Newport, Tennessee
| Newport, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Newport, Tennessee
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 Location of Newport, Tennessee |
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| Coordinates: 35°57′48″N 83°11′48″W / 35.96333°N 83.19667°WCoordinates: 35°57′48″N 83°11′48″W / 35.96333°N 83.19667°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Cocke |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.5 sq mi (14.3 km2) |
| • Land | 5.5 sq mi (14.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,053 ft (321 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 6,945 |
| • Estimate (2014) | 6,880 |
| • Density | 1,244/sq mi (480.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 37821-37822 |
| Area code(s) | 423 |
| FIPS code | 47-53000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1295698 |
| Website | www |
Newport is a city in and the county seat of Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,945 at the 2010 census, down from 7,242 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2014 was 6,880. It is located along the Pigeon River.
The Great Indian Warpath passed through what is now Newport en route to the ancient Cherokee hunting grounds of northeastern Tennessee. The Warpath crossed the Pigeon River at a point approximately 0.2 miles (0.3 km) east of the McSween Memorial Bridge (US-321), in an area where the river is normally low enough to walk across. The first European traders to the area, arriving in the mid-18th century, called this point along the Pigeon River the "War Ford".
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.
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 (200,000 m2) 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.
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Wikipedia