New Lisbon was platted on February 16, 1803, by Lewis Kinney as the second town in Ohio, named after the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon. The village was incorporated under a special act of legislature on February 7, 1825. Originally known for its iron and whiskey production, New Lisbon became an economic hub of many sorts into the first industrial revolution. During this time, the village claimed the county's first bank, the Columbiana Bank of New Lisbon, its first insurance company, and the first Ohio newspaper, "The Ohio Patriot", founded by an Alsatian immigrant, William D. Lepper. The village was renamed to Lisbon in 1895.