Mill Town Messenger | July 2023

Overview

The newsletter chronicles North Newport’s 19th–early 20th-century industrial rise, highlighting water-powered mills, factories (bobbin blanks, scythes, tubs, rakes), the Draper and Sibley operations, and the railroad and bridge infrastructure that enabled regional trade and resilience through floods and rebuilding. It traces key figures, factory output, and the village’s self-sufficient community life centered on schools, churches, and local organizations.

The issue also reports Newport Historical Society activities: museum acquisitions and exhibits (Harold Perkins stamp collection, Buffalo/Corbin Park photographs), board and membership information, upcoming programs, and publications available for purchase, emphasizing preservation, outreach, and volunteer engagement.

You can read the online version of the newsletter here.

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

Main Points

• North Newport Industry: North Newport (Northville) developed as a manufacturing hub in the 19th and early 20th centuries due to water power from the Sugar River, proximity to the railroad, and access to raw materials, supporting mills and factories such as sawmills, scythe, rake, tub, and bobbin blank factories.
• Sibley Scythe Factory: The Sibley scythe factory, established in 1840 by Ezra T. Sibley, became one of North Newport’s most successful industries, producing scythes that shipped internationally and were even used in projects like clearing the Panama Canal.
• Draper Bobbin Blank Factory: From 1907 to 1917, the Draper factory in North Newport produced about 65,000 bobbin blanks per day for textile weaving looms, and remnants like the tall chimney and power plant are still visible today.
• Community Infrastructure: North Newport developed its own school, post office, church, store, and even a bandstand, reflecting the need for self-sufficiency and reduced travel before modern transportation.
• Bridges and Floods: At least three bridges have spanned the Sugar River at North Newport, with the original c.1845 covered bridge being destroyed in the 1936 flood and replaced by a higher metal truss bridge, later succeeded by a steel girder bridge in 2019.
• Religious and Social Life: The community saw the formation of Methodist and Seventh Day Adventist groups, with local chapels and band activities central to village life.
• Stamp Collection Legacy: The Newport Historical Society houses Harold Perkins’s extensive stamp collection, which is organized by country and topic, and is occasionally displayed with the help of local stamp clubs.
• Historical Documentation and Outreach: The Museum collaborates with authors and filmmakers (e.g., Ken Burns’s team) to share Newport’s history, and offers publications and programs to engage the public and preserve local heritage.

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