, papers and photographs of Newport from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story so far
from Wikipedia & the U.S. CensusNewport is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Arkansas, United States located on the White River, 84 miles (135 km) northeast of Little Rock. As of the 2020 census, Newport had a population of 8,005. Newport is home to a campus of the Arkansas State University system, with particular focus on training in transportation careers. Newport is known as the town in which Sam Walton owned a Ben Franklin store prior to starting Walmart. Newport has ten properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Newport was established in 1870. Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 7,879 people in 2010, 8,005 in 2020. Half of its homes were built before 1971.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Newport yet — the old photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Intro from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Population and housing: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Newport’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old view1940 Census Enumeration District …, 1880: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Newport
See all 22 →
Newport, decade by decade
1990s
9 historic places in Newport
9 places in Newport are on the National Register of Historic Places, the country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
Where they are
When they were listed
Listed 1976Jackson County Courthouse
Listed 1977Empie-Van Dyke House
Listed 1982First Presbyterian Church
Listed 1982Gregg House
Listed 1982Newport Junior & Senior High School
Listed 1986Arkansas Bank & Trust Company
Listed 1990Newport Bridge
Listed 1992Missouri-Pacific Depot-Newport
Listed 1992Newport American Legion Community HutThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as 1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Arkansas - Jackson County - Newport - ED 34-2, ED 34-3, ED 34-4A, ED 34-4B, ED … (1880) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (4), the Library of Congress (1) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.