Page 5 - SUMMER 2020 SWHS Newsletter revised (1)

troops were sent to install a new Gov-
ernor to replace Brigham Young, to es-
tablish a military presence, and to safe-
guard wagon trains of settlers heading
west through territory settled by mem-
bers of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints (LDS).
These heightened tensions led to a
short-lived ‘Utah War’ which included
the Mountain Meadows Massacre of
90 to 120 men, women and children en
route to California. They were killed
by the Mormon Nauvoo militia dressed
as Southern Paiute native Americans.
Continuing on to California in 1858,
Porter spent about a year there pursuing The Porter family farm in the early 1900s. Photos courtesy of Gaylord Porter.
mining and farming, though evidently
not quite finding a place to settle.
He then came to the Puget Sound re-
gion and purchased 160 acres of tim-
bered land at Port Ludlow.
He sold this to the Puget Sound Pulp
and Timber Company (later Pope and
Talbot) for some cash plus 360 acres
of low bank waterfront at Mutiny Bay
in 1859. The parcel had been defaulted
on by original owner Raphael Brunns
who took out a homestead claim on it
in 1853, but made no improvements.
Brunns later moved up to Coupeville
where he operated a mercantile until it
failed in the mid-1860s.
Porter got a great deal as the fertile
land had already been logged off and A group of young people, likely with some Porter children in the photo, at the front gate
needed only to be cleared of stumps for to the Porter farm. Note how the old road initially hugged the crest of the beach.
farming.
The hard-working 22-year-old had
a house brought over by scow (though
some descendants claim it was only
lumber to build a house) from Port
Townsend. It was still on the property
until 1979 when it was burned for fire
department training.
In the 1870 Island County census,
Porter is listed as living with Sally Por-
ter age 30, who is identified as a full
Indian (Clallam tribe) who is listed as
‘keeping house.’ Porter had a daughter,
Ellen Henrietta, who was born in 1874
to either Sally or a subsequent wife,
Mary Hi-Ye-Nah, who died in 1880 at 15-year-old Omer Porter, on the farm in Omer and his brother Pete take a break
age 40. 1914. According to his son, Gaylord, he from hoeing at the family home in the
Later that year he married 17-year- often wore hats because he was self-con- background.
old Mary Ann Williams, who was scious of his blonde hair.
5