Back to ArchivesPorter Family Collection
Collection Number: 73.93
This collection consists of family memorabilia and personal ephemera relating to the Porter family and spans a date range of 1843-to the 1970’s. Items pertain primarily to John Thomas Porter of the Watsonville-Pajaro area, as well as many items from his wife, brothers, cousin Benjamin Franklin Porter, and many extended family members. Items include approximately thirty-three diaries written by Florence “Fanny” Cummings Porter dating from 1863-1930, approx. one-hundred forty-two pieces of correspondence between Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Porter dating from 1891-1903, approximately forty account statements for Florence “Fanny” C. Porter from Pajaro Valley Bank spanning a date range of 1900-1919, at least one-hundred family photos and personal correspondence from various members of the Porter family such as Theodore Porter and Florence Porter Pfingst and Warren Porter (John T. Porter and Fanny Porter’s son), dating from 1896-1925. Other items include rent receipt books for the Pajaro Valley area, a Mark Twain scrapbook from Mary Graham to Fannie Porter dated 1881 , items related to San Francisco history such as a bird’s eye view of city ruins after the 1906 earthquake from the San Francisco Examiner and a two stereographs of Watsonville “Brooklyn” Chinatown’s 1906 earthquake damage. There are many other intriguing items such as a Magic Lantern slide—a precursor to motion picture viewing, invitations from the San Francisco Panama-Pacific International Exposition and much more. A detailed inventory of the collections contents is available by request in the collection’s donor file.