Thomas
J. Porter, retired was born in Chambersburg, Franklin Co. Pa.
December 29, 1800. His father, Washington Porter, was a son of David
Porter, was born in Shippensburg, PA. July 13, 1778. He there grew to
manhood and December 17, 1799, was married at Chambersburg, PA to Miss
Rachel Shannon, a native of that town, born April 25, 1778. They reared
three sons: Thomas J., David T. (deceased) and Alexander W. The first
and last mentioned are residents of Sharon, where David T. died
February 21, 1876. In 1802 the family removed to Butler Co. PA and in
1804 to the borough of Mercer, where Thomas J. grew to manhood and
attended the pioneer schools. In April, 1825, Mr. Porter located in
Sharon and was the second postmaster of the town and one of its early
hotel keepers. He was also one of the pioneer merchants of Sharon, and
among the first to go into the coal business and for many years was
engaged in developing the coal fields of the Shenango Valley. His
parents moved to Sharon many years after our subject, where the mother
died June 14, 1852, in her seventy-fourth year and the father August
26, 1860, in the eighty-third year of his age. Mr. Porter was married
August 14, 1827 in Sharon, to Miss Julia A., daughter of Samuel and
Achsah (Parks) Quinby, natives of New Jersey, who settled here in 1808
or 1809. Mrs. Porter was born in Warren, Ohio, March 15, 1807, and was
the mother of four children: Salina, widow of Henry Forker; Samuel
Quinby, who died in 1874, and for several years one of the prominent
business men of the borough; Julia, and Anna (deceased). Mrs. Porter
died in the faith of the Baptist Church, October 13, 1849, and her
husband has since remained unmarried. Politically Mr. Porter has always
been a Democrat though he has never taken an active interest in
political affairs. He cast his first presidential vote for Andrew
Jackson in 1824, and has never since missed casting his vote for the
presidential nominee of the Democratic party. Since early manhood Mr.
Porter has been a member of the Masonic fraternity and is one of the
few living links connection the historic past with the ever eventful
and changing present.
History of Mercer Co. PA 1888 p.748; Submitted by Theresa Davids
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