16 replies to this topic

[johnhowell]

Just for fun I searched Newport News of wikipedia and I found that little nugget.  Wow, Newport News has really taken off, I wonder if the same can be said with the other cities of the Hampton Roads.  I'll do more searching.  Wikipedia is awesome!


http://en.wikipedia....ki/Newport_News

Quote

Newport News is an independent city located in Virginia. It is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending to its mouth Hampton Roads. The name of Newport News has long been a puzzle to those curious about the origin of place names. To this day nobody really knows how the city got its name.

First settled in the early 17th century, it was an unincorporated town without formal boundaries in Warwick County for over 250 years, until 1896. In 1900, 19,635 people lived in Newport News, Virginia; in 1910, 20,205; in 1920, 35,596; and in 1940, 37,067. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 180,150. A more recent 2005 estimate indicates the city's population has grown to 195,347. In modern times, it is one of Virginia's larger cities.

[metalman]

"The name of Newport News has long been a puzzle to those curious about the origin of place names. To this day nobody really knows how the city got its name."

Are you kidding me.  This website says NO ONE knows the origin of Newport News.  That's kinda sad.  It's a unique name for a city, definately.  But, to say no one knows is kinda lacks on the research end.  They should have asked me.  

[urbanvb]

metalman, on Feb 5 2006, 12:41 AM, said:

They should have asked me.  

Please do enlighten us!

[rusthebuss]

metalman, on Feb 5 2006, 12:41 AM, said:

"The name of Newport News has long been a puzzle to those curious about the origin of place names. To this day nobody really knows how the city got its name."

Are you kidding me.  This website says NO ONE knows the origin of Newport News.  That's kinda sad.  It's a unique name for a city, definately.  But, to say no one knows is kinda lacks on the research end.  They should have asked me.  

Actually it got its name from Christopher Newport!

Edited by rusthebuss, 05 February 2006 - 09:43 AM.

[mercuex]

rusthebuss, on Feb 5 2006, 10:42 AM, said:

Actually it got its name from Christopher Newport!

That's a general consensus but there are other competing versions - so no one is entirely sure. This is also from Wikipedia:

Quote

Less dramatically, the city may have derived its name from an old English word "news" meaning "new town." Yet another theory is that the original name was New Port Neuce, named for a person with the name Neuce and the town's place as a new seaport. The founder was Sir William Neuce. He was originally an English soldier and settler in Ireland where he had established Newcestown near Bandon in County Cork. After his death, his partner Daniel Gookin - another English colonist at Carrigaline in Ireland - completed the establishment of his colony in Virginia. That the name was formerly written as "Newport's News" is verified by numerous early documents and maps, and by local tradition. The change to Newport News apparently was brought about by usage, for by 1851 the Post Office Department sanctioned "New Port News" (three words as the name of the first post office, and in 1866 it approved the name as "Newport News", the current form.

But can anyone verify that population statistic? I've heard things like that recently but I was never able to independently verify it ... its fantastic if its true!

[metalman]

This is from the NN library website and this is the general story that I have know to be ture.

"The name of Newport News has ever been a puzzle to those curious about the origin of place names. Until this day nobody really knows how the City got its name. Several versions are recorded. One popular explanation holds that when the first Jamestown colonists left to return to England after the Starving Time of 1610, they encountered Captain Christopher Newport's ship in the James River off Mulberry Island, and learned that reinforcements of men and supplies had arrived, and that the colonists need not abandon Jamestown. Thus the City was named for Newport's good news. That the name was formerly written as Newport's News is verified by numerous early documents and maps, and by local tradition. The change to Newport News apparently was brought about by usage, for by 1851 the Post Office Department sanctioned New Port News as the name of the first post office, and in 1866 it approved the name as Newport News."

The ending of both versions is the same but the origin of who's name it came from is different...interesting!  William Neuce or Christopher Newport

[babiko]

Even though I would be very happy to see this huge of an increase for Newport News, I am skeptical.   First, there is no verification for this figure, and Wikipedia isn't exactly 100% accurate.  They even have Hampton approaching 160,000.  Even though there are new developments that would increase the population, Port Warwick, City Center, CNU students, and several housing developments; from what I understand the East End continues to lose population, as was the case during the 1990s.  I am expecting an increase in population but to me that figure may be reaslistic for 2010, not 2005.  Then again, I could be wrong.

[mercuex]

babiko i agree with most of what you say but the loss of population from the east end has been traditionally been of diplacement - population just moving to another part of the city instead of out.

[Glassoul]

babiko, on Feb 6 2006, 09:09 PM, said:

Even though I would be very happy to see this huge of an increase for Newport News, I am skeptical.   First, there is no verification for this figure, and Wikipedia isn't exactly 100% accurate.  They even have Hampton approaching 160,000.  Even though there are new developments that would increase the population, Port Warwick, City Center, CNU students, and several housing developments; from what I understand the East End continues to lose population, as was the case during the 1990s.  I am expecting an increase in population but to me that figure may be reaslistic for 2010, not 2005.  Then again, I could be wrong.

You're nitpicking.... What are they off, maybe 10,000 at most? Officially, there are 146,437 since that was the record at the last census, so anything above that is an educated guess and I wouldn't worry about it so much.

[babiko]

Actually, the 2000 census had Newport News at around 180,000; up around 5.7% from 1990.  And some of the early 2001 and 2002 estimates had NN with very little growth, so I just found it a little hard to believe that the estimate for 2005 had jumped 15,000.  So no, I dont think I was "nitpicking" and if they are "off" 10,000 or so as you said that is a very statistically significant number in relation to NN's population and recent slow growth....Again, I would be very happy if NN did indeed grow to 195,000

[Glassoul]

babiko, on Feb 27 2006, 05:11 PM, said:

Actually, the 2000 census had Newport News at around 180,000; up around 5.7% from 1990.  And some of the early 2001 and 2002 estimates had NN with very little growth, so I just found it a little hard to believe that the estimate for 2005 had jumped 15,000.  So no, I dont think I was "nitpicking" and if they are "off" 10,000 or so as you said that is a very statistically significant number in relation to NN's population and recent slow growth....Again, I would be very happy if NN did indeed grow to 195,000

I responded to your citied figures for the city of Hampton of 160,000 and your subsequent logic as to why  both cities couldn't possibly have said populations. I would imagine with their figure likely comes from tax receipts as most inter-census population estimates do.

Edited by Glassoul, 28 February 2006 - 01:43 AM.

[lammius]

metalman, on Feb 5 2006, 12:21 PM, said:

The ending of both versions is the same but the origin of who's name it came from is different...interesting!  William Neuce or Christopher Newport

Maybe it's both---Newport Neuce!

[Padman]

lammius, on Feb 28 2006, 03:50 AM, said:

Maybe it's both---Newport Neuce!

That's News to me.

Aw rats, the Vicodin is wearing off.

Edited by Padman, 28 February 2006 - 11:31 AM.

[mercuex]

[JPN0731]

lammius, on Feb 28 2006, 03:50 AM, said:

Maybe it's both---Newport Neuce!

From what I hear every day at work, it's actually NewPERT News...

[lammius]

JPN0731, on Mar 5 2006, 10:43 PM, said:

From what I hear every day at work, it's actually NewPERT News...

So it's named for shampoo?  

[babiko]

It sounds more like  Newpert  Newws,  with the first word spoken quickly, and the word "news" dragged out...