Mill Town Messenger | July 2025

Overview

The July 2025 Mill Town Messenger from the Newport Historical Society presents local history, genealogies, and museum news with community-focused narratives. Articles profile the influential Cain family genealogy and legacy, recent museum repairs and exhibits, and historical properties like the Corbin Mansion.

The newsletter also highlights local businesses and artisans, including a reminiscence of Priscilla’s Sweet Shop and a history of Peanut Butter Toys, plus volunteer and board information, hours, and directions for accessing archival materials and past articles.

You can read the online version of the newsletter here.

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

Main Points

• Cain Family Influence: The Cain family significantly shaped Newport’s history, with multiple generations involved in medicine, farming, and the development of the local golf club, including Dr. John Leavitt Cain and John H. Cain, after whom the golf club was named.
• Golf Club Legacy: The Newport Golf Club originated from land owned by the Cain family; John H. Cain expanded it and was honored by renaming the course after him in 1964. In 2022, local investors reverted its name to Newport Golf Club.
• Genealogy Highlights: George Washington Cain (b. 1819) moved to Newport in 1876, was known as “doctor” for his peddling of medicines, and both his sons became doctors, notably Dr. John Leavitt Cain, a leading local physician.
• Corbin Mansion: The Corbin Mansion is a historic Newport property, with notable owners including Dr. James Corbin, the Corbin family, William (Bill) Ruger, and currently Nick Tamposi, who plans to use it as a wedding venue.
• Nettleton House Museum: The Nettleton House, now Newport Historical Society Museum, was formerly the Sargent Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, established by Babe Sargent and his brother, and holds local historical artifacts and stories.
• Priscilla Sweet Shop: Priscilla Sweet Shop was a popular Main Street restaurant in Newport, owned by Sam Saggiotes, famous for its homemade candy and hot fudge sundaes, and closed in the 1960s.
• Peanut Butter Toys: Peanut Butter Toys was a Newport-based wooden toy company in the mid-1970s, run by Bill and Claudia Huntley, known for handcrafted, child-safe wooden toys finished with vegetable oil.
• Museum Access: Artifacts from Peanut Butter Toys and other local history can be viewed at the Newport Historical Society Museum, open Sundays 10AM–2PM or by appointment.

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