Mill Town Messenger | July 2014

Overview

The Newport Historical Society newsletter outlines local heritage activities, recent museum developments, and community fundraising progress. It features a lead article on colonial taverns, discusses toasting traditions, and lists upcoming meetings and programs for members and the public.

Operational updates include mortgage payments toward the Nettleton House, building maintenance reports, donation highlights, and new museum shop items and recipes. Volunteer requests, membership information, and contact details conclude the issue.

You can read the online version of the newsletter here.

This quarterly newsletter is generally published in January, April, July and October.

Main Points

• Colonial Taverns: Taverns played a central role in Newport’s colonial life, serving as places for drinking, socializing, and lodging, with more taverns per capita than any other business during that era.
• Toasting Customs: Toasting was an important social ritual in colonial taverns, with toasts like “To the King’s health!” being common; not participating was seen as uncivil.
• Notable Taverns: Significant early taverns included Zephaniah Clark’s log cabin (1767), Benjamin Bragg’s tavern (1782), and the Rising Sun Tavern built by Gordon Buell in 1811, which is still standing today.
• Rising Sun Tavern: The Rising Sun Tavern is notable for its association with Sarah Josepha (Buell) Hale, who helped run it and later married David Hale there.
• Tavern Activities: Besides drinking, patrons discussed politics, weather, hunting, and solved mechanical tavern puzzles crafted by local blacksmiths.
• Historical Documentation: Wheeler’s History of Newport is cited as a key source for information on the town’s early taverns and their proprietors.
• Preservation Efforts: The Newport Historical Society maintains the Nettleton House Museum, engages in building maintenance, and encourages artifact donations and volunteer participation.
• Community Engagement: The Society funds operations through memorabilia sales, hosts events, and offers membership to support local history preservation.

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