The History of Newport, Texas: A Brief Overview


By: Christopher Long

Revised by: Laurie E. Jasinski

Published: May 1, 1995

Updated: March 6, 2014

Newport, a port on the Trinity River, was located several miles east of the community of Riverside in Walker County and was established around 1846 by Joseph Werner, an immigrant from Germany. The settlement flourished briefly as a stopping point for riverboats in the years just before the Civil War. A post office operated from 1855 to 1872 but was then moved to nearby Riverside. With the arrival of the railroads in the early 1870s, Newport declined in importance and was apparently abandoned. By the early 1880s it was no longer shown on maps. A Centennial marker was erected at Werner Cemetery to commemorate the town in 1936.

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Historical Marker Files, Texas Historical Commission, Austin.

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The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this entry.

Christopher Long Revised by Laurie E. Jasinski, “Newport, TX (Walker County),” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed May 19, 2026, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/newport-tx-walker-county.

TID: HRNGT

May 1, 1995
March 6, 2014