Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 485
FRANKLIN J. PORTER

It is not often the biographer finds before him the sketch of a career so replete with incident and interest as that of the honorable gentleman to a brief sketch of whose career the attention of the reader is now directed. Mr. PORTER has long been a resident of this county, coming here at a time when pioneer conditions prevailed, and much of the welfare of this community and its progress along many lines is due to his activity and his interest in all matters pertaining to the advancement of this section. It is by no means an easy task to review within the limits of this brief biographical sketch the career of a man who has led an active and eminently useful life and by his own exertions reached a position of honor and trust. But biography finds justification, nevertheless, in the tracing and recording of such a life history, as the public claims a certain proprietary interest in the career of every individual and the time invariable arrives when it becomes proper to give the right publicity.

Franklin J. PORTER was born in New York City, March 22, 1838, of Irish parentage, both his parents having come from the Emerald Isle, the father from County Cavan. His father's name was Joseph F. PORTER and the mother before her marriage was Margaret ATCHISON. For some years after their marriage they remained in their native land, later coming to America and first locating in Canada, where they remained a few years. Later the family lived in New York City, where the mother remained twenty-two years after the death of the father, and where she died. Franklin J. PORTER is the youngest of a family of ten children, Hugh, Ann, Mary, Alexander, Eliza, George, William, two who died in early infancy, and Franklin J. Six of this family are still living and at one time the two eldest sons, Hugh and Alexander, were members of the Dublin police.

Franklin J. PORTER received his earliest instruction in the schools of New York City and at the tender age of twelve years he enlisted as a fifer in the regular army of the United States and was assigned to a company which was ordered out to the frontier. His company was part of a brigade commanded by General Harney and they were stationed at various times in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico and in Old Mexico. That was back in the years when the states mentioned were the real frontier, when depredations of the retreating Indians were many and the outrages of a certain class of lawless whites gave "Uncle Sam's" soldiers considerable to do. There were many skirmishes with the Indians and on several occasions Mr. PORTER was one of a number of men who were led by Kit CARSON the famous scout. In June of 1855 he was taken out of the regular army by his mother and was on his way to rejoin her in the east when, upon reaching Harrison county, Iowa, he decided to end his journey and in this county he made his home until the outbreak of the Civil War. His previous army training fitted him for an active part at that time and at the very beginning of hostilities he aided in organizing Company C, Twenty-ninth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry; Company E., Sixth Iowa Cavalry, he himself enlisting with the latter company, and under General Sully he served in Missouri and the Yellowstone river regions. He was in the service for three years and one month, being mustered out at Sioux City, Iowa, in 1865, and received his discharge at Davenport.

When Mr. PORTER first came to Harrison county in 1855, he settled at Jeddo in Jefferson township, which was but a straggling hamlet containing four frame houses, a crude little school house, George THORP's general store, Charley BAKER's blacksmith shop and a saw-mill, owned by Omar THORP, who was also the postmaster. Mr. PORTER operated the saw-mill until 1858 when he purchased some land in section 3 of Jefferson township and devoted his energies toward its improvement. He finally sold this farm at a price of fifty-six dollars and twenty-five cents per acre, which was an extremely good price for that time. He then purchased another tract which he soon sold at an advance and then bought a hundred-acre trace in Boyer township, section 19. At that place he had school facilities, timber and a free range and there he continued to reside until 1891, when he retired from active agricultural labors and took up his residence in Woodbine. The hundred acres above referred to served as a nucleus for his final holdings of seven hundred and seventy-two acres, all in one tract, and as good land as the county can boast. Mr. PORTER gave his especial attention to the raising of live stock and in that line was highly successful. Within the last few years he has disposed of all his farm lands in this county and has become interested in the First National and People's Savings Banks of Woodbine. He also owns an excellent home and other property within the borders of the town. For the past twenty years he has served the First National Bank as one of its directors and was active in the organization of the People's Savings Bank, having been president of that institution since its incorporation.

Mr. PORTER's fraternal affiliations are with the Ancient Order of Free and Accepted Masons, in which he has taken the Royal Arch degree, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which latter order he has taken all the degrees, including that of Patriarchs Militant, of which latter he was commander for three years, and the Grand Army of the Republic.

Mr. PORTER was married on February 6, 1859, to Miss Lucy FRANCIS, born in Athens county, Ohio, February 9, 1840, daughter of Nicholas and Mercy (RATHBUN) FRANCIS, the former a native of the Isle of Guernsey, which lies off the coast of France, but which is British territory. The mother was a native of the state of Virginia. After the marriage of Mrs. PORTER's parents they came westward into Ohio, where they lived for several years and in 1856 came to this state, locating in Douglas township, Harrison county. Here they spent the rest of their lives.

To Mr. and Mrs. PORTER has been born an interesting family of eleven children, of whom the eldest, Emma M., born December 25, 1859, is the wife of Charles H. SLOAN residing at Geneva, Nebraska. Mr. SLOAN is active in politics and is at present seated in our national body of lawmakers as representative from the fourth Congressional district of Nebraska. Frances E., born October 6, 1861, is the wife of Alexander EVANS and resides in Woodbine. Joseph F., the eldest son, was born on June 27, 1863, and resides in Davenport, Iowa. He is one of the most prominent men in traction circles in his section, being president and general manager of four different street railway systems in Iowa and Illinois. He is also interested in other lines of business and is at present serving as president of seventeen different companies, a rather unusual record. William E., born on September 23, 1866, lives at Fidelity, Illinois. Edgar H. was born on January 22, 1868, and died October 17, 1889. Georgia R. was born on July 5, 1869, and is the wife of Harold J. HOLMES of Seattle, Washington. Lucy Ethel was born on February 25, 1871, and died while still a little child, on August 19, 1874. Katie May, born February 9, 1873, is the wife of William H. GESS, of near Boise, Idaho, an extensive rancher and sheep man. Ada L., born November 4, 1874, is at home. Harry R., born September 30, 1877, lives at Vancouver, Washington, and Inez H., the youngest child of the family, born July 25, 1880, is the wife of G. E. HEWITT, of Douglas township, Harrison county, Iowa. Mr. PORTER was anxious that his children should receive the benefits of a good education and all finished the common schools, and later were graduated at Ames College or Drake University, with the exception of one daughter, a partial invalid, who was graduated at the Woodbine Normal and taught kindergarten.

In every avenue of life's activities, Mr. PORTER has performed his part to the best of his ability and in a manner to make him as a natural leader of men. He has ever believed that anything worth doing at all is worth doing well and the result is that he was won and retains to a notable degree the sincere respect and confidence of all who know him. He has a vast field of acquaintances, among whom are many loyal, stanch and devoted friends and wherever he goes he receives a hearty welcome. Because of his high personal character and his genuine worth as a man and citizen, he is specifically entitled to mention in a work of this character.

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