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Show Pg. 44 Porterville. This town received its name from a numerous family of Porters who first settled there. They came from Centerville, Davis County. As early as 1854, two brothers, Warriner and Sanford Porter Jr. crossed over the mountains from Centerville into Hardscrabble Canyon, and built a saw-mill there on a stream called beaver Creek. They carried provisions and the necessary machinery etc., on pack mules. This was before there were any settlers in Weber Valley to use lumber, or a road over which it could be hauled to market. They built log houses and moved their families up the flowing spring. Mr. Ira Porter, now of Centerville was born there. On account of the difficulties and expense encountered in constructing the mill it was not completed until 1857. Then came the “move south” in 1858, and they remained in Provo during the winter of 1858 and 9. They returned to Hardscrabble in July 1859. The mill was very expensive, having cost $3,000.00. It supplied Centerville with some lumber. The first 500 feet was taken there over the mountains on a cart with Pg. 45 four yoke of oxen. In the spring of 1860, Sanford Porter Sr. came from Centerville and settled in what is now Porterville. He built the first house in that part of the valley. He brought his family there and took up land. That same summer, or fall, his two sons built houses and moved their families from the canyon. In the spring of 1861 John P. and Lyman Porter, who were also sons of Sanford Sr. came in with their families and took up land, and began clearing it off for farms. At that time all the land west of where the highway now is was just a dense growth of willows and wild gooseberry bushes. And east of the road it was burch grass back to the foot of the hills. Other families soon began to move in. The Smiths, Broughs, Norwoods, Jones and Woods. The first house built in Porterville was near the present house of James Carter. The second a little east of Fred White’s home. The third was near the meeting house. Another was where the Kershaw place is in Porterville. William Dearden was an early settler |
