BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO

"History of the Upper Ohio Valley" Vol. II, 1890.

Presented by Linda Fluharty from hard copies provided
by Mary Staley & Phyllis Slater.


Pages 669-670.

JOHN PORTERFIELD

Among the well-known residents of Belmont county during the early decades
of the present century, was John Porterfield, a native of Ireland, who
came to America in 1801, and first settled in Lancaster county, Penn.,
where he remained until about 1808, when he came to Ohio. He lived for
one year in Harrison county, and then settled in Belmont county, which
was his abiding place during the remainder of his life. He came here a
poor man, but accumulated considerable property, owning at one time 240
acres of land. He married Margaret Robb, who was born at Lancaster, Penn.,
the daughter of John and Monica (Dunlap) Robb, of a family supposed to
have an interest in a valuable estate left by a bachelor who owned eighty
acres within the present limits of Philadelphia. Their son, John Porter-
field, born in this county, in February 14, 1814, was reared oh the farm
and educated in the pioneer schools. At the age of twenty years he began
an independent career, and for seventeen years worked by the month on a
farm in Illinois. By close economy he saved, during this time, $1,500, with
which he returned to his native county. In 1851 he was married to Catharine
Kerr, a native of Belmont county, daughter of Robert and Sarah Kerr. She
had but one child who died young, and she died also in 1852. In 1855 he
was married to Sarah McFadden, daughter of John and Mary McFadden, and
by this union he has had two children, both of whom are living, James P.
and May. Mr. Porterfield and wife are both members of the United Pres-
byterian church. He is now one of the solid and prosperous men of the
county, having 320 acres of excellent land, with handsome and commodious
buildings, and besides his agricultural interests conducts a dairy with
forty-five or fifty cows.