Newport: The Sin City Years (Images of America)

Located in Northern Kentucky, Newport is a small, historic river town bustling with business in a respectful and developing community. While it is now known for its charm, Newport once had a dark and sinister past known as its “Sin City years.” Newport earned its reputation for vice, crime, political corruption, bootlegging, casinos, brothels, and bookie joints early in the city’s history. During the Civil War, soldiers stationed at the Newport Barracks were offered entertainment from various saloons and bordellos located in the city. At the turn of the 20th century, John Thompson, a Newport native, invented the Thompson Machine Gun. The “tommy gun” was made infamous by gangsters during Prohibition. Citizens of Newport, fed up with the city’s sordid reputation, eventually banded together to drive out the vice and reclaim their city. After a long struggle, Newport is now a pleasant and enchanting community.