Biography of James Porter (1807- )
History of Lincoln County, Missouri (Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Co.,
1888), pp. 601-602.
James and Lydia K. (SITTON) PORTER are
among the oldest settlers of Lincoln County, Mo. The former was born in Williamson County,
Tenn., August 10, 1807, and is the son of David and Elizabeth (HOPKINS) PORTER, who were
natives of Virginia and South Carolina, respectively. In early life the parents moved to
Tennessee, where the mother died when James was about nine days old. He was taken by his
grandparents and remained with them until about ten years of age. The father married again
and moved to Missouri about 1810, where they made a settlement on Big Creek, within the
present limits of Lincoln County. In 1836 they moved to Pike County, Ill., and here the
stepmother died at the age of eighty-two. Her husband in 1849 started for
California, and at Fort Hall dropped dead; he was sixty-nine years of age. He was of
English-Scotch extraction, was a blacksmith and farmer by occupation, was a ranger in the
war of 1812, and was a man of infinite jest. At the age of ten James was brought to
Lincoln County, Mo., where he had almost no advantages for an education; six months in all
would cover his schooling. At the age of seventeen he was apprenticed to "Boss"
WING, of Troy, to learn the tanner's trade, served his time, laid aside his apron and engaged
in agricultural pursuits. March 17, 1829, he married Miss Lydia R. SITTON, who was born
near Nashville, Tenn., January 24:, 1807, and who was the daughter of Lawrence B. and
Rachel S. (GIBSON) SITTON. Her father was born in 1785, in North Carolina, and her mother
in South Carolina in 1776. They immigrated to Davidson County, Tenn., were married there
and afterward moved to Warren County in 1811, and moved to their farm on Big Creek in
1812. The war coming on, Mr. SITTON left that place, secured a home within one and
three-fourth miles of Kennedy's Fort, Warren County, and then enlisted in Capt. Callaway's
company, serving fourteen months. After returning from the war he built a house near
Auburn in 1816, and moved there the following year. He was a farmer all his life. The
mother died in 1824 and he in 1863. He was magistrate for about twenty-four years. After
marriage Mr. and Mrs. PORTER made a settlement in what is now Monroe County, and in 1835
they returned to Lincoln County, where they have resided ever since. To their marriage was
born five sons: James C., a farmer of Reno County, Kas.; William C., farmer of Lincoln
County; David D., a merchant of Paris, Tex.; John L., deceased, and GeorgeW., a farmer of
Lincoln County All the sons, with the exception of the one in Texas, are Republicans, and
four of them were in the late war. George W. was captain in the Union army; David D. was
captain in the Confederate army; William C. was orderly sergeant in the Union army, and
James C. was a private in the State militia. Mr. and Mrs. PORTER are members of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church. When they were first married he had a horse, a cow, and
she had a cow and a bed. They have seen almost every side of the wheel of fortune.
Having giving their children a good start in life they still have enough to keep them in
their old age. Mr. PORTER cast his first presidential vote for John Q. ADAMS, was a Whig
in politics, then a Know-Nothing, and is now a Republican. When he first settled in
Monroe County he had to go twenty-two miles to get his ax re-set.
File submitted to HERITAGE PAGES of LINCOLN COUNTY, MISSOURI by Phyllis Lake, 21 October 1998. Link change or
update: 23 May 2000
NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the
Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities, as
long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT
be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons.
Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of
presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or their legal
representative, and contact the listed county coordinator with proof of this consent.
Return to Lincoln County, Missouri
Biography Index | Heritage
Page | Home Page