Newport, Michigan

For the community in St. Clair County formerly known as "Newport", see Marine City, Michigan.

Newport, Michigan
Unincorporated community
Looking west along Swan Creek Road
Newport Location within the state of Michigan Show map of Michigan Newport Location within the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 42°00′08″N83°18′31″W / 42.00222°N 83.30861°W / 42.00222; -83.30861
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Monroe
Township	Berlin
Settled	1830
Established	1836
Elevation	591 ft (180 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	48166
Area code	734
GNIS feature ID	633372 [1]

Newport is an unincorporated community in Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. ^[1] The community is located within Berlin Charter Township. As an unincorporated community, Newport has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own but does have its own post office with the 48166 ZIP Code. ^{[2] [3]}

Geography

U.S. post office in Newport

Newport sits at an elevation of 591 feet (180 m) above sea level. ^[1] The community is centered along Swan Creek Road just east of Interstate 75, and Newport is accessible via exit 21 (Swan Creek Road). Interstate 275 has its southern terminus to the southwest and runs just to the west of the community.

The community is located about 10 miles (16.1 km) north of the city of Monroe in the northeast portion of Monroe County. ^[4] Other nearby communities include the village of Estral Beach to the east, South Rockwood to the northeast, and Carleton to the northwest. The unincorporated community of Oldport is located to the east along Swan Creek Road at the intersection with North Dixie Highway. ^[5] While Oldport itself is recognized by the GNIS as a distinct location, the entire area is now generally referred to as Newport. Swan Creek runs though the center of the community and flows for about 5 miles (8.0 km) to the east into Lake Erie. ^[6] Its tributary, Little Swan Creek, runs just south of the community. ^[7] Yoas Drain also drains into Swan Creek near the center of the community. ^[8]

The current Newport post office is located at 8463 Swan Creek Road. The post office uses the 48166 ZIP Code, which serves a much larger area that includes the southern portion of Berlin Charter Township, as well as the northeastern portion of Frenchtown Charter Township and a very small southeastern portion of Ash Township. The census-designated place of Stony Point and the village of Estral Beach also use the 48166 ZIP Code, as does the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station, Potter Cemetery, and portions of the Pointe Mouillee State Game Area. ^{[2] [3]}

Newport is served mostly by Airport Community Schools to the northeast, while residents in the southwestern portion of the community may attend Jefferson Schools. ^[9]

History

E. Main Street (now Swan Creek Road)

Historic image of the Newport Station

Newport was first settled in the Michigan Territory as early as 1830 by the French, who named it Rivière aux Signes (Swan Creek). By 1836, several sawmills were built along the creek, and the name Newport came about due to its location near Lake Erie. ^[10] In 1837 after the territory received statehood, the community became part of the newly organized Ash Township. In 1867, the eastern portion of Ash Township and Newport were reorganized into Berlin Township. ^[11]

Newport is the location of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, which was established in 1882 from an earlier church mission that was formed as early as 1838. The current church is located at 8125 Swan Creek Road at the intersection with North Dixie Highway. ^{[12] [13]} St. Charles Cemetery is located in Newport, and it consists of two separate cemeteries. The "old" St. Charles Cemetery was established in 1851, although it contains a grave dating back to 1802. This small cemetery is no longer active, while the current St. Charles Cemetery is located slightly north along North Dixie Highway. ^{[14] [15] [16]}

The community of Newport received its first post office on August 16, 1836. The post office was discontinued on July 1, 1841 but reestablished soon after on August 16, 1842. The current Newport post office was opened on January 15, 1904 and remains in operation. In the early 1970s, the post office became a branch of the Monroe postal service. ^{[10] [17] [18]}

Newport once contained its own railroad station. ^[19] The station was used by Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, Michigan Central Railroad, and Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad. ^[20] While Newport no longer contains an active station, there are two railroad lines that run through the community: a single line operated by Norfolk Southern Railway and a dual line operated by Canadian National Railway. ^[21] The original station was moved and restored, and it is currently used as educational building for the nearby Newport Community Church.

Images

• 
  The Newport Station in 2021
• 
  St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church
• 
  The "old" St. Charles Cemetery
• 
  St. Charles Cemetery

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Newport, Michigan
2. UnitedStatesZipCodes.org (2021). "ZIP Code 48166: Newport" . Retrieved May 7, 2021.
3. Google (May 11, 2021). "48166 ZIP Code map" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
4. Michigan Economic Development Corporation (2021). "Newport: Monroe County Convention & Tourism Bureau" . Retrieved May 14, 2021.
5. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Oldport, Michigan
6. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Swan Creek
7. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Little Swan Creek
8. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Yoas Drain
9. Michigan Geographic Framework (November 15, 2013). "Monroe County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved March 12, 2021.
10. Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities (Paperback). Great Lakes Books Series. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. p. 396. ISBN   978-0-8143-1838-6.
11. "History of Monroe County Michigan", by John McCelland Bulkley. Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago / New York, 1913. Pages 492–493.
12. The Historical Marker Database (April 16, 2021). "St. Charles Church 1882" . Retrieved May 17, 2021.
13. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Saint Charles Catholic Church
14. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Saint Charles Cemetery
15. The USGenWeb Archives Project (2019). ""Old" St. Charles Cemetery: Newport, Monroe County" . Retrieved May 16, 2021.
16. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Old Saint Charles Cemetery
17. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Newport Post Office (historical)
18. United States Postal Service (2008). "Michigan: Dates That First Rural Routes Were Established at Post Offices, through 1904" (PDF). Retrieved May 12, 2021.
19. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Newport Station (historical)
20. MichiganRailroads.com (2021). "Station: Newport, MI" . Retrieved May 16, 2021.
21. Michigan Department of Transportation (March 2017). "Michigan's Railroad System: Railroads Operating in Michigan" (PDF). Retrieved October 3, 2022.