Town of Newport
The Town of Newport is located in the northwest corner Columbia County, Wisconsin. The population was 586 at the 2010 census. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.1 square miles of which, 21.5 square miles of it is land and 0.6 square miles of it is water.
The first settler in Newport was Alonzo B. Stearns, who came here in March 1849 and located on Section 17. Mr. Stearns erected a small log cabin and commenced to clear the land for a farm. The town did not fill up very rapidly and it was not until the winter of 1853-54 that a schoolhouse was built.
Newport was taken from the Town of Fort Winnebago and organized as a new town, on the 15th of November, 1852 by the County Board of Supervisors. At the time the town was set off, the Wisconsin River was quite high and occasionally boats would run up and effect a landing on the site of the village that was then being surveyed and the old settlers were asked to select a name. The name of Newport was suggested as a new port was being made by the boatman. The name was accepted, and the village and town were called by it.
The Town of Newport presents the usually sandy soil. In Township 13 Range 6 and Township 13 Range 7, the ground raises rapidly towards the north and west, so that the north side of the town it attains elevations considerably over 400 feet. The eastern portion of the town, extending to Lewiston, is occupied by a large tamarack marsh. Along the west side of the town are the walls of the lower part of the “Dalles of the Wisconsin”. ---Adopted from History of Columbia County Wisconsin. Published in 1880.
