My Genealogy Hound

T. Porter Eden, an energetic, enterprising farmer and stock dealer of Knox County, and a resident of Benton Township, was born in Graves County, Ky., April 12, 1846, and is the son of Thomas G. and Lorenda (Howard) Eden. The father was a native of Kentucky, born December 23, 1814; he moved from Graves County to Marshall, about 1848, from there to Macon County, Ill., in the spring of 1851, thence to Scotland County, Mo., in 1853, and then to Knox County, in 1854. He remained in Knox County until his death, February 3, 1858. He was a successful farmer, and was married January 17, 1839, to Miss Howard, a native of Butler County, Ky., born July 13, 1816, and was at the time of his death a member of the Baptist Church, of which he has been a member for many years. Of their ten children, six now living, our subject is the fourth. He received the rudiments of an education in the common schools of Knox County, and this has since been improved by the best of teachers —experience. He remained on the farm, and worked for his mother until 1864, when he enlisted in Company D, Twenty-first Missouri Infantry Volunteers, and served with credit until April, 1866. He was in different battles, among which were Fort Derusa, Pleasant Hill, La., and Nashville, Tenn. He was mustered out at Fort Gaines, Ala., and received his discharge at St. Louis, Mo. December 14, 1868, he married Miss Mary E. March, a native of Knox County, Mo., born in January, 1846, and the daughter of James March. Mrs. Eden died at the home of her husband December 20, 1869. In 1870 our subject went to California, and here worked in the mines until the latter part of the year 1872, when he returned to Knox County, and engaged in farming until 1877, when he again made a western trip, and settled at LaConner, Washington Territory, and engaged in the lumber and timber business for the next four years, when he again turned homeward, and has since been a resident of Knox County. Both his trips were successful. August 28, 1883, Mr. Eden was united in marriage to Miss Emma Longfellow, a native of Knox County, Mo., born January 18, 1862, and the daughter of Elijah Longfellow. This marriage has been blessed by the birth of one child, a son, named Orval H. Our subject is a Republican, and he and his wife are members of the Christian Church.