Straddling the Idaho–Washington border, Newport (pop. 1,921) began as a small trading post on the Idaho side in 1889, then moved to Washington when the Great Northern Railroad arrived in 1892. The original town site, overlooking the Pend Oreille (PON-doo-ray) River, holds most of the modern shopping malls, while the railroad legacy still defines much of the main part of town. Two depots face each other along US-2 at the south end of the three-block main street, Washington Avenue, one holding the offices of a lumber company, the other housing the small but enjoyable Pend Oreille County Historical Museum (daily; $1), which has farming and mining artifacts—plus a pencil collection. Overlooking the river on the northeast edge of town, technically in Old Town, Idaho, The Riverbank has reliable American food.
