Newport, Tennessee
Newport, Tennessee
Location of Newport, Tennessee
Coordinates: 35°57′48″N 83°11′48″W / 35.96333, -83.19667
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Cocke
Area
- City	5.4 sq mi (14.0 km²)
- Land	5.4 sq mi (14.0 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	1,053 ft (321 m)
Population (2000)
- City	7,242
- Density	1,337.8/sq mi (516.5/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	37821-37822
Area code(s)	423
FIPS code	47-53000GR2
GNIS feature ID	1295698GR3

Newport is a city in Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,242 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cocke County^GR6. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 505 pixelsFull resolution (1198 × 756 pixel, file size: 189 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links TNMap-doton-Newport. ... This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      The political units and divisions of the United States include: The 50 states... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Largest metro area Nashville Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 36th  - Total 42,169 sq mi (109,247 km²)  - Width 120 miles (195 km)  - Length 440 miles (710 km)  - % water 2. ... List of Tennessee counties: Anderson County Bedford County Benton County Bledsoe County Blount County Bradley County Campbell County Cannon County Carroll County Carter County Cheatham County Chester County Clairborne County Clay County Cocke County Coffee County Crockett County Cumberland County Davidson County Decatur County DeKalb County Dickson County Dyer County... Cocke County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... Look up city, City in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... 2000 US Census logo The Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13. ... Look up city, City in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Metronome, a public art installation showing the time in New York City The Eastern Time Zone (ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of Northern America and the west coast of South America. ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Though DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... −12 | −11 | −10 | −9:30 | −9 | −8 | −7 | −6 | −5 | −4 | −3:30 | −3 | −2:30 | −2 | −1 | −0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Mr. ... Area Code 423 is an area code in Tennessee that covers the cities of two separate and disconnected portions of East Tennessee. ... Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the U.S. Federal government for use by all (non-military) government agencies and by government contractors. ... GNIS (The Geographic Names Information System) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories. ... Cocke County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Largest metro area Nashville Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 36th  - Total 42,169 sq mi (109,247 km²)  - Width 120 miles (195 km)  - Length 440 miles (710 km)  - % water 2. ... A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... Cocke County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ...

Geography

Newport is located at 35°57′48″N, 83°11′48″W(35.963318, -83.196542)^GR1. The town is situated along the Pigeon River in an area where the Foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains descend into the French Broad and Nolichucky drainage basins. English Mountain rises prominently to the southwest and Hall Top Mountain rises to the southeast, with the Pigeon River cutting a valley between the two. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park boundary passes some 10 miles to the south. The Pigeon drainage basin, located within the upper Tennessee drainage basin The Pigeon River of Western North Carolina and East Tennessee, United States, rises above Canton, North Carolina. ... A rainy day in the Great Smoky Mountains, Western North Carolina Appalachian Mountain system The Great Smoky Mountains are a major mountain range in the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains, the second ridge line forming a north-south running mountain chain from the Eastern United States and bordering the... The French Broad River flows from near Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into Tennessee. ... The Nolichucky River at Embreeville in Washington County, Tennessee. ... Cades Cove panorama The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. ...

The confluence of the French Broad, Nolichucky, and Pigeon occurs 10 miles northwest of Newport in an area once known as Forks-of-the-River. This area now comprises the northeastern section of Douglas Lake, which was created by an impoundment of the French Broad by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1940s. The French Broad eventually merges with the Holston River in Knoxville to form the Tennessee River, some 30 miles to the west. Douglas Dam satellite view from NASA World Wind Douglas Dam is a man-made dam on the French Broad River in Sevier County in East Tennessee in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Holston drainage basin, located within the upper Tennessee drainage basin For other uses of Holston, see Holston (disambiguation). ... A riverboat passing under the Henley Street Bridge on the Tennessee River. ...

Cocke County, looking north from Mt. Cammerer

Several major federal highways intersect at Newport. Interstate 40 passes through the town's southern section appx. 30 miles northeast of the North Carolina border. U.S. Route 321 runs perpendicular to I-40, approaching Newport from Cosby to the south. U.S. Route 411 merges with U.S. Route 70 in Carson Springs and the merged road enters Newport from the west, intersecting US-321 in downtown Newport. US-70 continues east to Del Rio, Tennessee and Hot Springs, North Carolina, while US-321 turns north and crosses the Pigeon and French Broad en route to Greeneville and northeastern Tennessee. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (abbreviated I-40) is a major west-east interstate highway in the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (901 km)  - % water 9. ... This U.S. Highway article needs to be cleaned up to conform to both a higher standard of article quality and accepted design standards outlined in the WikiProject U.S. Highways. ... Cosby, Tennessee Cosby is an unincorporated community in Cocke County, Tennessee. ... U.S. Highway 411 is a spur of U.S. Highway 11. ... U.S. Route 70 is an east-west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles (3,838 km) from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. ... Del Rio, Tennessee Del Rio is an unincorporated community in Cocke County, Tennessee. ... Hot Springs is a town located in Madison County, North Carolina. ... Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. ...

Newport consists of several sections relating to its historical development. The main section of town, centered around the courthouse, is situated along the south bank of the Pigeon amongst a series of relatively low but steep cliffs. North of the main section is "Oldtown," situated between the Pigeon and French Broad, which was the town's main area before the advent of the railroad in the late 1800s. A more modern section of town has developed along US-321 between the courthouse area and I-40.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.0 km² (5.4 mi²), all land. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ...

Demographics

English Mountain, looking west from the Cocke County High School parking lot

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 7,242 people, 3,203 households, and 1,941 families residing in the city. The population density was 516.8/km² (1,337.8/mi²). There were 3,483 housing units at an average density of 248.6/km² (643.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.07% White, 5.36% African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.31% of the population. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 470 pixelsFull resolution (1198 × 704 pixel, file size: 139 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 470 pixelsFull resolution (1198 × 704 pixel, file size: 139 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image:1870 census Lindauer Weber 01. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

There were 3,203 households out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.7% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.82. Marriage is an interpersonal relationship with governmental, social, or religious recognition, usually intimate and sexual, and often created as a contract, or through civil process. ...

In the city the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 84.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,539, and the median income for a family was $26,791. Males had a median income of $25,692 versus $20,165 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,870. About 24.1% of families and 29.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.8% of those under age 18 and 18.7% of those age 65 or over. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

History

Historical marker along US-321 in Newport, recalling the site of War Ford

The Great Indian Warpath passed through what is now Newport en route to the ancient Cherokee hunting grounds of northeastern Tennessee.^[1] The Warpath crossed the Pigeon River at a point approximately 0.2 miles east of the McSween Memorial Bridge (US-321), in an area where the river is normally low enough to walk across.^[2] The first European traders to the area, arriving in the mid-1700s, called this point along the Pigeon River the War Ford. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1199 × 899 pixel, file size: 281 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1199 × 899 pixel, file size: 281 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Great Indian Warpath, Great Indian War and Trading Path, or Seneca Trail was that part of the network of trails in eastern North America developed and used by Native Americans which ran through the Great Appalachian Valley . ... For other uses, see Cherokee (disambiguation). ...

During the American Revolution, the Cherokee aligned themselves with the British, and launched sporadic attacks against early Euro-American settlers in the Holston valley. In the waning months of the conflict in 1782, a detachment led by Gen. Charles McDowell of North Carolina crossed the mountains into what is now Tennessee to join up with Col. John Sevier's local forces and initiate an aggressive campaign against the hostile Cherokee. In August of that year, Sevier crossed the Pigeon at War Ford, attacking and killing several Cherokee camped along the river's banks. This assault was one of the final engagements of the Revolution.^[3][4] This article is about military actions only. ... John Sevier (pronounced severe) (23 September 1745 – 25 September 1815) served four years (1785–1789) as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years (1796–1801 and 1803–1809) as governor of Tennessee, and as a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death. ...

Early settlement

The Swaggerty Blockhouse in Parrottsville, built ca. 1787.

At the close of the Revolution, the first Euro-American settlers arrived in the Newport area, ensconcing themselves in the vicinity of the strategic river fords. Peter Fine established a ferry on the north bank of the French Broad in the early 1780s, and in 1783 John Gilliland settled opposite Fine's Ferry in what is now Oldtown. Shortly thereafter, Emanuel Sandusky, a Polish immigrant, established a farm on the land where the Cocke County Memorial Building now stands, and Samuel O'Dell settled at the junction of the Pigeon River and Cosby Creek. Sometime in the 1790s, the Gilliland family donated 50 acres of land for a town square and courthouse to be situated opposite Fine's Ferry on the banks of the French Broad, and the town of New Port was born.^[5][6] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 586 pixelsFull resolution (1199 × 878 pixel, file size: 251 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 586 pixelsFull resolution (1199 × 878 pixel, file size: 251 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...

For nearly a quarter-century, the residents of the Newport area lived under constant threat of attack from Cherokee crossing the mountains from North Carolina. Shortly after the arrival of the first Euro-American settlers, Peter Fine sought to quell this threat by leading a punitive expedition against the Cherokee town of Cowee in North Carolina, which Fine captured and burned. The Cherokee responded by stealing Fine's livestock and attempting to herd them back to North Carolina. Fine gave chase and managed to retrieve the livestock, but on the return march he was ambushed and his son, Vinet, was killed. Shortly thereafter, two O'Dells were killed, one of Sandusky's daughters was kidnapped, and several others settlers were killed or scalped.^[7]

To provide defense against these sporadic attacks, the early settlers erected a series of forts in the area. Wood's Fort guarded the Forks-of-the-River just downstream from Newport, and McCoy's Fort and Whitson's Fort defended the area to the south.^[8] Other installations included Huff's Fort at what is now Del Rio and the Swaggerty Blockhouse in modern-day Parrottsville. With Sevier's victory at the Battle of Boyds Creek and the ensuing Treaty of Dumplin in 1785, Cherokee influence in the area began to wane. In the 1790s, the Cherokee signed a series of treaties which essentially ceded most of the land on the Tennessee side of the Smokies to the U.S. government. By 1800, Cherokee attacks in the Newport area had been drastically reduced. Parrottsville is a town located in Cocke County, Tennessee. ... Boyds Creek is an unincorporated community located in Sevier County, Tennessee. ...

The Flatboat Period

The French Broad River in the vicinity of Fine's Ferry at Newport's northern border

As the French Broad River empties into the Tennessee River, towns along its banks are connected via waterway to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. In the early 1800s, William Faubion, who lived just northeast of New Port, managed to reach New Orleans with a flatboat shipment and return safely.^[9] In early 19th-century East Tennessee, which was riddled with poor roads and hilly terrain, river travel was a relatively convenient mode of transportation. New Port, strategically situated on the French Broad near Forks-of-the-River, quickly developed into a flatboat trading hub.^[10] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 308 pixelsFull resolution (1199 × 462 pixel, file size: 91 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 308 pixelsFull resolution (1199 × 462 pixel, file size: 91 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... NOLA redirects here. ... Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective. ... A Flatboat is a boat with a flat bottom and has square ends. ...

William Garrett (1774-1853) arrived in New Port in the late 1790s and built a plantation, known as Beechwood Hall, just south of Fine's Ferry. Many early travelers, including several circuit riders and religious leaders, were entertained at Garrett's mansion. During the War of 1812, Garrett shipped eight large flatboats stocked with food and whiskey to the U.S. Navy in New Orleans.^[11] A circuit rider is a concept from the history of American Methodism. ... This article is about the U.S. – U.K. war. ...

Among those entertained at Beechwood Hall in the early 1800s was Bishop Francis Asbury, a circuit rider credited with spreading Methodism to the Southern Appalachian region. Asbury wrote in his journal: This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Methodism (disambiguation). ...

We rode through New-Port, the capital of Cocke County, forded French Broad at Shine's Ferry, and came cold and without food for man or beast to John O'Haver's but oh, the kindness of our open-hearted friends.^[12]

In 1812, a large Methodist revival was held at New Port's crude log courthouse, and the Zion Methodist Church was established that same year. The Presbyterians erected a church on Graveyard Hill (above the modern junction of US-321 and US-70) in the 1820s. The residents of New Port established one of the first schools in the area, Anderson Academy, in 1820. New Port was officially incorporated on October 19, 1812.^[13] Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ...

While New Port had strong religious beginnings, its situation as a river trading hub on the edge of the Appalachian frontier inevitably led to a certain lawlessness. Saloons were a mainstay in the town throughout the 1800s. Henry Ker, a traveler who visited New Port in 1816, recalled:

I set out for Newport, a small town on the French Broad River. At sunset I arrived, having much difficulty in finding the town for it was hid in a deep valley. It is the most licentious place in the State of Tennessee, containing about twenty houses of sloth, indolence and dissipation.^[14]

New Port's residents countered this lawlessness with swift methods of justice. The town had a pillory, stocks, and a ducking chair. Hangings were not uncommon.^[15] Gothic pillory (early 16th century) in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany The pillory was a device used in punishment by public humiliation and often additional, sometimes lethal, physical abuse. ... For other uses, see stock (disambiguation). ... A common scold gets her comeuppance in the ducking stool. ...

The Civil War

By 1834, New Port had a population of 150. The town included two general stores, two doctors, three blacksmiths, two tailors, two hatters, a wagon maker, two churches, and two taverns. A new brick courthouse had been erected in 1828 to replace the crude log courthouse.^[16]

While slavery was not as common in East Tennessee as in other parts of the Southeastern United States, it did occur. Some buildings in early Cocke County were built with slave labor. Sometime before the Civil War, local records report the executions of at least two slaves. One was a grandmother whose grandson drowned while she fled across the Pigeon River in an attempt to keep him from being sold.^[17] The other, a slave by the name of "Tom," was tortured and burned alive for the murder of Mary Lotspeich.^[18] In the years leading up to the war, Newport's Methodists split into pro-slavery and anti-slavery denominations, reflecting a division common throughout the county.^[19]

When the Civil War broke out in the 1860s, New Port attempted to remain neutral. The town was a consistent target of raids from both Union and Confederate soldiers. The owners of Beechwood Hall buried their silver and kept their horses in the basement to prevent them from being stolen.^[20] The residents of Cocke County eventually recruited a home guard to protect them from raids, which they based at the mouth of Indian Camp Creek, a few miles south of New Port.^[21] Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... In this map:  Union states prohibiting slavery  Union territories  Border states on the Union side which allowed slavery  Kansas, which entered and fought with the Union as a free state after the Bleeding Kansas crisis  The Confederacy  Confederate claimed and sometimes held territories During the American Civil War, the Union... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Religion...

Several skirmishes occurred in the vicinity of New Port, namely along Lick Creek to the north and Cosby Creek to the south. At the latter, the brother of North Carolina Governor Zebulon Vance was captured in an ambush.^[22] Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830--April 14, 1894) was an American Civil War hero and three-time Governor of North Carolina. ...

The railroad and the Clifton annexation controversy

The Cocke County Courthouse, built in 1930 to replace the 1884 structure, which had burned

In 1867, the Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap, and Charleston Railroad constructed a line through Clifton, which was located just south of New Port on the other side of the Pigeon River. As railroads were quickly replacing flatboats as the preferred mode of transportation and shipping in East Tennessee, the residents of New Port sought to build the new Cocke County Courthouse in Clifton. To bypass state law, which required an election to move a county seat, New Port decided to simply annex Clifton.^[23] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

The residents of Clifton, however, made it clear that they didn't want to be annexed. When New Port ignored them and moved forward with the annexation anyway, the residents of Clifton sued. After a 17-year legal battle, the Tennessee State Supreme Court ruled that the annexation violated the state's constitution. The new courthouse was constructed in Clifton in 1884. Perhaps due to railroad interests at the time, Clifton was renamed "Newport."^[24] New Port became known as "Oldport" or "Oldtown." Thus the town of Newport "shifted" from its location on the flatboat-friendly French Broad to its current location along the railroad running parallel to the Pigeon.

Alexander Arthur and the logging boom

The Pigeon River in Newport

Innovations in the logging industry in the late 1800s led to a rapid deforestation of the Ohio Valley and Mississippi Delta. Logging companies eventually turned to the timber-rich forests of Southern Appalachia to keep up with the increasing demand for wood, and band saw mills began spring up in towns located along the base of the mountains. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Carl D. Perkins Bridge in Portsmouth, Ohio with Ohio River and Scioto River tributary on right. ... The shared flood plain of the Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers The Mississippi Delta is the distinct northwest section of the state of Mississippi that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. ... Large resaw blades used in a sawmill. ...

In 1880, Canadian-born entrepreneur Alexander Arthur (1846-1912), representing the Scottish Carolina Timber and Land Company, arrived in Newport with ambitious plans to log the Pigeon valley. Arthur's plan called for the construction of a series of dams and booms which would be used to move logs from the higher elevations downstream using the river's current. The logs would eventually be floated all the way to Knoxville. The operation would be based in Newport, with a sawmill in the higher elevations at Pigeon Valley (now Hartford, Tennessee). Hartford is a city in Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. ...

Over the next six years, Arthur and his team of engineers and lumberjacks— some from as far away as South Africa and Europe— cut and sawed thousands of logs which they stocked behind a large dam. Arthur built an extravagant house in Newport and even made proposals to modernize the town square.^[25]

The residents of Newport— who were nonplussed by the flashy and energetic Arthur— warned the entrepreneur about the Pigeon River's volatility. While the mountain streams of Southern Appalachia appear calm and serene on a typical day, torrential rains in the higher elevations can turn these streams into raging whitewater rapids. In the Spring of 1886, the warnings of the locals became reality when a cloudburst hit the Balsam Mountains near the Pigeon's source and the river became a raging torrent. All day long, Arthur and his team fought ferociously to secure the dam holding back the company's precious stock of logs. That evening, one of Arthur's engineer's returned to Newport briefly to rest. Before leaving again, he told the anxious wives of the company men and the curious Newportians that if they heard the whistle, all would be "gone to hell." Historian Wilma Dykeman described that night: A cloudburst is extreme rainfall, sometimes mixed with hail and thunder, which normally lasts no longer than a few minutes but is capable of creating minor flood conditions. ...

Just before daybreak at the depth of the dark and rain, the waiting women and all the rest of the wakefull town heard the great crash as the booms burst, and the cry of the whistle signaled the men's defeat. Logs from thousands of trees boiled over the broken dams, smashed together in a grinding roar and surged on down the current like giant toothpicks tossed by some elemental energy.^[26]

His venture now bankrupt, Alexander moved to Knoxville to start rebuilding his fortune. He would later be instrumental in the founding of Middlesboro, Kentucky.^[27] The residents of Newport converted Scottish Timber's now-abandoned commissary into a saloon.^[28] Middlesborough, also spelled Middlesboro, is a city located in Bell County, Kentucky. ...

1900s

Elm Hill, the home of Ben Hooper's father-in-law, B.D. Jones

By the 1890s, the population of Newport had grown to 900.^[29] While Alexander Arthur's logging venture failed, industry continued to find its way to the town. In 1895, the A.C. Lawrence Leather Company established what eventually become one of the world's largest tanneries in Newport.^[30] Three years later, brothers James and John Stokely founded the Stokely Brothers Company (now Stokely-Van Camp's) to can vegetables they grew throughout the French Broad valley.^[31] Newport native Ben Hooper served as governor of Tennessee from 1911-1915. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 486 pixelsFull resolution (893 × 543 pixel, file size: 123 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 486 pixelsFull resolution (893 × 543 pixel, file size: 123 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Ben Walter Hooper (1870–1957) was governor of the U.S. state of Tennessee from 1911 to 1915. ...

Carson Springs, four miles west of Newport, developed around William Wilson's tavern and stagecoach terminal in the early 1800s. Later in the century, C.P. Peterson and wife built and operated the Peterson Hotel.^[32] As the mineral-rich mountain springs of Appalachia were thought to have health-restoring qualities, Carson Springs developed into an early tourist resort. The establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934 brought a still greater influx of tourists to Newport, but nothing like the tourism explosion that occurred in nearby Sevier County. Cades Cove panorama The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. ...

Kiffin Yates Rockwell, who was born in Newport in 1892, joined the French Foreign Legion during World War I. After being wounded, Rockwell joined one of the Legion's aviation corps, known as the Lafayette Escadrille, and would become the first American pilot to shoot down an enemy plane in combat.^[33] “The Great War ” redirects here. ... A SPAD S.XIII in Lafayette Escadrille livery James Norman Hall (1887-1951) of the Lafayette Escadrille, 1917 The Lafayette Escadrille (from the French Escadrille Lafayette) was a squadron of the French Air Service, the Aéronautique militaire, during World War I composed largely of American pilots flying fighters. ...

Moonshining and crime

Appalachia is characterized by winding narrow coves and hidden hollows separated by high ridges. Many of these hollows contained just enough bottomland to support an economy based on subsistence agriculture, but with each crop, the soil grew poorer and poorer. Thus, to make ends meet, farmers in communities such as Cosby and Del Rio began setting aside some of their corn crop for liquor production. These early distillers found an easy market in the taverns and saloons of Newport, itself located at a point where the Appalachian highlands meet the Tennessee Valley. Like most farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, this Cameroonian man cultivates at the subsistence level. ...

At the onset of Prohibition in 1920, the demand for illegally-distilled liquor skyrocketed, and Cocke County was primed to meet it. Not only did the county have moonshiners with generations of experience, but the remote Appalachian hollows and thick forest provided perfect hiding places for illegal stills. And as young men left the farms of rural Tennessee to seek employment in the textile mills of Knoxville and the large manufacturing hubs of the Midwest in the early 1900s, networks for moving the liquor from the mountain hollows to the large urban areas were already in place.^[34][35] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

From the 1920s through the 1960s, Cocke County became notorious throughout the Southeast as a moonshine mecca. To complicate matters, large numbers of servicemen passing through Newport en route to Knoxville or Asheville during World War II drew large numbers of prostitutes to the area. In 1969, the Knoxville News Sentinel published a series of reports regarding organized crime in the county, and Governor Buford Ellington launched an investigation that led to the arrest of Constable D.C. Ramsey, Cocke County Sheriff Tom O'Dell, and several state troopers stationed in within the county on charges of extortion and bribery. In the following decade, a new District Attorney, Al Schmutzer, launched a crackdown on the various moonshining, gambling, and cockfighting rings within the county, with some success.^[36] Revenue men at the site of moonshine stills, Kentucky, 1911 or earlier For other uses, see Moonshine (disambiguation). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Earl Buford Ellington (June 27, 1907 - April 3, 1972), a native of Mississippi, was Governor of Tennessee from 1959 to 1963 and again from 1967 until 1971. ...

In spite of Schmutzer's efforts, Cocke County continued to struggle with organized crime. In 1982, 40,000 marijuana plants were found growing just off Asheville Highway. The following year, Cocke County Sheriff Bobby Stinson was indicted along with 43 others on cocaine conspiracy charges. In 1987, 30 people from Cocke and Sevier County were arrested on charges relating to a car theft ring. Corruption probes and federal indictments relating to Cocke County law enforcement continued into the 21st century. In the 1990s, a series of economic initiatives by Newport and Cocke County, however, helped to curb the crime rate substantially.^[37]

Historical structures in the Newport area

The Rhea-Mims Hotel

Beechwood Hall, constructed in 1803 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A typical plaque showing entry on the National Register of Historic Places. ...

O'Dell House, constructed in 1814 and placed on the NRHP in 1975.

Cocke County Courthouse, constructed in 1930 and placed on the NRHP in 1995.

Elm Hill, constructed in the 1890s and placed on the NRHP in 1975.

Rhea-Mims Hotel, constructed in 1925 and placed on the NRHP in 1998. In 2000, the hotel was refurnished as a home for senior citizens by the firm Barge, Waggoner, Sumner, and Cannon, Inc.

Cocke County Memorial Building, constructed in 1931 and placed on the NRHP in 1997.

Famous natives and residents

• Ben W. Hooper (1870-1957) - Governor of Tennessee, 1911-1915
• Kiffin Yates Rockwell (1892-1916) - World War I pilot
• Wilma Dykeman (1920-2006) - Author and local historian
• L. D. Ottinger (1938- ) - Former NASCAR driver
• Marshall R. Teague (1953- ) - Actor
• [Jim Phillips] (1950-) - Announcer for the Motor Racing Network

Ben Walter Hooper (1870–1957) was governor of the U.S. state of Tennessee from 1911 to 1915. ... Notes 1East was Secretary of State for Tennessee from 1862-1865, appointed by Andrew Johnson, the military governor of the state under Union occupation during the American Civil War. ... Kiffin Rockwell was an early aviator whose major claim to fame is as the first American to shoot down an enemy aircraft. ... Wilma Dykeman Stokely (born May 20, 1920; died December 22, 2006) was an American writer of fiction and nonfiction whose works chronicled the people and land of Appalachia. ... L.D. Ottinger is a former NASCAR Busch Series driver. ... Marshall R. Teague (b. ... The Motor Racing Network (MRN) is the radio broadcasting operation of NASCAR. It broadcasts coverage of most major NASCAR races at the top three levels of NASCAR: the NEXTEL Cup, the Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. ...

References

External links

Coordinates: 35.963318° N 83.196542° W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

• Newport, Tennessee — official site

• cockecounty.org — Chamber of Commerce site

• Newport, Tennessee at the Open Directory Project

	v • d • e State of Tennessee Nashville (capital)
Topics	History | Tennesseans | Constitution | Governors | Lieutenant Governors | General Assembly | Supreme Court The Open Directory Project (ODP), also known as dmoz (from , its original domain name), is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links owned by Netscape that is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Largest metro area Nashville Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 36th  - Total 42,169 sq mi (109,247 km²)  - Width 120 miles (195 km)  - Length 440 miles (710 km)  - % water 2. ... “Nashville” redirects here. ... Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, site of first U.S. capital. ... The Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville has been the sight of much of the States history. ... // Roy Acuff Charlie Adams James Agee Lamar Alexander William R. Anderson Chet Atkins DeFord Bailey Howard Baker Ida Wells-Barnett Kathy Bates Kate Batts (a. ... Notes 1East was Secretary of State for Tennessee from 1862-1865, appointed by Andrew Johnson, the military governor of the state under Union occupation during the American Civil War. ... The following is a list of persons who have served as Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee (full current formal title: Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Senate) since the current Tennessee State Constitution was adopted in 1870. ... The Tennessee General Assembly is the formal name of the legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... The Tennessee Supreme Court is the highest appellate court of the State of Tennessee. ...
Grand Divisions	East Tennessee | Middle Tennessee | West Tennessee The Grand Divisions are geographic, cultural, and legally recognized regions each compromising a third of the State of Tennessee. ... East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the state of Tennessee. ... Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to law as well as custom. ... West Tennessee is one of the three traditional regions in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ...
Regions	Blue Ridge Mountains | Cumberland Plateau | Highland Rim | Mississippi Plain | Nashville Basin | Ridge-and-valley Appalachians | Tennessee Valley | Tri-Cities This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental) and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U.S. states, the federal district of Washington, D.C. or standard subentities such as cities or counties. ... Blue Ridge Mountains, Shining Rock Wilderness Area Appalachian Mountain system The Blue Ridge is a mountain chain in the eastern United States, part of the Appalachian Mountains, forming their eastern front from Georgia to Pennsylvania. ... The Cumberland Plateau includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia in the United States. ... The Highland Rim is a geographic term for the area in Tennessee surrounding the Central Basin. ... The Mississippi River Alluvial Plain, the largest ecoregion in Louisiana, covers some 12,350 square miles (31,990 square kilometres) of the state. ... The Nashville Basin is a geographic term used to describe the area surrounding Nashville, Tennessee. ... The Ridge-and-valley Appalachians are a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from northern New Jersey westward into Pennsylvania and southward into Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. ... The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... In Tennessee, the name Tri-Cities refers to the region surrounding the cities of Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol. ...
Major cities	Bristol | Chattanooga | Clarksville | Jackson | Johnson City | Kingsport | Knoxville | Memphis | Murfreesboro | Nashville There are approximately 348 incorporated municipalities in the state of Tennessee. ... State Street separates Virginia (left) and Tennessee (right). ... “Chattanooga” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Clarksville (disambiguation). ... Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. ... Johnson City is a city in Washington County, Tennessee; however a small part of the city is located within Sullivan County, Tennessee, to the northeast and Carter County, Tennessee, to the southeast. ... Kingsport is a city located primarily in Sullivan County, and also partially in Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States. ... Nickname: Location within the U.S. State of Tennessee. ... For other uses, see Memphis (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Motto: Location in Rutherford County and the state of Tennessee. ... “Nashville” redirects here. ...
Counties	Anderson | Bedford | Benton | Bledsoe | Blount | Bradley | Campbell | Cannon | Carroll | Carter | Cheatham | Chester | Claiborne | Clay | Cocke | Coffee | Crockett | Cumberland | Davidson | Decatur | DeKalb | Dickson | Dyer | Fayette | Fentress | Franklin | Gibson | Giles | Grainger | Greene | Grundy | Hamblen | Hamilton | Hancock | Hardeman | Hardin | Hawkins | Haywood | Henderson | Henry | Hickman | Houston | Humphreys | Jackson | Jefferson | Johnson | Knox | Lake | Lauderdale | Lawrence | Lewis | Lincoln | Loudon | Macon | Madison | Marion | Marshall | Maury | McMinn | McNairy | Meigs | Monroe | Montgomery | Moore | Morgan | Obion | Overton | Perry | Pickett | Polk | Putnam | Rhea | Roane | Robertson | Rutherford | Scott | Sequatchie | Sevier | Shelby | Smith | Stewart | Sullivan | Sumner | Tipton | Trousdale | Unicoi | Union | Van Buren | Warren | Washington | Wayne | Weakley | White | Williamson | Wilson List of Tennessee counties: Anderson County Bedford County Benton County Bledsoe County Blount County Bradley County Campbell County Cannon County Carroll County Carter County Cheatham County Chester County Clairborne County Clay County Cocke County Coffee County Crockett County Cumberland County Davidson County Decatur County DeKalb County Dickson County Dyer County... Anderson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Bedford County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Benton County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Bledsoe County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Blount County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Bradley County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Campbell County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Cannon County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Carroll County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Carter County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Cheatham County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Chester County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Shanes (born 1968) is a male Norwegian wikipedian living in Oslo. ... Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Cocke County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Coffee County is a county located in south-central portion of the state of Tennessee. ... Crockett County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Cumberland County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Davidson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Decatur County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... DeKalb County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Dickson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Dyer County is a county located in the westmost part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Fayette County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Fentress County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Franklin County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Gibson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Giles County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Grainger County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee known for its tomatoes. ... Greene County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Grundy County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Hamblen County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Hamilton County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Hancock County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Hardeman County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Hawkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Haywood County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Henderson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Henry County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Hickman County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Houston County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Humphreys County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Jackson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Jefferson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Johnson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Lake County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Lauderdale County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Lawrence County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Lewis County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Lincoln County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Loudon County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Macon County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Madison County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Marshall County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Maury County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... McMinn County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... McNairy County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Meigs County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Monroe County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Moore County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Morgan County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Obion County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Overton County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Perry County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Pickett County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Polk County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Putnam County is a county located in the state of Tennessee, USA. As of 2000, the population is 62,315. ... Rhea County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Roane County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Robertson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Rutherford County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Scott County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Sequatchie County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Sevier County (pronounced severe) is a U.S. county of the state of Tennessee, United States. ... Shelby County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Smith County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Stewart County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Sullivan County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Sumner County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Tipton County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Trousdale County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Location in the state of Tennessee Formed 1875 Seat Erwin Area  - Total  - Water 483 km² (186 mi²) 1 km² (0 mi²) 0. ... Union County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Van Buren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Warren County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Washington County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Wayne County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Weakley County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Williamson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ... Wilson County is a county located in the state of Tennessee. ...