Editing Newport Township, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
===Establishment===
[[File:OldmapNewportTwp..jpg|thumb|left|An old map of Newport Township]]
Newport was incorporated as a [[Township (Pennsylvania)|township]] in 1790. It is one of the original townships in Luzerne County. The municipality derives its name from [[Newport, Rhode Island]]. The first settlement in modern-day Newport Township was established by Major Prince Alden in 1772. A few years later, his sons (Mason and John) erected a forge on [[Nanticoke Creek]]. One of the first stores in the territory was established by Jacob Ramback; it was constructed on a road between [[Wanamie, Pennsylvania|Wanamie]] and [[Nanticoke, Pennsylvania|Nanticoke]].<ref name="Newport Township">{{Cite web|url=http://www.pagenweb.org/~luzerne/patk/newport.htm|title = Newport Township}}</ref>

Due to the growing [[coal mining]] industry in the [[Wyoming Valley]] (in the 19th century), farmers were selling large tracts of land to the coal companies. Even [[sawmills]] and [[gristmills]] were replaced by coal mines. [[Alden, Pennsylvania|Alden]], [[Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania|Glen Lyon]], and Wanamie were just a few of the mining villages in the township. Mine shafts and collieries were constructed throughout the territory.<ref name="Newport Township"/>

===Boom and bust===
At the beginning of the 20th century, Luzerne County was in the midst of an economic boom. Industry, which included [[manufacturing]] and coal mining, drew thousands of [[immigrants]] (mostly from [[Europe]]) to the region. By the mid-20th century, anthracite production was declining at a fairly steady rate. Consumers were gradually switching from coal to other forms of energy (e.g., oil, gas, and electricity).<ref name=Healy>Healey, Richard (2005) ''"The Breakers of the Northern Anthracite Coalfield of Pennsylvania", 'Vol. 1, Major breakers prior to 1902'.'' Dept of Geography, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth. quote=''"Northern Anthracite Coalfield of Pennsylvania" There also are Central and Southern Anthracite Coalfields of Pennsylvania, the one around Hazelton and the other around Pottsville.</ref><ref name=Sevon>Sevon, W. D., compiler, 2000, {{plain link|https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map13.jpg|"Physiographic provinces of Pennsylvania"}}, Pennsylvania Geological Survey of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 4th ser., Map 13, scale 1:2,000,000.
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eh.net/book_reviews/the-face-of-decline-the-pennsylvania-anthracite-region-in-the-twentieth-century/|title=The Face of Decline: The Pennsylvania Anthracite Region in the Twentieth Century}}</ref>

The [[Knox Mine Disaster]] was the final blow to the industry. On January 22, 1959, the [[Susquehanna River]] broke through the River Slope Mine in [[Port Griffith, Pennsylvania|Port Griffith]], [[Jenkins Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Jenkins Township]]. The incident claimed twelve lives. In the following months, two of the area's largest coal companies announced a full withdrawal from the anthracite business. Thousands of jobs were lost and the mining industry never recovered in Luzerne County.<ref name=um>{{cite web |url=http://www.undergroundminers.com/knox.html |title=Knox Mine Disaster |date=2005 |access-date=December 29, 2016 |author=Chris Murley}}</ref>

===Contemporary history===
[[St. Stanislaus Institute]], also known as St. Stanislaus Orphanage and Holy Child Church, was built between 1918 and 1939. The facility served as a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[orphanage]] until it closed in 1972. St. Stanislaus was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2008.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref> The building is now occupied by apartments. Holy Child closed in 2010. A nursing home was built nearby.

In 1986, [[State Correctional Institution – Retreat|State Correctional Institute at Retreat]] opened in northwestern Newport Township, replacing the mental hospital. SCI Retreat closed in June 2020. It was a medium security [[correctional facility]] for men.