Chauncy WARRINER PORTER

Chauncy WARRINER PORTER

Chauncy WARRINER PORTER, son of Sanford, Sr. and Nancy Warriner Porter, was born 20 Oct 1812 while his father was serving in the War of 1812. Being the oldest child, he was of great help to his father. They went through the trials and poverty together and cared for a young family. At the age of 19 he embraced the gospel and on 10 Aug 1831, he was baptized by Lyman Wight in Illinois. In 1833 he married Amy Sumner at Independence, Jackson, MO. Again he went with his father through the trials and persecutions with the Saints. On 22 Jan 1846 (6 Mar 1846) he was married and sealed to Lydia Ann Cook (Temple records show that the sealing took place 28 Mar 1847 at Florence (then Winter Quarters) NB. Amy Sumner had been sealed to him at Nauvoo on 22 Jan 1846.

On 10 Feb 1847 (1848) he married Priscilla Strong at Winter Quarters, NB. In 1848 (1849) he came to Utah, settled in Mill Creek, Salt Lake Co., ran a sawmill; in 1849 he moved to Centerville; in 1862, he moved to Porterville, Morgan, UT. Being a carpenter, he and his brother, Sanford, went up a canyon they named Hardscrable and built a sawmill with an upright saw, run by water power. To have work for his sons he moved his two families on a farm in Porterville and he was then ordained a High Priest, and presided over the Ward until he died 8 Mar 1868.

Elda Mortensen submitted a sketch which she found among her mother's papers--a few notes of which are of interest at this point. "He emigrated to Utah in the year 1848 by ox team, partly composed of cows--his wives helping with the driving. Located at Mill Creek in the mouth of the canyon where he ran a saw mill a few years, then moving to Centerville, Davis, UT where he resided until the move south at the time of Johnston's Army in 1858, living at Provo and Springville until early spring of 1860 when they returned to Centerville, but immediately moved to Hardscrabble, a distance of 12 miles over the mountain. He lived there about one year, then going 6 miles northeast and locating on Canyon Creek--he being the first to live there. The place was named in his honor--Porterville. He was a Bishop for a number of years, and I have heard his son, Wilford, say that he has gone to meeting when his father's family were the only members there. His family now, 1936, is very numerous. His occupation was lumber making and farming."

Marie Porter Grachan adds the following: "It was while living in the above location (at Mill Creek) that the Indians came in to visit, although they were well fed and the Chief gave instructions not to molest any of the white brothers--but alas, one big Brave went on the war path and came to the home with his hunting knife with the purpose of scalping father Chauncy. Help was summoned and the incident was reported to the Chief--therefore, no one ever saw the big Buck again and Chauncy's blessings were greater."

"The town of Porterville received its name," writes the Morgan County News of Fri. 18 Jan 1957, "from the Porters, who first settled there. Warriner and Sanford Porter, Jr. came over the mountains from Centerville, into Hardscrabble Canyon in 1854 and built a sawmill on Beaver Creek. They carried the necessary machinery and provisions on pack mules. Lumber was taken back over the mountains to Centerville on a cart with four yoke of oxen.

In the Spring of 1861 their father, Sanford Porter, Sr., came from Centerville and settled in what is now Porterville. He built the first house in that part of the valley, brought his family there and took up land.

Warriner and Sanford, Jr., built houses that summer and the following spring John P. and Lyman, their brothers, also settled there. The first houses were near the present Curtis Carter residence and near the W. V. Shaw residence."

PEN PICTURE OF PORTERVILLE

by

Nancy M. Porter Moffett

Sometime around the year 1858, Grandfather and his four stalwart sons left Centerville to find a new place to homestead. They traveled north through Davis County until they reached the mouth of the rough and rugged Weber Canyon. They passed through the canyon and entered the Weber Valley, then rode south until they had almost reached the extreme end. Here they came to the foot of a low hill or ridge. They rode up this hill and when they had reached the top, they beheld a small but beautiful valley stretched out before them. The extreme north end of this ridge faced the south for about one-half mile, then it curved and ran north and south for about a mile, facing the west. It than fastened itself onto two low hills that faced the south inside of the valley, and it was near the foot of the first low hill that grandfather dug out, and leveled a place and built a two-roomed log house.

They also observed a chain of hills or low rugged mountains that extended back as far as the eye could see, and a little further down the valley from the two low hills, they came to a wide hollow that ran east up into the hills, for about a mile and a half or two miles. This later afforded two good farms; the lower one being owned by Richard Norwood, so this was named Norwood Hollow. A nice stream of water ran from a gulley near the upper end of the hollow and joined with the clear sparkling water from a spring on the lower part of the hollow and ran on down into the upper part of the valley, then turned west across the north part of East Porterville into the river. Further on south they could see that the valley grew quite narrow and still narrower further up. They could see that a lovely stream of clear, cool water came flowing down over the rocks and pebbles until it came close to a beautiful grove of trees. They remarked that this grove of trees seemed like an inviting spot for picnics, programs, and other amusements for the pleasure of young and old. At this grove of trees the stream suddenly turned west, flowing for about a half a mile until it struck an embankment, then it turned north again and followed along the foot of the bank, and then down until it emptied into the Weber River. They could see a smaller stream coming from the southwest that ran east until it reached the river going north. They discovered that this stream came from a deep, narrow canyon that the Porters explored and then named Hardscrabble. They also named the Creek "Millcreek."

On either side of the larger canyon creek was land with the majority of the land being on the bank of the west side. The land ran back 2 miles to the foot of the steep, rough and rugged mountains, that were small in comparison to the large ones peeking over the top. The sides were covered with green trees and shrubs, but the mountains looked much different later in the winter time. These snow-capped mountains made quite a picture as the sun came up out of the east, causing the snow on the west to sparkle like diamonds; but when spring came, the snow melted and the water ran down the steep mountains into the gullies and swelled the streams and ran into the ground to feed the springs that gave them cool, clear water. On the east bank were different kinds of small trees and bushes, such as red birch, alder, kimikimick, gooseberries and currants; also hop vines with hops that could be gathered in the fall and used as a medicine.

They also found land for a few farms at the mouth of Hardscrabble and up about two miles into the East Canyon. In East Canyon, most of the land was on the west side of the stream, while the upper part was covered with oak brush.

In the main stream they found fish in abundance, mostly trout, and also wild ducks and geese, and as they went on up the stream to see about getting water on the land, they found the beaver, muskrats and the mink; all three of these are a detriment to the farmer, as the beaver build dams across the river and all dig holes in the bank. They decided this would make a good pastime for the boys as the fur was very valuable. They would trap them and sell their hides, thus helping to build their new homes. The hills on the north end seemed to be more flat and covered with grass. Those on the south end grew grass with here and there a serviceberry and choke cherry bush. These all made it very inviting for the cow and horse, also the rabbit and wild hen. Oh yes! and the pesky woodtick.

As they approached the foot of the hills they found the yellow foxtail and a squash bush; both used for the coloring of the yarn. Then there was the sourdock and thistle. As they climbed the hill their hearts were made glad as they enjoyed the beautiful flowers of all descriptions; the Indian pink, the bluebell, the wild rose bushes (too many lovely flowers and colors to describe them all) covered the level land of the valley and made the valley very beautiful to the eye. There was the sweet smelling lilies that grew so near the ground, and also the sego and wild sego blossoms, yams and wild onions.

They soon found the black and cinnamon bear, the wild cat, the cougar, the fox, and the coyote. They also found the pheasant, and there is a badger peeking out of his hole. Whew! They could smell the skunk and they saw a porcupine, the pesky squirrel and many other small animals.

They gazed over the land and were led to exclaim that in all of their travels, they had never before beheld a place where nature had provided so many of the necessities and comforts of life for the use of man. They sat down to rest and began counting their blessings. From the vegetation growing around they could tell that the soil was very productive. There was plenty of water for the land, plenty of grass for their cattle, abundance of wild meat on the hills, so with the land and water for their use and pleasure of hunting, and the trees on the mountains to furnish all kinds of timber, it seemed as if God had especially provided this little valley for the pioneers.

The two Porter brothers, Warriner and Sanford, followed the stream up into the canyon they had named Hardscrabble, making a road over the boulders, rocks and dead brush until they found a suitable place for a sawmill. In the canyon they found the mountains covered with green and dry trees of all sizes. The tiny ones could be used for fence posts, the small ones for firewood, larger ones for house logs and the largest ones for timbers. These two brothers were adapted for mill work, so they soon had built a sawmill with an upright saw run by water. From pioneer history, I find Sanford carried material for the mill over the mountains from Salt Lake City on pack mules, a distance of about 50 or 60 miles.

They soon had a small log house built and went to work in the mill. It was here that they made lumber for the first homes in Porterville, and the pioneers were finally able to have wood floors in their houses instead of dirt floors. Warriner's two grown sons came from Centerville to help with the work. Sanford's wife, Malinda Ann, came with the boys and lived at the mill. While there she gave birth to a baby boy. They improved the road and it wasn't long until horses and wagons were on their way to the mill and loads of logs and lumber were rumbling down the rough and rugged way that at times was only wide enough for the road and the stream. Soon the valley was dotted here and there with homes, and all were as busy as bees.

About 1865 they found suitable soil for bricks and began to burn bricks and build brick homes. It was only a short time until brick and other homes took the place of the log ones.

The valley derived its name, Porterville, in honor of the Porter pioneers; and as the river and the big bank ran parallel along the middle of the valley, it was called East and West Porterville. The east side was settled by the Porters and the west side by English converts.

The next step was to provide a suitable place for meeting and school so the leading men from both sides got together and concluded that one large building would be sufficient for the time being. They all worked together and in a few days had a nice log building erected on the west side. The children came and the population grew and increased until the building was soon too small. Chauncy Warriner Porter had been appointed as acting Bishop. He gave the northwest corner his farm for the purpose of erecting a church-schoolhouse and in 1898 a brick building was completed and stood on the land at the beginning of the west bank overlooking the grove of trees. Thus they had a suitable building in East and West Porterville for worship and schools.

In 1871 papers were gotten up and signed by the Probate Judge and Porterville was incorporated into a town. It was in this town or village that most of Grandfather's grandchildren were born and reared to men and women and where he spent his last days mending shoes.

I lacked 6 weeks of being 10 years old when Grandfather, Sanford Porter, Sr. passed away and having a vivid memory I will remember Porterville as it was in its early days for the benefit of the heirs of the Porter pioneers who have never seen Porterville, and also for the benefit for the hundreds who never will. I know many will look back and desire to know what the beautiful little valley looked like in those days where their forefathers lived and died.

The following is taken from a 6 page manuscript which was submitted to the writer, but no name appears on it in order to give proper credit. "Chauncy died at the home of his brother, Nathan Tanner Porter at Centerville, Ut 3 Mar 1868, following a short illness induced by a severe cold he had contracted while on a visit to the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. At the time of death he had gotten as far as Centerville on his return to his home in Porterville."

The Deseret Weekly News of 18 Mar 1868, p45 states the following in his obituary notice: "Chauncy Warriner Porter, who died in Centerville, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the 3rd inst., was born 20 Oct 1812, in Erie County, New York and was, at his death, 55 years, 4 months, and 14 days old. He moved with his father to Ohio and Illinois. He obeyed the gospel, and gathered to Jackson county, MO in the spring of 1832, and shared in the persecutions of the Saints. He married Amy Sumner in 1833, and moved to Van Buren Co., MO, thence to Lee County, IA, opposite Nauvoo, IL. He contributed to the building of the Nauvoo Temple, and was driven in 1846 with the Saints to Winter Quarters, where he acted as Ward Bishop; and gathered to these valleys in 1849. He was the pioneer of Porterville, where he presided over that Branch until he fell asleep in Jesus, while on his way home, after having received his last blessings in the House of the Lord. His remains were interred in Porterville, Morgan, UT on Friday evening, the 6th inst.--Edward Stevenson.

The Early Church Information file at the Genealogical Library list the following additional information: "Porter, Chauncy Warriner ordained High Priest at Nauvoo 9 Feb 1845 by S. Bent." Another card shows the date of Patriarchal Blessing as 8 Apr 1853 at Salt Lake City by Patriarch John Smith. The Porterville East Ward records show "Porter, Chauncy W., born 20 Oct 1812 at Holland, NY; baptized 10 Aug 1831 by Lyman Wight, confirmed the same day; died 3 Mar 1868."

Little has been written of Amy Sumner, first wife of Chauncy Warriner Porter. Nancy P. Moffett writes the following: "Amy Sumner, daughter of Jonathan and Susanna Lundy Sumner, was born 27 Feb 1815 at Kings Creek, Champaign, OH; married Chauncy Warriner Porter in 1833 at Independence, MO. She was sealed to her husband 22 Jan 1846 at Nauvoo. She was a very kind and pleasant wife and mother. She died 5 Apr 1846 at Florence, NB. She was the mother of 8 children."