My Genealogy Hound

HOUSTON PORTER, post-office Carthage; business, farmer and stock-raiser, located on section 3, Sheridan township. He was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, Jan. 10, 1823. He was reared on a farm, and is a son of William and Elizabeth Porter, who were natives of Pennsylvania. Of ten children, the subject of this sketch was the ninth child. He was educated in the common schools of Ohio. At the age of eighteen he went to work by the month on a farm. On Jan. 27th, 1847, he was married to Esther Smith. She was born June 23, 1827; is the daughter of Doctor and Lavina Smith. Of four children, Mrs. Porter is the eldest child. After Mr. Porter was married he worked for a man on a farm for ten dollars a month and boarded himself; and worked through the summer months during haying and harvesting, and his wife boarded the hands that were working for the same man at one dollar per week. In the meantime his father died and he moved into the old homestead and carried on the farm for three years. His mother died in June, 1852; he then bought the old homestead and lived there and engaged in farming until 1875. During that time Mr. Porter engaged in business with a man by the name of John Britton, buying engines and shipping them to the pineries in Michigan, through which Mr. Britton was swindled out of all he had except the land he is now located on. He had to borrow money enough to move upon it. He now has 500 acres of land, 340 under cultivation and the rest in pasture. It is well watered with four good springs and two good wells. He handles about 100 head of hogs and a great many cattle. Mr. Porter is one of the most extensive farmers in Sheridan township, and his well-earned reputation for fair and honest dealings has won him many friends and a good business.