Historic Video Series
These videos in our series, In A Newport Minute, are 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 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.
| Decade | Title | Narrated by |
| 1776-1785 | The Association Test: Newport Shows Its Loyalty to the American Cause (1776) | Pam LaFountain |
| 1786-1795 | Black Revolutionary War Soldiers (1786-1795) | Dean Stetson |
| 1796-1805 | Newport’s Social Library is Established (1803) | Andrea Thorpe |
| 1806-1815 | In a Newport Minute: How Canal Street Got its Name (1813) | Guenter Hubert |
| 1816-1825 | Newport Gets it First Newspaper (1825) | Steve Smith |
| 1826-1835 | The Old Courthouse, a Symbol of Newport’s Growth (1826) | Karen Doucette |
| 1836-1845 | Newport Makes History with a Whip & a Spur (1839) | Virginia (Biddy) Irwin |
| 1846-1855 | The Sea Captain Who Took Local “Forty-Niners” to California (1849-1850) | Laura Kessler |
| 1856-1865 | Time Spent in a Civil War Prison (1863-1864) | Tim Spanos |
| 1866-1875 | The Railroad Reaches Newport (1871-1872) | Shannon MacMichael |
| 1876-1885 | The Early Years of the Newport Telephone Exchange (1883-1884) | Ed Karr |
| 1886-1895 | A Newport Road Gets An “Honorable” Name – Admiral Belknap (1892) | Jim Luppold |
| 1896-1905 | The Newport Woman’s Club Becomes a Powerful Force (1905) | Cathryn Baird |
| 1906- 1915 | Newporters Role in Supporting Europe in World War 1 – The Sinking of the Lusitania (1915) | Terry Dorr |
| 1916 -1925 | Newport Golf Course opens (1921) | Bob Scheele |
| 1926-1935 | The Early Years of the Great Depression (1929-1933) | Kerry Rochford Hague |
| 1936-1945 | The Home Front – World War II (1942-1945) | Peter Sartwell |
| 1946-1955 | Latchis Theater Opens in Newport (1949) | John Lund |
| 1956-1965 | Newport Junior High School Opens (1957) | Calista Thurlow |
| 1966-1975 | LaValley Building Supply Expands (1967) | Bryan Huot |
| 1976-1985 | Newport’s King (F.P. Rowell) Celebrates a Centennial (1977) | Steve Rung |
| 1986-1995 | Newport Gets a New Bandstand (1986) | Susan Hastings |
| 1996-2005 | A Sweet Shop is Replaced by a Police Station (1997) | Paul Beaudet |
| 2006-2015 | A New Name Runs an Iconic Newport Company – Sturm Ruger (2006) | William Rodeschin |
| 2016-2025 | Covid-19 Comes to Newport (2019 – 2020) | Larry Schissel |