Jesse Lee Porter was the son of Jesse LeGrand & Lucy (Stark) Porter. He married Ada Shumate in 1885.
KANSAS CITY JOURNAL
FEBRUARY 23, 1942
JESSE LEE PORTER
The following sketch of the Porter family was presented by J. Lee Porter at the Native Sons' Dinner Wednesday night. This absorbing bit of Kansas City history will remain in the Native Sons' archives:
"BY J. LEE PORTER
In 1834 my grandfather, the Rev. James Porter, left his home and a Methodist congregation in Franklin, Tenn., and started overland to carve a large plantation out of the wilderness. With his wife Mrs. Jane Thomas Porter; his son, Jesse LeGrande Porter; his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Porter and a party of forty slaves, he started driving overland across wild broken country to form a little colony of his own in Western Missouri.
Late that year and in the following year the acres had been selected and the intrepid minister had become their owner. By grant from the government and by purchase from William Baxter and David Burge, he became the owner of 365 acres for his plantation, land bounded on the north by 23rd St., on the south by 31st St. The east and west boundaries extended from old Troost Park as far west at one point as Locust St.
The pioneer preacher built his home at the northeast corner of 28th St. and Tracy Ave. Facing north. The large barn and sheds were situated on the site where the old W. Ewing Hall mansion now stands. Slave cabins were built on the west side of Tracy Ave., between 27th and 28th Streets, and they stood there for many decades.
The old Porter farm house was built of black walnut logs and black walnut weather boarding. Metal plates were made to fit the windows of two rooms downstairs. Thus, these two rooms could be made into a veritable fort, and dents in these plates from bullets would indicate it was a very good idea.
The water supply for this early colony was from a natural spring, still flowing, which was located a little south of the southeast corner of 28th St. and Posco Blvd. Later, but a time now long past, this same spring quenched the thirst of the throngs who found recreation in who found recreation in the old Troost Park. The spring is now piped underground into Troost Lake.
At that time there were no roads except the old McCoy Rd. Near the west boundary of the Rev. Porter's land and an unnamed trail well to the east of his broad holdings, but not so much as an east and west wagon trail existed. When the minister assembled his plantation, he found the ground north of 20th St. heavily timbered. The block running from Troost to Forest, 27th to 28th, was the Porter orchard. The tract now known as Hillcrest Addition, 27th to 28th, Harrison to Holmes, was used as pasture land. South of this land and west of Troost was a hay field and east of Troost Ave. And south of ? St. was used as a corn field by the preacher-farmer.
The Porter burial grounds were on the site of the Troost Avenue Methodist Church, 2534 Troost Ave. This land was given to the church by my mother, Mrs. Lucy A. Porter, in 1885, Union Cemetery previously having replaced the private burial grounds.
At a later period the Porter plantation, subdivided into building lots, was developed into the finest residence district in the city. Along Troost Ave. From 28th ST. North many men prominent in the business and social life of Kansas City built their homes among whom we might mention ex-Governor T. T. Crittendon, Richard Gentry, W. T. Kemper, George A. Barton, L. T. Moore, Frank Faxon, John Perry, William A. Wilson, Dr. C. Lester Hall, Judge Turner A. Gill, Shannon C. Douglass, Thomas Besham, George Winter Mansion and many others.
The Rev. James Porter, circuit rider and preacher, was probably the first Protestant preacher in Kansas City. Certainly he was the first Methodist minister in this vicinity, and organized the first class in Methodism here. I quote from the book, "Annals of Methodist in Missouri," by W. S. Woodward, at page 123: "The first preaching in Kansas City by preachers of our church was at the residence of Colonel Chick, one of the original proprietors of the town, and afterward at a log schoolhouse which stood at the present crossing of Missouri Ave. And Walnut St. This was in 1840 and by the Rev. James Porter, a local preacher. In 1845 this same local preacher organized the first class at the aforesaid school. The weather being warm and the congregation large, the service was held near the house in the open air under the shade of some forest trees. After preaching, the preacher requested those who wished to join the church to take their seats on a log near where he stood. Five came forward and took their seats accordingly. They were Colonel Chick and wife, James Hickman, a Mrs. Smith and Jane Porter, these, with the preacher, constituted the first class. Soon after this Kansas City became an appointment in the Independence circuit."
"The log schoolhouse was the place of worship until Dr. Lykins built a frame schoolhouse nearer the river, which the class occupied until 1852?, when they moved to their new brick church on 5th St. This was the first Protestant church edifice built in Kansas City."
On Sunday morning, April 30, 1941, several members of the Porter and Hall families drove to Warrensburg, Mo., where at the Gay Street Methodist Church a new oak pulpit was dedicated as the James Porter Memorial Pulpit. The Rev. T. Cecil Swackhamer, pastor of the Gay Street Methodist Church, said that morning to his dedication sermon that this pulpit is a memorial to a pioneer who preached the first Methodist sermon in the tiny settlement of Kansas City. This pioneer preacher rode the circuit and 100 years ago helped organize the Methodists in and near Warrensburg into a permanent group.
It is my understanding that the following towns composed the circuit ridden by the Rev. Porter: Kansas City, Independence, Warrensburg and Lone Jack, Mo. If there were other towns on his circuit, I do not know of them.
An amusing story has been handed down through the years. It appears that the Rev. Porter and a companion were riding the circuit and about noon one day they were overtaken by a band of Indians known to the preacher. At noon they all stopped for lunch. The preacher and his companion laid out their lunch on a near-by stump. The Indians did likewise and their lunch contained some small fish. The preacher asked the blessing, saying "God bless this food, etc." One of the Indians followed his example and said, "God damn these little fishes. I can eat them quicker than a minute," which would indicate that Preacher Porter's Methodist gospel was having some effect, but the poor Indian got things slightly mixed up.
The Rev. James Porter died in 1851 in the 65th year of his life and is buried in old Union Cemetery. My grandmother, Jane Thomas Porter, was a hardy individual with the true pioneer spirit. On two occasions, she made visits back to Franklin, Tenn., traveling overland with only her Negro maid and a coachman. They say my grandmother had quite large ears and, furthermore, that I resemble her in that respect. Jane Thomas Porter died in 1873 In the 87th year of her life and is buried in old Union Cemetery.
Another amusing story concerns my brother, James D. Porter. One day during the Civil War he was drilling some young Negro boys, sons of Porter slaves. They were playing war. Some Union soldiers rode up, whereupon my brother commanded his small Negroes to halt and then had them give a cheer for Jeff Davis. In that kind of times this was a very foolish thing to do; however, nothing happened.
*****
Jesse died from Chronic Myocarditis and Congestive Heart Failure heart at 2:30 p.m. on December 23, 1942. His obituary was published in the Kansas City Times on December 24, 1942.
"J. Lee Porter, pioneer Kansas City real estate dealer who saw the city grow from a riverfront village, died yesterday at his home, 301 West Fifty-first Street Terrace. He was 81 years old. Mr. Porter, who had been in good health most of his life, became ill Sunday and was ordered to bed by his doctor. He was the uncle of Porter T. Hall, president of Emery, Bird, Thayer Dry goods company.
Mr. Porter was the grandson of the Rev. James Porter, who came here from Franklin, Tenn. In 1834 and homesteaded 365 acres of land which now are bounded by Twenty-third street, Thirty- first, Troost avenue and the Pasco. The Rev. James Porter was the son of Mrs. Elizabeth Porter, who was a heroine of the Revolutionary war, having been captured by the British and kept in a British prison for almost a year. James Porter was the first Protestant minister to this territory. In 1845 he established the first class in Methodism in Kansas City.
J. Lee Porter was the son of Jessie LeGrande Porter and Mrs. Lucy Stark Porter. He was born in a farm house near twenty-eighth street and Tracy avenue which had been built by his grandfather James Porter. At that time Kansas City was just pushing up the hill from its river site and only a few scattered farm houses existed near the Porter farm.
J. Lee Porter attended a country school at Thirty-fifth street and Prospect Avenue. He was graduated from Central high school, and Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Va. In 1885 he married Ada Shumate of Stanton, Va. She died several years ago.
In 1886 Mr. Porter and his brother, the late James B. Porter, organized the Porter Bros. Real Estate company. Their offices were at Twenty-seventh street and Troost avenue. In 1893, the late W. Ewing Hall, father of Porter T. Hall, joined the firm and it became known as Hall & Porter Bros. In 1906, Porter T. Hall joined the firm.
J. Lee Porter retired from active business about 1925 but maintained an office in the Westover building. Mr. Porter developed extensively parts of Kansas City south of Twelfth street and was always keenly interested in the growth and progress of the city. As a boy he attended for a short time "Mrs. Warren's private school" near Eleventh and Walnut streets and the old Morse school at Twentieth and Charlotte streets.
Mr. Porter liked to tell how he earned his early pocket money. He chopped wood in the winter and sold it on the market where the present city market is located. In the summer he worked with the crops on the farm. He never lost his interest in farming. In later life he owned farms in Lyon County, Kansas, and near Topeka. He was interested chiefly in livestock. He was active in Masonic circles, and was a 33-degree Mason. He was a member of the Troost Avenue Methodist church.
He is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Porter Kinard of the home, and two grandchildren, Kerwin Porter Kinard and Ada Lee Kinard, also of the home. Funeral services will be held at 3 o'clock Saturday at Stine & McClure chapel. Burial will be in the family lot at Union cemetery."
KANSAS CITY JOURNAL
FEBRUARY 23, 1942
JESSE LEE PORTER
The following sketch of the Porter family was presented by J. Lee Porter at the Native Sons' Dinner Wednesday night. This absorbing bit of Kansas City history will remain in the Native Sons' archives:
"BY J. LEE PORTER
In 1834 my grandfather, the Rev. James Porter, left his home and a Methodist congregation in Franklin, Tenn., and started overland to carve a large plantation out of the wilderness. With his wife Mrs. Jane Thomas Porter; his son, Jesse LeGrande Porter; his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Porter and a party of forty slaves, he started driving overland across wild broken country to form a little colony of his own in Western Missouri.
Late that year and in the following year the acres had been selected and the intrepid minister had become their owner. By grant from the government and by purchase from William Baxter and David Burge, he became the owner of 365 acres for his plantation, land bounded on the north by 23rd St., on the south by 31st St. The east and west boundaries extended from old Troost Park as far west at one point as Locust St.
The pioneer preacher built his home at the northeast corner of 28th St. and Tracy Ave. Facing north. The large barn and sheds were situated on the site where the old W. Ewing Hall mansion now stands. Slave cabins were built on the west side of Tracy Ave., between 27th and 28th Streets, and they stood there for many decades.
The old Porter farm house was built of black walnut logs and black walnut weather boarding. Metal plates were made to fit the windows of two rooms downstairs. Thus, these two rooms could be made into a veritable fort, and dents in these plates from bullets would indicate it was a very good idea.
The water supply for this early colony was from a natural spring, still flowing, which was located a little south of the southeast corner of 28th St. and Posco Blvd. Later, but a time now long past, this same spring quenched the thirst of the throngs who found recreation in who found recreation in the old Troost Park. The spring is now piped underground into Troost Lake.
At that time there were no roads except the old McCoy Rd. Near the west boundary of the Rev. Porter's land and an unnamed trail well to the east of his broad holdings, but not so much as an east and west wagon trail existed. When the minister assembled his plantation, he found the ground north of 20th St. heavily timbered. The block running from Troost to Forest, 27th to 28th, was the Porter orchard. The tract now known as Hillcrest Addition, 27th to 28th, Harrison to Holmes, was used as pasture land. South of this land and west of Troost was a hay field and east of Troost Ave. And south of ? St. was used as a corn field by the preacher-farmer.
The Porter burial grounds were on the site of the Troost Avenue Methodist Church, 2534 Troost Ave. This land was given to the church by my mother, Mrs. Lucy A. Porter, in 1885, Union Cemetery previously having replaced the private burial grounds.
At a later period the Porter plantation, subdivided into building lots, was developed into the finest residence district in the city. Along Troost Ave. From 28th ST. North many men prominent in the business and social life of Kansas City built their homes among whom we might mention ex-Governor T. T. Crittendon, Richard Gentry, W. T. Kemper, George A. Barton, L. T. Moore, Frank Faxon, John Perry, William A. Wilson, Dr. C. Lester Hall, Judge Turner A. Gill, Shannon C. Douglass, Thomas Besham, George Winter Mansion and many others.
The Rev. James Porter, circuit rider and preacher, was probably the first Protestant preacher in Kansas City. Certainly he was the first Methodist minister in this vicinity, and organized the first class in Methodism here. I quote from the book, "Annals of Methodist in Missouri," by W. S. Woodward, at page 123: "The first preaching in Kansas City by preachers of our church was at the residence of Colonel Chick, one of the original proprietors of the town, and afterward at a log schoolhouse which stood at the present crossing of Missouri Ave. And Walnut St. This was in 1840 and by the Rev. James Porter, a local preacher. In 1845 this same local preacher organized the first class at the aforesaid school. The weather being warm and the congregation large, the service was held near the house in the open air under the shade of some forest trees. After preaching, the preacher requested those who wished to join the church to take their seats on a log near where he stood. Five came forward and took their seats accordingly. They were Colonel Chick and wife, James Hickman, a Mrs. Smith and Jane Porter, these, with the preacher, constituted the first class. Soon after this Kansas City became an appointment in the Independence circuit."
"The log schoolhouse was the place of worship until Dr. Lykins built a frame schoolhouse nearer the river, which the class occupied until 1852?, when they moved to their new brick church on 5th St. This was the first Protestant church edifice built in Kansas City."
On Sunday morning, April 30, 1941, several members of the Porter and Hall families drove to Warrensburg, Mo., where at the Gay Street Methodist Church a new oak pulpit was dedicated as the James Porter Memorial Pulpit. The Rev. T. Cecil Swackhamer, pastor of the Gay Street Methodist Church, said that morning to his dedication sermon that this pulpit is a memorial to a pioneer who preached the first Methodist sermon in the tiny settlement of Kansas City. This pioneer preacher rode the circuit and 100 years ago helped organize the Methodists in and near Warrensburg into a permanent group.
It is my understanding that the following towns composed the circuit ridden by the Rev. Porter: Kansas City, Independence, Warrensburg and Lone Jack, Mo. If there were other towns on his circuit, I do not know of them.
An amusing story has been handed down through the years. It appears that the Rev. Porter and a companion were riding the circuit and about noon one day they were overtaken by a band of Indians known to the preacher. At noon they all stopped for lunch. The preacher and his companion laid out their lunch on a near-by stump. The Indians did likewise and their lunch contained some small fish. The preacher asked the blessing, saying "God bless this food, etc." One of the Indians followed his example and said, "God damn these little fishes. I can eat them quicker than a minute," which would indicate that Preacher Porter's Methodist gospel was having some effect, but the poor Indian got things slightly mixed up.
The Rev. James Porter died in 1851 in the 65th year of his life and is buried in old Union Cemetery. My grandmother, Jane Thomas Porter, was a hardy individual with the true pioneer spirit. On two occasions, she made visits back to Franklin, Tenn., traveling overland with only her Negro maid and a coachman. They say my grandmother had quite large ears and, furthermore, that I resemble her in that respect. Jane Thomas Porter died in 1873 In the 87th year of her life and is buried in old Union Cemetery.
Another amusing story concerns my brother, James D. Porter. One day during the Civil War he was drilling some young Negro boys, sons of Porter slaves. They were playing war. Some Union soldiers rode up, whereupon my brother commanded his small Negroes to halt and then had them give a cheer for Jeff Davis. In that kind of times this was a very foolish thing to do; however, nothing happened.
*****
Jesse died from Chronic Myocarditis and Congestive Heart Failure heart at 2:30 p.m. on December 23, 1942. His obituary was published in the Kansas City Times on December 24, 1942.
"J. Lee Porter, pioneer Kansas City real estate dealer who saw the city grow from a riverfront village, died yesterday at his home, 301 West Fifty-first Street Terrace. He was 81 years old. Mr. Porter, who had been in good health most of his life, became ill Sunday and was ordered to bed by his doctor. He was the uncle of Porter T. Hall, president of Emery, Bird, Thayer Dry goods company.
Mr. Porter was the grandson of the Rev. James Porter, who came here from Franklin, Tenn. In 1834 and homesteaded 365 acres of land which now are bounded by Twenty-third street, Thirty- first, Troost avenue and the Pasco. The Rev. James Porter was the son of Mrs. Elizabeth Porter, who was a heroine of the Revolutionary war, having been captured by the British and kept in a British prison for almost a year. James Porter was the first Protestant minister to this territory. In 1845 he established the first class in Methodism in Kansas City.
J. Lee Porter was the son of Jessie LeGrande Porter and Mrs. Lucy Stark Porter. He was born in a farm house near twenty-eighth street and Tracy avenue which had been built by his grandfather James Porter. At that time Kansas City was just pushing up the hill from its river site and only a few scattered farm houses existed near the Porter farm.
J. Lee Porter attended a country school at Thirty-fifth street and Prospect Avenue. He was graduated from Central high school, and Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Va. In 1885 he married Ada Shumate of Stanton, Va. She died several years ago.
In 1886 Mr. Porter and his brother, the late James B. Porter, organized the Porter Bros. Real Estate company. Their offices were at Twenty-seventh street and Troost avenue. In 1893, the late W. Ewing Hall, father of Porter T. Hall, joined the firm and it became known as Hall & Porter Bros. In 1906, Porter T. Hall joined the firm.
J. Lee Porter retired from active business about 1925 but maintained an office in the Westover building. Mr. Porter developed extensively parts of Kansas City south of Twelfth street and was always keenly interested in the growth and progress of the city. As a boy he attended for a short time "Mrs. Warren's private school" near Eleventh and Walnut streets and the old Morse school at Twentieth and Charlotte streets.
Mr. Porter liked to tell how he earned his early pocket money. He chopped wood in the winter and sold it on the market where the present city market is located. In the summer he worked with the crops on the farm. He never lost his interest in farming. In later life he owned farms in Lyon County, Kansas, and near Topeka. He was interested chiefly in livestock. He was active in Masonic circles, and was a 33-degree Mason. He was a member of the Troost Avenue Methodist church.
He is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Porter Kinard of the home, and two grandchildren, Kerwin Porter Kinard and Ada Lee Kinard, also of the home. Funeral services will be held at 3 o'clock Saturday at Stine & McClure chapel. Burial will be in the family lot at Union cemetery."
Jesse Lee Porter was the son of Jesse LeGrand & Lucy (Stark) Porter. He married Ada Shumate in 1885.
KANSAS CITY JOURNAL
FEBRUARY 23, 1942
JESSE LEE PORTER
The following sketch of the Porter family was presented by J. Lee Porter at the Native Sons' Dinner Wednesday night. This absorbing bit of Kansas City history will remain in the Native Sons' archives:
"BY J. LEE PORTER
In 1834 my grandfather, the Rev. James Porter, left his home and a Methodist congregation in Franklin, Tenn., and started overland to carve a large plantation out of the wilderness. With his wife Mrs. Jane Thomas Porter; his son, Jesse LeGrande Porter; his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Porter and a party of forty slaves, he started driving overland across wild broken country to form a little colony of his own in Western Missouri.
Late that year and in the following year the acres had been selected and the intrepid minister had become their owner. By grant from the government and by purchase from William Baxter and David Burge, he became the owner of 365 acres for his plantation, land bounded on the north by 23rd St., on the south by 31st St. The east and west boundaries extended from old Troost Park as far west at one point as Locust St.
The pioneer preacher built his home at the northeast corner of 28th St. and Tracy Ave. Facing north. The large barn and sheds were situated on the site where the old W. Ewing Hall mansion now stands. Slave cabins were built on the west side of Tracy Ave., between 27th and 28th Streets, and they stood there for many decades.
The old Porter farm house was built of black walnut logs and black walnut weather boarding. Metal plates were made to fit the windows of two rooms downstairs. Thus, these two rooms could be made into a veritable fort, and dents in these plates from bullets would indicate it was a very good idea.
The water supply for this early colony was from a natural spring, still flowing, which was located a little south of the southeast corner of 28th St. and Posco Blvd. Later, but a time now long past, this same spring quenched the thirst of the throngs who found recreation in who found recreation in the old Troost Park. The spring is now piped underground into Troost Lake.
At that time there were no roads except the old McCoy Rd. Near the west boundary of the Rev. Porter's land and an unnamed trail well to the east of his broad holdings, but not so much as an east and west wagon trail existed. When the minister assembled his plantation, he found the ground north of 20th St. heavily timbered. The block running from Troost to Forest, 27th to 28th, was the Porter orchard. The tract now known as Hillcrest Addition, 27th to 28th, Harrison to Holmes, was used as pasture land. South of this land and west of Troost was a hay field and east of Troost Ave. And south of ? St. was used as a corn field by the preacher-farmer.
The Porter burial grounds were on the site of the Troost Avenue Methodist Church, 2534 Troost Ave. This land was given to the church by my mother, Mrs. Lucy A. Porter, in 1885, Union Cemetery previously having replaced the private burial grounds.
At a later period the Porter plantation, subdivided into building lots, was developed into the finest residence district in the city. Along Troost Ave. From 28th ST. North many men prominent in the business and social life of Kansas City built their homes among whom we might mention ex-Governor T. T. Crittendon, Richard Gentry, W. T. Kemper, George A. Barton, L. T. Moore, Frank Faxon, John Perry, William A. Wilson, Dr. C. Lester Hall, Judge Turner A. Gill, Shannon C. Douglass, Thomas Besham, George Winter Mansion and many others.
The Rev. James Porter, circuit rider and preacher, was probably the first Protestant preacher in Kansas City. Certainly he was the first Methodist minister in this vicinity, and organized the first class in Methodism here. I quote from the book, "Annals of Methodist in Missouri," by W. S. Woodward, at page 123: "The first preaching in Kansas City by preachers of our church was at the residence of Colonel Chick, one of the original proprietors of the town, and afterward at a log schoolhouse which stood at the present crossing of Missouri Ave. And Walnut St. This was in 1840 and by the Rev. James Porter, a local preacher. In 1845 this same local preacher organized the first class at the aforesaid school. The weather being warm and the congregation large, the service was held near the house in the open air under the shade of some forest trees. After preaching, the preacher requested those who wished to join the church to take their seats on a log near where he stood. Five came forward and took their seats accordingly. They were Colonel Chick and wife, James Hickman, a Mrs. Smith and Jane Porter, these, with the preacher, constituted the first class. Soon after this Kansas City became an appointment in the Independence circuit."
"The log schoolhouse was the place of worship until Dr. Lykins built a frame schoolhouse nearer the river, which the class occupied until 1852?, when they moved to their new brick church on 5th St. This was the first Protestant church edifice built in Kansas City."
On Sunday morning, April 30, 1941, several members of the Porter and Hall families drove to Warrensburg, Mo., where at the Gay Street Methodist Church a new oak pulpit was dedicated as the James Porter Memorial Pulpit. The Rev. T. Cecil Swackhamer, pastor of the Gay Street Methodist Church, said that morning to his dedication sermon that this pulpit is a memorial to a pioneer who preached the first Methodist sermon in the tiny settlement of Kansas City. This pioneer preacher rode the circuit and 100 years ago helped organize the Methodists in and near Warrensburg into a permanent group.
It is my understanding that the following towns composed the circuit ridden by the Rev. Porter: Kansas City, Independence, Warrensburg and Lone Jack, Mo. If there were other towns on his circuit, I do not know of them.
An amusing story has been handed down through the years. It appears that the Rev. Porter and a companion were riding the circuit and about noon one day they were overtaken by a band of Indians known to the preacher. At noon they all stopped for lunch. The preacher and his companion laid out their lunch on a near-by stump. The Indians did likewise and their lunch contained some small fish. The preacher asked the blessing, saying "God bless this food, etc." One of the Indians followed his example and said, "God damn these little fishes. I can eat them quicker than a minute," which would indicate that Preacher Porter's Methodist gospel was having some effect, but the poor Indian got things slightly mixed up.
The Rev. James Porter died in 1851 in the 65th year of his life and is buried in old Union Cemetery. My grandmother, Jane Thomas Porter, was a hardy individual with the true pioneer spirit. On two occasions, she made visits back to Franklin, Tenn., traveling overland with only her Negro maid and a coachman. They say my grandmother had quite large ears and, furthermore, that I resemble her in that respect. Jane Thomas Porter died in 1873 In the 87th year of her life and is buried in old Union Cemetery.
Another amusing story concerns my brother, James D. Porter. One day during the Civil War he was drilling some young Negro boys, sons of Porter slaves. They were playing war. Some Union soldiers rode up, whereupon my brother commanded his small Negroes to halt and then had them give a cheer for Jeff Davis. In that kind of times this was a very foolish thing to do; however, nothing happened.
*****
Jesse died from Chronic Myocarditis and Congestive Heart Failure heart at 2:30 p.m. on December 23, 1942. His obituary was published in the Kansas City Times on December 24, 1942.
"J. Lee Porter, pioneer Kansas City real estate dealer who saw the city grow from a riverfront village, died yesterday at his home, 301 West Fifty-first Street Terrace. He was 81 years old. Mr. Porter, who had been in good health most of his life, became ill Sunday and was ordered to bed by his doctor. He was the uncle of Porter T. Hall, president of Emery, Bird, Thayer Dry goods company.
Mr. Porter was the grandson of the Rev. James Porter, who came here from Franklin, Tenn. In 1834 and homesteaded 365 acres of land which now are bounded by Twenty-third street, Thirty- first, Troost avenue and the Pasco. The Rev. James Porter was the son of Mrs. Elizabeth Porter, who was a heroine of the Revolutionary war, having been captured by the British and kept in a British prison for almost a year. James Porter was the first Protestant minister to this territory. In 1845 he established the first class in Methodism in Kansas City.
J. Lee Porter was the son of Jessie LeGrande Porter and Mrs. Lucy Stark Porter. He was born in a farm house near twenty-eighth street and Tracy avenue which had been built by his grandfather James Porter. At that time Kansas City was just pushing up the hill from its river site and only a few scattered farm houses existed near the Porter farm.
J. Lee Porter attended a country school at Thirty-fifth street and Prospect Avenue. He was graduated from Central high school, and Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Va. In 1885 he married Ada Shumate of Stanton, Va. She died several years ago.
In 1886 Mr. Porter and his brother, the late James B. Porter, organized the Porter Bros. Real Estate company. Their offices were at Twenty-seventh street and Troost avenue. In 1893, the late W. Ewing Hall, father of Porter T. Hall, joined the firm and it became known as Hall & Porter Bros. In 1906, Porter T. Hall joined the firm.
J. Lee Porter retired from active business about 1925 but maintained an office in the Westover building. Mr. Porter developed extensively parts of Kansas City south of Twelfth street and was always keenly interested in the growth and progress of the city. As a boy he attended for a short time "Mrs. Warren's private school" near Eleventh and Walnut streets and the old Morse school at Twentieth and Charlotte streets.
Mr. Porter liked to tell how he earned his early pocket money. He chopped wood in the winter and sold it on the market where the present city market is located. In the summer he worked with the crops on the farm. He never lost his interest in farming. In later life he owned farms in Lyon County, Kansas, and near Topeka. He was interested chiefly in livestock. He was active in Masonic circles, and was a 33-degree Mason. He was a member of the Troost Avenue Methodist church.
He is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Porter Kinard of the home, and two grandchildren, Kerwin Porter Kinard and Ada Lee Kinard, also of the home. Funeral services will be held at 3 o'clock Saturday at Stine & McClure chapel. Burial will be in the family lot at Union cemetery."
KANSAS CITY JOURNAL
FEBRUARY 23, 1942
JESSE LEE PORTER
The following sketch of the Porter family was presented by J. Lee Porter at the Native Sons' Dinner Wednesday night. This absorbing bit of Kansas City history will remain in the Native Sons' archives:
"BY J. LEE PORTER
In 1834 my grandfather, the Rev. James Porter, left his home and a Methodist congregation in Franklin, Tenn., and started overland to carve a large plantation out of the wilderness. With his wife Mrs. Jane Thomas Porter; his son, Jesse LeGrande Porter; his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Porter and a party of forty slaves, he started driving overland across wild broken country to form a little colony of his own in Western Missouri.
Late that year and in the following year the acres had been selected and the intrepid minister had become their owner. By grant from the government and by purchase from William Baxter and David Burge, he became the owner of 365 acres for his plantation, land bounded on the north by 23rd St., on the south by 31st St. The east and west boundaries extended from old Troost Park as far west at one point as Locust St.
The pioneer preacher built his home at the northeast corner of 28th St. and Tracy Ave. Facing north. The large barn and sheds were situated on the site where the old W. Ewing Hall mansion now stands. Slave cabins were built on the west side of Tracy Ave., between 27th and 28th Streets, and they stood there for many decades.
The old Porter farm house was built of black walnut logs and black walnut weather boarding. Metal plates were made to fit the windows of two rooms downstairs. Thus, these two rooms could be made into a veritable fort, and dents in these plates from bullets would indicate it was a very good idea.
The water supply for this early colony was from a natural spring, still flowing, which was located a little south of the southeast corner of 28th St. and Posco Blvd. Later, but a time now long past, this same spring quenched the thirst of the throngs who found recreation in who found recreation in the old Troost Park. The spring is now piped underground into Troost Lake.
At that time there were no roads except the old McCoy Rd. Near the west boundary of the Rev. Porter's land and an unnamed trail well to the east of his broad holdings, but not so much as an east and west wagon trail existed. When the minister assembled his plantation, he found the ground north of 20th St. heavily timbered. The block running from Troost to Forest, 27th to 28th, was the Porter orchard. The tract now known as Hillcrest Addition, 27th to 28th, Harrison to Holmes, was used as pasture land. South of this land and west of Troost was a hay field and east of Troost Ave. And south of ? St. was used as a corn field by the preacher-farmer.
The Porter burial grounds were on the site of the Troost Avenue Methodist Church, 2534 Troost Ave. This land was given to the church by my mother, Mrs. Lucy A. Porter, in 1885, Union Cemetery previously having replaced the private burial grounds.
At a later period the Porter plantation, subdivided into building lots, was developed into the finest residence district in the city. Along Troost Ave. From 28th ST. North many men prominent in the business and social life of Kansas City built their homes among whom we might mention ex-Governor T. T. Crittendon, Richard Gentry, W. T. Kemper, George A. Barton, L. T. Moore, Frank Faxon, John Perry, William A. Wilson, Dr. C. Lester Hall, Judge Turner A. Gill, Shannon C. Douglass, Thomas Besham, George Winter Mansion and many others.
The Rev. James Porter, circuit rider and preacher, was probably the first Protestant preacher in Kansas City. Certainly he was the first Methodist minister in this vicinity, and organized the first class in Methodism here. I quote from the book, "Annals of Methodist in Missouri," by W. S. Woodward, at page 123: "The first preaching in Kansas City by preachers of our church was at the residence of Colonel Chick, one of the original proprietors of the town, and afterward at a log schoolhouse which stood at the present crossing of Missouri Ave. And Walnut St. This was in 1840 and by the Rev. James Porter, a local preacher. In 1845 this same local preacher organized the first class at the aforesaid school. The weather being warm and the congregation large, the service was held near the house in the open air under the shade of some forest trees. After preaching, the preacher requested those who wished to join the church to take their seats on a log near where he stood. Five came forward and took their seats accordingly. They were Colonel Chick and wife, James Hickman, a Mrs. Smith and Jane Porter, these, with the preacher, constituted the first class. Soon after this Kansas City became an appointment in the Independence circuit."
"The log schoolhouse was the place of worship until Dr. Lykins built a frame schoolhouse nearer the river, which the class occupied until 1852?, when they moved to their new brick church on 5th St. This was the first Protestant church edifice built in Kansas City."
On Sunday morning, April 30, 1941, several members of the Porter and Hall families drove to Warrensburg, Mo., where at the Gay Street Methodist Church a new oak pulpit was dedicated as the James Porter Memorial Pulpit. The Rev. T. Cecil Swackhamer, pastor of the Gay Street Methodist Church, said that morning to his dedication sermon that this pulpit is a memorial to a pioneer who preached the first Methodist sermon in the tiny settlement of Kansas City. This pioneer preacher rode the circuit and 100 years ago helped organize the Methodists in and near Warrensburg into a permanent group.
It is my understanding that the following towns composed the circuit ridden by the Rev. Porter: Kansas City, Independence, Warrensburg and Lone Jack, Mo. If there were other towns on his circuit, I do not know of them.
An amusing story has been handed down through the years. It appears that the Rev. Porter and a companion were riding the circuit and about noon one day they were overtaken by a band of Indians known to the preacher. At noon they all stopped for lunch. The preacher and his companion laid out their lunch on a near-by stump. The Indians did likewise and their lunch contained some small fish. The preacher asked the blessing, saying "God bless this food, etc." One of the Indians followed his example and said, "God damn these little fishes. I can eat them quicker than a minute," which would indicate that Preacher Porter's Methodist gospel was having some effect, but the poor Indian got things slightly mixed up.
The Rev. James Porter died in 1851 in the 65th year of his life and is buried in old Union Cemetery. My grandmother, Jane Thomas Porter, was a hardy individual with the true pioneer spirit. On two occasions, she made visits back to Franklin, Tenn., traveling overland with only her Negro maid and a coachman. They say my grandmother had quite large ears and, furthermore, that I resemble her in that respect. Jane Thomas Porter died in 1873 In the 87th year of her life and is buried in old Union Cemetery.
Another amusing story concerns my brother, James D. Porter. One day during the Civil War he was drilling some young Negro boys, sons of Porter slaves. They were playing war. Some Union soldiers rode up, whereupon my brother commanded his small Negroes to halt and then had them give a cheer for Jeff Davis. In that kind of times this was a very foolish thing to do; however, nothing happened.
*****
Jesse died from Chronic Myocarditis and Congestive Heart Failure heart at 2:30 p.m. on December 23, 1942. His obituary was published in the Kansas City Times on December 24, 1942.
"J. Lee Porter, pioneer Kansas City real estate dealer who saw the city grow from a riverfront village, died yesterday at his home, 301 West Fifty-first Street Terrace. He was 81 years old. Mr. Porter, who had been in good health most of his life, became ill Sunday and was ordered to bed by his doctor. He was the uncle of Porter T. Hall, president of Emery, Bird, Thayer Dry goods company.
Mr. Porter was the grandson of the Rev. James Porter, who came here from Franklin, Tenn. In 1834 and homesteaded 365 acres of land which now are bounded by Twenty-third street, Thirty- first, Troost avenue and the Pasco. The Rev. James Porter was the son of Mrs. Elizabeth Porter, who was a heroine of the Revolutionary war, having been captured by the British and kept in a British prison for almost a year. James Porter was the first Protestant minister to this territory. In 1845 he established the first class in Methodism in Kansas City.
J. Lee Porter was the son of Jessie LeGrande Porter and Mrs. Lucy Stark Porter. He was born in a farm house near twenty-eighth street and Tracy avenue which had been built by his grandfather James Porter. At that time Kansas City was just pushing up the hill from its river site and only a few scattered farm houses existed near the Porter farm.
J. Lee Porter attended a country school at Thirty-fifth street and Prospect Avenue. He was graduated from Central high school, and Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Va. In 1885 he married Ada Shumate of Stanton, Va. She died several years ago.
In 1886 Mr. Porter and his brother, the late James B. Porter, organized the Porter Bros. Real Estate company. Their offices were at Twenty-seventh street and Troost avenue. In 1893, the late W. Ewing Hall, father of Porter T. Hall, joined the firm and it became known as Hall & Porter Bros. In 1906, Porter T. Hall joined the firm.
J. Lee Porter retired from active business about 1925 but maintained an office in the Westover building. Mr. Porter developed extensively parts of Kansas City south of Twelfth street and was always keenly interested in the growth and progress of the city. As a boy he attended for a short time "Mrs. Warren's private school" near Eleventh and Walnut streets and the old Morse school at Twentieth and Charlotte streets.
Mr. Porter liked to tell how he earned his early pocket money. He chopped wood in the winter and sold it on the market where the present city market is located. In the summer he worked with the crops on the farm. He never lost his interest in farming. In later life he owned farms in Lyon County, Kansas, and near Topeka. He was interested chiefly in livestock. He was active in Masonic circles, and was a 33-degree Mason. He was a member of the Troost Avenue Methodist church.
He is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Porter Kinard of the home, and two grandchildren, Kerwin Porter Kinard and Ada Lee Kinard, also of the home. Funeral services will be held at 3 o'clock Saturday at Stine & McClure chapel. Burial will be in the family lot at Union cemetery."
Inscription
James B. Porter
Born Sept. 24, 1856
Died Aug. 30, 1903
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"Tellie Porter Sullivan
1863-1948
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Jesse L. Porter
188-1952
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James B. Porter, JR.
1885-1953
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Etta Lee Porter
1891-1979
Family Members
Spouse
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