In A Newport Minute | 1816-1825

This video is the 5th in our series, In A Newport Minute, created by the Newport Historical Society as part of Newport’s contribution to America Turns 250. Each installment highlights a moment in American history within a ten‑year span, beginning in 1776 and continuing to the present day.

Across these 25 short videos, we’ll explore how Newport grew, adapted, and evolved alongside the nation—sometimes in step with national events, sometimes in its own unique way. Our goal is to bring local history to life and show how our community’s story fits into the larger American narrative.

We invite you to follow along every two weeks as we share new chapters in Newport’s past.

Overview

This video recounts the historical evolution of Newport’s local newspapers from 1823 to 2020, tracing origins from Cyrus Barton’s Claremont Spectator through multiple relocations, name changes, mergers, and political affiliations. It highlights publication formats, costs, and production details that characterized early 19th-century weekly newspapers.

All of the videos in the series can be viewed using the link below:

Sources:

• Photos from Newport NH Historical Society Archives
• Richards’ Free Library Digital Archives
• “When News Was in Print” – Newport Chronicles presentation (NHS sponsor)
• Photo of fire in Newport Town Report – Ray Reid
• Fisk Free Library Digital Archives – Claremont NH

Key Words:

Newport newspapers history, New Hampshire Spectator, Argus Champion, Cyrus Barton, Edmund Burke, Fred Cheney, Claremont Spectator, Republican Champion, Sullivan County press, 19th century newspapers, Newport Historical Society, Newport NH local news, historic newspaper mergers, Newport publishing legacy, early American journalism, Newport town history, New Hampshire journalism, Newport Spectator fire, weekly newspaper evolution, Newport newspaper genealogy

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