Newport Oregon History
Historical Insights
Newport is also the seat of Lincoln County, a change that occurred in the 1880’s much to the chagrin of Benton County (Corvallis) which was the County seat for several years.
If you’ve ever wondered how this community came to be, it all began in 1856, when a sailing ship entered Yaquina Bay after a trip around Cape Horn carrying supplies to the military garrison at what would later become Sheridan in the western Willamette Valley. In 1862, Yaquina Bay oysters were discovered and soon became a major export to cities like San Francisco. Today this is a source of the very finest oysters.
Newport was founded in 1866 and very soon became a destination resort for visitors from many areas. It must have had early appeal as rail travel was limited and no real roads were built until the late 1920’s. The town’s name comes from one of the early settlers, Samual Case who chose the name after his home in Rhode Island.
