Within slightly more than 100 years, the sleepy village of Newport News has transformed itself from a sparsely populated region of watermen and farmers to a city known as one of the nation's greatest centers for shipbuilding, scientific research, Virginia history, and scenic sites. Nestled along the eastern coast of Virginia on the James River, Newport News has a colorful and dynamic history intrinsically linked to the surrounding water. As the town filled with people of great energy and enthusiasm, their hard work propelled local industry to the forefront of the city's reputation.