David PORTER

GEDCOM Note

In 1811 David and Nancy (Culton) Porter joined a closely Knit group of relatives and neighbors from Tennessee in migrating to Lincoln Co., Missouri. These included the Sittons, Gibsons, Wilson's and others whose families intermarried with Porters. All were pioneer families on the Missouri frontier a few miles Northwest of St. Louis, which was at the time was a French Fur Trading Post with a few hundred settlers. There was a great danger from Indians who had been encouraged by th British to harass the scattered settlements. Captain James Callaway, a son-in-law of Daniel Boone, organized the Missouri Rangers for the protection of the settlers. Several forts with stockades were built and the David Porter family lived in one of these during their early years in Missouri. It was built around Big Springs so water was readily accessible in case of seige. Crop land was cleared around the stockade and worked during the daylight hours while the fort provided protection at night.

By 1819 David Porter began buying land and had established a home near Big Creek south-west of Troy, Missouri. In late 1835 he became dissatisfied with the area, perhaps for political reasons, and moved across the Mississippi River into "free territory" , which is now the State of Illinois. He bought 320 acres a Military district in Newburg Township, in now Pike Co., In 1836 he cleared land and built a frame house, mostly of Walnut lumber. It stood one hundred years as a land mark on the second highest hill in Pike Co., In addition to the frame house, he built a log barn, a brick "summer kitchen" with a fireplace where most of the cooking was done, and a Large Loom house for spinning and weaving.

In the spring of 1849, when he was sixty-nine years old, accompanied by his son-law Samuel Gibson Sitton, joined a wagon train at independence, Missouri. Several of his married children had gone to Oregon the previous year. He expected to dig for Gold in the Oregon Gold Fields and return to Pike Co. His hope were dashed by a Stroke which felled him and he died en route. His son-in law to his family in Pike Co., baring the bad news. David died on the Oregon Trail in his migration to Oregon, it is said that he died "days" journey beyond Fort Hall toward Soda Springs. He is supposed to be buried beside the trail. In present day Idaho near the town of Bannock.

David Porter was an ambitious man filled with the spirits of adventure. Born in Virginia, he was in Tennessee as a school master in 1803, then pioneered in sttling Missouri. In his middle years he was among the eartliest settlers in Pike Co., Illinois. Then at the age of sixty nine he embarket on the adventure across the continent from the land of his birth. Most of this transportation was, of cource in the saddle. Some of this travel was probably by boat when he migrated from Tennessee to Missouri. Many miles was no doubt by Ox team. David Porter had the reputation among his friends of being a good story teller, he was a true pioneer.

Sources:

Family records kept by sons James, William and John. William kept diaries over a period of twenty years, most of the originals were lost but there are copied exerps from some. A complete of his trip to Oregon in 1848, the original belongs to kenneth Porter Stayton, Oregon.
Family record pages from David Porter Bible, belongs to C. R. Porter, 1316 S. Ellison Ave. El Reno, Oklahoma 73036.

Bible of William Porter, Aumsville, Oregon, furnished by Mrs. Maud Boone, a grandaugter, now deseased, place of origin unknown.

Sitton and Gibson Genealogy, Decendants of three Revolutionary War Soldiiers, Compiled by Enid Wells Sitton about 1960.

Reasearch was done on their own lines by Mrs. A&gtL&gt Keithely, Mrs E.L. Quiring Mrs Wayne Wade. Data was collected from many decendants.