My Genealogy Hound

William Laporte, a colored property owner, of Little Rock, was born at the Post of Arkansas in 1828, the slave of Charles Gibson. At the age of twelve years he ran away to New Orleans, and later to New York, going thence to Windsor, Canada. He there negotiated with his master for his freedom, after which he returned to the States, engaging as steward on board of a Mississippi steamer during the summer, and at blacksmithing during the winter, which trade he had learned, or at anything he could get to do. In the meantime he had, together with his mother and sister, saved enough to purchase their freedom, and then moved to St. Louis with them. In 1855 he was engaged as a servant by a Mr. Valley, of St. Louis, who was going to Europe, traveling with him through Norway, Denmark, Sweden, England, France and Italy. After his return to America he located in 1856 in Quincy, Ill., and later worked for a farmer in Lewis County, Mo., for several years. Mr. Laporte was married during Fremont's campaign in 1856, in Quincy, Ill., to Miss Clara Howard, daughter of J. B. Howard. They were the parents of two children: Emmitte (a resident of Edwardsville, Ill.) and William (who died at the age of twenty-four). During the war he was at Galesburg, Ill., until he joined the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry, and went with them to Buford, S. C. He was in the battles of Fort Wagons and Stony Hill. At the close of the war he returned to Galesburg, Ill., and in 1865 left for Memphis, Tenn., where he was engaged as a plasterer, coming thence to Little Rock in 1870, where he continued in the plasterer's business. He came here without a dollar, but by hard work and close economy, assisted by his worthy companion, has saved a sum aggregating $20,000, and now owns nine houses in this city. Mr. Laporte married his second and present wife in 1871, Miss Margie Robinson, who was born in Mississippi in 1847, the slave of Dr. William Ellis. They have one son who lives in St. Louis and is engaged in a flouring-mill. Mr. and Mrs. Laporte took a trip through Canada in the summer of 1889, stopping at Windsor, where Mr. Laporte, so many years before had obtained his freedom.