Newport - 1919
Newport
and Jackson county answer affirmatively the two most important
questions propounded by the prospective citizen – is this a good
place in which to make a livelihood.
For many reasons we say these important
questions are answered in the affirmative. First of all the
citizenship here is such that one feels at home among our people,
the general character of our citizens is such that once you become
one of us, your address for the future will be here. We want
newcomers who are seeking agreeable surroundings and always extend a
helping and encouraging hand to newcomers.
The local conditions contribute to everyday
happiness and contentment. Newport is supplied with all modern
living accommodations, our streets are paved, cement sidewalks, good
schools and churches, healthful climate, and general inviting
conditions.
The surrounding country is adaptable to
cultivation that will produce in comparison with land sold at many
times the purchase price.
In Jackson County, there is a number of small
and hustling towns, all of such character as to make living
conditions good. Tuckerman, Swifton, Tupelo, Grubbs, Weldon,
Auvergne, and Shoffner are all prosperous and growing business
centers.
These towns are all connected with Newport by
a system of hard surfaced roads either built or now being
constructed, road districts now formed for the building of over two
hundred miles of good roads for this county. Newport is on the
route of the Missouri and North Arkansas highway.
There are fifty-three school districts in the
county each with a substantial modern school building, with three
new buildings under construction.
During the past three years there has been a
commendable movement on the part of farmers and stock growers to
import pure bred cattle and live stock, the cattle industry has
grown to such proportions that Newport has just completed the
erection of a modern creamery, which will help to encourage this
movement among farmers to improve their herds. At present there is
several large herds of Hereford and Jersey cattle.
The county farm demonstration work, which
includes the girls’ canning clubs, the boys’ pig and corn clubs,
co-operative shipping of produce and other activities for the
benefit of the farmer has been a big factor for development along
agricultural lines. The boys and girls’ clubs for this county have
over three hundred members. The banks encourage this movement by
loaning money to the boys to buy a pig with which to make the start
and in every case the boy has always made good. One of the
outstanding evidences of general growth here is the fact that there
are eight banking institutions in the county with total resources of
$3,650,000. The population of the county is 35,000.
Newport as a Factory Center
Geographically Newport offers to the seeker
for a location for a factory many inducements. Both water and
railroad shipping facilities are unexcelled. Suitable sites for
manufacturing plants. Cheap fuel. That conditions are right for
this character of business is evidenced by the great number in
operation, two compresses, capacity to second to the large cotton
compresses of Little Rock, two handle factories, two flour mills,
automobile spoke factory, veneering plant, two stave mills, one
pearl button factory and others all of which give employment to many
people and ship the products to all parts of the world.
The pearl button industry is one that is
adapted particularly to this locality for the White and Black rivers
near here furnish the mussel shells by the tons upon tons to the
extent of furnishing 52 machines material sufficient to keep in
operation every day in the year. It requires 76,000 pounds of
shells every day. This material is furnished by the activity of
over 1,000 shell fishing boats that ply the water of the White
River, and 500 fishing boats are dragging the Black River, and still
it seems that there is no end to the mussel shells. The pearl disks
or blanks are shipped from here to the factory in New York where the
finished buttons are made ready for the market.
By-products from the industry are made from
the portion of the shells after the blanks are cored out, by
grinding the shells into a powder which is used as a fertilizer and
the rougher parts utilized for chicken feed.
There are three large steamboats and thirty
barges making regular trips between important points up and down the
White River, and a number of local steamboats or tugs that handle
rafts and short hauls of timber barges.
The river transportation will in the near
future be one of the leading factors in future development, because
traffic on the river will increase and lower transportation
charges. The strong levee recently built will keep the water in its
banks at all times and by its constant flowing will deepen the
channel. The levee is one of the most secure ever built in the
State and insures perfect assurance that Newport will never suffer
from a flood. It is built of concrete.
Farm lands are in great demand just now from
many northern farmers who are coming into this locality.
There is good opening here for all kinds of
woodworking plants.
Newport is one of the most attractive cities of
its size in Arkansas, and upon it is stamped the signet of
enterprise and public spirit. To the attractiveness of nature is
added the grace of architectural design, and the solidity and
substantial character of municipal improvement. Newport is one of
the cleanest, best governed, most modern and most up-to-date cities
in the State. With commercial, railroad, industrial, agricultural,
social, educational, governmental, and political interests centered
here, and with yearly enhancement of valuation and greatly increased
expansion of trade, Newport offers superior advantages to those
seeking investment where it will yield sure returns.
Newport is a beautiful and very rapidly
growing little city with about 6,000 people. The visitor to
Newport, as he enters the city, is impressed with the miles of
cement sidewalks which are lined with massive shade trees, well kept
lawns, the commodious and elegant residences and the solidity of the
business and public buildings are assurances that this a place of
wealth and affluence.
Newport is a city with a splendid future. It
is located in one of the richest farming sections of the state, with
abundance of raw material to supply factories, ample transportation
facilities and is destined to take its place among the important
commercial centers of the State.
