Porter Family History & Genealogy

My Grandfather, John B. Porter married Laura E. Gardenhire on August 24, 1894. They lived in Powhatan, Arkansas for many years then disappeared.

I do not know the name of my grandfathers parents. He is listed as being born both in Missouri and Tenn. I am not for sure just where he was born.

If anyone knows any information on this family, I would love to talk to you. My older brothers do not know anything about our grandparents.

I did find a deed recorded in 1896 to a John B Porter, but I am not sure this is the same person.

Powhatan is in Lawrence County, Arkansas. They later moved to Lawrence Township which is also in Lawrence County, Arkansas.

My father has been dead since 1966 and I know very little about his family.

Can you help me?????????????????

my father's name was charles john porter
my grandparents were willis and katie porter. they resided in new orleans, la. in 1945 willis passed and in 1956 katie passed i am trying to locate relatives of willis porter.

Patrick Porter, was a very important figure on the frontier - particularly in the Clinch River Valley. He, his wife - Suzanna Walker, and the Cowan Brothers, immigrated from County Down in Ireland to Pennsylvania about 1726. From there they moved to the Yadkin River Valley of North Carolina. Soon they began to hear glowing reports of the Clinch Valley from David Cox and other Long Hunters who had seen it. In 1769, Porter and his family, William and Edward Russell, and a party led by John Morgan (consisting of the Walker Sisters and their husbands, William and Andrew Cowan, James Smith, William Trimble, James Wharton, Fredrick Fraley, Joseph Moore, James Anderson, 3 Dickenson Brothers, and Col. John Snoddy) moved to the area called "Castle's Woods", which was settled by Jacob Castle earlier. The group soon built Snoddy's Fort which was later called Moore's Fort - and was the largest on the Clinch River.
In 1772, Porter and his family, along with Raleigh Stallard, Capt. John Montgomery (Porter's Son-in-law), Samuel Porter, and Charles Kilgore moved to Porter's land survey at Fall's Creek, near present day Dungannon. Shortly they set to building a fort, called Porter's Fort, near by. In 1774 he added a mill, the first on the Clinch, where Fall's Creek spills over a cliff near the river. Gradually the little settlement begins to grow.
Porter was not only a pioneer and community leader, but a soldier as well. In the fall of 1774, he along with most able-bodied men on the frontier, marched to Ohio and fought with the Shawnees at the Battle of Pt. Pleasant. Afterwards, at the treaty signing ceremony, he was approached by the highly respected and fearless Mingo , Logan, who made a peculiar request. He stated that he knew of a young Indian boy, by the name of Dale, who wanted to join the white men, to learn to read, and to become a minister . His proposal was that Porter would take the boy, educate him, and raise him as his own. He explained that he had chosen Porter because of his reputation as a "good man." He further stated that he had been in the vicinity of Porter's Fort several times and could have shot Porter more than once. He didn't because of his respect for him. At first Porter was afraid that the presence of the boy might make the Indians think that he had kidnapped him and cause them to attack his family. Logan assured him that he would take care of that. He would tell them the boy was drowned in a river crossing . Finally Porter agreed
and kept his promise. He gave him the name Arter Dale, taught him to read, and raised him as a member of his family. When he grew up, he indeed did serve as a Minister to the people in the Clinch Valley and Wise County area for many years, until his death.
At various times, Patrick Porter commanded part or all of the forts along the Clinch and was in charge of monitoring and responding to hostile Indian activity over a wide area. His able leadership was crucial to the frontier settlers throughout his life and many local people can proudly count him as one of their ancestors.

From: Pathfinders, Pioneers, & Patriots
Danny Dixon