Anderson County Biographies
"Portrait and Biographical Record of Southeastern Kansas"
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1894
SAMUEL M. PORTER, who resides on
section 23, Westphalia Township, Anderson County, northwest of the village of
Westphalia, owns a fine farm, which attests
by its thrift and productiveness the excellent
qualities of thoroughness and System which mark
the owner. The career of Mr. Porter, of whom
it is our pleasure and privilege to here attempt a
short sketch, is connected about equally with Ohio
and Kansas. Born in the former state in Brown
County, October 10, 1839, he was there reared
and educated, receiving such advantages as the
common schools afforded. When but a lad he become familiar with all the duties of the farm and
assisted his father in tilling the soil until the
breaking out of the Civil War.
In October, 1861, our subject enlisted and was
mustered in with Company A, Seventieth Ohio
Infantry and served for fifteen months, when he
was discharged at Memphis on account of physical
disability. He participated in the bloody battle
of Shiloh and the evacuation of Corinth, holding
the rank of Sergeant. Returning to the Buckeye
State in 1863, he was married to Miss Euphemia
Games, who was born in Brown County, Ohio,
and is a daughter of John Games. In 1869 our
subject and family left Ohio and made their way
toward the setting sun, stopping nearly one year
near Peru, La Salle County, Ill., where he was engaged in tilling the soil. From there he came direct
to Kansas, and at once invested in eighty acres of
raw prairie land, which he improved by cultivation, and on which he erected a substantial dwelling and good outbuildings. This was in Miami
County, and there he resided until 1882, when he
located in Anderson County and purchased a half-section of land, which was also unimproved.
Mr. Porter now owns four hundred acres, has
it improved and cultivated, and has followed
stock-raising for the most part since locating here.
To his marriage were born nine children, one of
whom died in infancy. Those living are: John,
David, Elijah, Martin, Lonnie, Belle, Grace and
Albert. Politically, Mr. Porter is a Republican,
and his associations, as far as party is concerned,
hWe always been with that body. He has never
sought office, but has been Township Treasurer. He
is a member of the United Brethren Church. With
little or no assistance he has made his own way
in life, and being distinguished for prudence, foresight and good judgment has been unusually successful. He is one of the original stockholders
and directors in the Bank of Westphalia.
Moses and Jane (Martin) Porter, the parents of
our subject, were natives of the Buckeye State,
and there resided until about 1863, having in
the meantime united their fortunes. They then
removed to La Fayette, Ind., near which city the
father purchased a farm. As he was advanced in
years, and as he had secured a competency, he retired from the farm, and now makes his home in La
Fayette. Although eighty years of age, time has
dealt leniently with him, and he enjoys comparatively good health. His wife, and the mother of
our subject, died in June, 1892, when eighty-one
years of age. Both were consistent and exemplary
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and
in former years were active workers in the same.
they reared six children, as follows: Elijah, who
resides in Brown County, Ohio, and is engaged in
farming; Samuel M., our subject; Amos, a farmer
of La Fayette, Ind.; Eugene, a grocer of La Fayette;
Cerilda, who married John Games and resides at
Baldwin, Kan.; and Jackson, who died in La Fayette, Ind.
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