John Thomas Porter (1830-1900) was born in Duxbury, Mass. On August 27th,1830 to Dr. John Porter and Anna Thomas Porter. After attending school and college in Duxbury, John worked in various positions such as at a pharmaceutical company of C.A. Brown in Boston, and then at a sawmill and farming business in Wisconsin. In 1849 John was intrigued by the “gold fever” of the times and sailed to San Francisco from Boston with Captain Caleb Moore on the Herculaneum. After his search for gold proved unfruitful, John traveled to the Yuba River to continue to his search but eventually found his way to Sacramento, Stockton, and eventually Santa Cruz, working for various companies. In 1853 business prospects and the possibility of farming led John to Santa Cruz County, CA where in 1857, John was elected as Sheriff of Santa Cruz county. He served two terms spanning four years as Sheriff of S.C. County. John Porter was also appointed as Collector of the Port of Monterey by President Lincoln, a position he kept until 1865 (info. From Tribute to the Memory of Sir Knight John T. Porter, Watsonville Commandery). A not-so-prosperous business investment in cattle and ranching in Jolon, Monterey county would lead to John Porter moving to Watsonville 1872 and trying his hand in real estate in both Watsonville and Soquel. This business move proved profitable when an accident would lead to John T. Porter acquiring hundreds of acres of General Vallejo’s ranch land. After the death of his brother while attempting to round up some wild cattle, General Vallejo acquired his deceased brother’s ranch of Santa Clara Rancho. General Vallejo made an arrangement with John Porter to sell John one/twelfth of the ranch but after several years and the ranch still undivided, the share ballooned to eight hundred and twenty acres of land (info. From photocopy of bio for John T. Porter from Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, from Porter Memorial File, Porter Collection, SC MAH). In 1864, John T. Porter would purchase this land known as the Rancho de San Cayetano from Marino G. Vallejo (info. From a drawing in Bernice Porter Papers, MAH Porter Collection).
This land purchase would lead to some more profitable times in the Watsonville-Pajaro area. 1874 John T. Porter helped found the Bank of Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley Bank and Pajaro Valley Savings and Loan Society in 1888 whom he later became President of (Tribute to the Memory of Sir Knight John T. Porter pg.2). In 1859, John T. Porter wed Miss Fanny Cummings who became a school teacher in Santa Cruz and Soquel (Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties, pg.21). They had a son Warren R. Porter who would become lieutenant-governor of California and later a banker in Watsonville, and a daughter Mrs. Florence Pfingst. John T. Porter and Fannie C. Porter’s grandson John E. Porter became vice president and director of the Pajaro Valley National Bank of Watsonville (Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties pg.21). John T. Porter received three degrees of Masonry in Santa Cruz Lodge No.38, F. & A.M. in 1857 as well as other degrees and the order of Christian Knighthood in San Jose Commander No..10, in 1882, and was a Charter Member of Watsonville Commander No.22, K.T., and was one of its Treasurers. John T. Porter passed away in the year 1900 after being stricken with paralysis suddenly. He was buried in Cypress Lawn Cemetery, San Francisco, CA [newspaper clipping (no date) from John T. Porter Scrap Album, Porter Collection, SC MAH]. John’s wife Fanny C. Porter passed away on January 13th, 1932 (Fanny C. Porter memorial, SC MAH Porter Collection).
