My Genealogy Hound

George Washington Porter, a prosperous farmer of White Lake township, Oakland County, was born on his fine farm of 181 acres in section 21 in 1847, and is a son of Charles and Elizabeth (Arthur) Porter.

Charles Porter was born in County Donegal, Ireland, in 1812, and died in February, 1903, in White Lake township. He came to the United States in 1830 and first located in the State of New York, but in the following year came to Bloomfield township, Oakland County, Michigan. After a few years he removed to his present farm in White Lake township. In his younger days he belonged to the militia body which was held in readiness for trouble occasioned by the fixing of the Ohio boundary line, but was not called to the front. He was one of the leading supporters of the Baptist Church at Pontiac and contributed liberally to the building of the present edifice. In politics he was a Democrat and served in many local offices. He was highway commissioner and was unanimously nominated for supervisor but refused the office. For 25 years he served as township clerk and for the same period was a justice of the peace in White Lake township. He cast his first ballot for Martin Van Buren for President, and through life was consistent in his adherence to party principles. The mother of our subject was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, December 11, 1819, and died in December, 1887. Her parents were pioneers in White Lake township, Oakland County, where she married and died. She was reared in the Methodist faith. The seven children of Charles Porter and wife were: Nancy Jane, who married Sidney Bentley, and died July 6, 1883, leaving four children; Sarah, who married Lorenzo Walworth, died September 3, 1879; Esther M., who married Henry Van Gorden, died in 1895; Matilda, who married William Richardson, resides in West Bloomfield township, Oakland County; and George W., of this sketch. Two children had died in infancy.

Mr. Porter was educated in the local schools and since completing his education has been farming on the home farm. On December 23, 1869, he was married to Eliza Fair, who was born in 1847 in White Lake township, Oakland County, on the same day as Mr. Porter, and is a daughter of James and Ann (Galloway) Fair. Her father was born in Scotland and died in 1881 in California, aged 79 years. He was a young man when he and his wife located in White Lake township and there he followed his trade of carpenter for a number of years. His wife was also born in Scotland and died in 1855, at the age of 40 years. They had a family of eight children, namely: James, Mary, Jane, Eliza and Elizabeth (twins), — the former the wife of our subject, — Alice, Helena and Ann. In 1860 Mr. Fair went to California, where he contracted a second marriage and had two daughters, — Alice and Eva. Mr. and Mrs. Porter have had but one child, Ina, born January 3, 1881, whose little life went out on February 23rd following.

Fraternally Mr. Porter is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees. He is a Democrat and has been township treasurer for the past two terms.