The rest of the Porter Story

When A.H. (Alex) Porter died at the age of 42 he was survived by a wife Jennie (Spencer) and four children: Forrest, Spencer (Joe), Nova and Mae Francis (Frankie). The family had been living in town at the time of the shooting, but shortly after Jennie and the children moved back to the ranch. Frequent references are in the newspapers about “Mrs. A.H. Porter being in town from her ranch” during the next couple of years. In April of 1899 Jennie requested the Philipsburg Mail to please correct a statement in the Citizen Call saying she attended a party at Newt Schillings. She was at Mr. and Mrs. Clawson’s that evening as were Mr. and Mrs. P.A. Schilling. “Only males were at the Newt Schilling party.”

Frankie who was staying in town in 1900 went to the ranch to care for her mother when she was ill in February 1900 and visited school friends at St. Mary’s Academy in Deer Lodge in August 1900. Forrest went to Tabor, Iowa to attend the Academy there in October 1900. In July,1901 an auction notice was in the paper for “95 head of cattle-cows, calves and steers to be sold at the Porter ranch on East Fork of Rock Creek. 

In August of 1900, William Schuh’s wife Ollie died leaving her husband and four young children. William’s ranch was next to the Schuh Homestead located at the confluence of Trout Creek and Flint Creek. Being in close proximity to the Porter ranch it was a natural occurrence for Jennie Porter and William to marry in 1902. August 16, 1904 Forest H. Porter died of pneumonia at the Schuh ranch. He was eighteen and survived by his mom, brother Spencer (Joe) and two sisters: Mrs. P.W. (Frankie) Merrifield and Nova Porter. The Schuh marriage was of short duration because William died of blood poisoning September 12,1906 from wounds he received in July while cleaning up the barnyard. 

The next information found in the newspapers was that Jennie married Sidney A. Kelly on November 8, 1908 at her home in the upper Flint Creek Valley. Kelly owned property on Fred Burr Creek. Jennie and Sidney bought a ranch south of Plains, Montana on November 2, 1909. They moved again in about 1915 to Ledham, Washington where S.A. died in 1924 and Jennie died on April 4, 1925. Her daughter Mrs. D.J. (Nova) Birran of Philipsburg had been with her since December. Nova was living at Ledham when sister Frankie died in 1949. 

Spencer, known by Joe ended up with the property identified as Porter’s Corner. Part of the land owned by Jennie Porter Schuh was sold to August Greenheck in 1907 and it is possible that Joe and Frankie were heirs of the remainder as they both lived right across the road. For many years “Porter’s Corner” was a destination where good music, food and drink were enjoyed by people from near and far. Dancing with live music such as “Charley Pride” was an event most every weekend and on more than one occasion trouble erupted when reveler’s had too much alcohol mixed in with “out of towner” animosity.

Porter"s Corner in the early 1930's (picture courtesy Pat Heimark Grandson of Joe and Bea Porter)

One such time was in 1927. “Herman Cardinal, Anaconda youth, was shot and fatally wounded early last Sunday morning (August 14) at the close of a dance at Porter’s Corner, six miles south of Philipsburg, when a delegation of Anaconda and Philipsburg men engaged in a free-for-all fight. According to reports of the affair there was a fight early in the evening between an Anaconda man “Pinkey” Walsh, and a man from Philipsburg. The men were separated by an Anaconda man and there was no more disturbance until the “Home Sweet Home” dance. As the dance was ending several men entered the hall and in an instant the big fight was under way. Pop bottles, chairs and loose objects began to fly in all directions. It is said, Joe Porter, owner of the roadhouse and store tried to stop the disturbance…It is alleged that Porter went for a gun to protect himself and wife (Esther)…Anaconda men told Sheriff Mahoney of Deer Lodge County, that they saw Cardinal fall and that Porter fired the shot…They said that Porter did not fire the first shot that was heard.” Joe drove the wounded man to Dr. Knight in Philipsburg and then met an ambulance near Georgetown that rushed Cardinal to St. Ann’s where he had surgery. Cardinal died on Monday; an inquest was held and several men were arrested. 

Ultimately, Joe was charged with murder; denied guilt; posted a $7,500 bond; and was acquitted after one day of testimony and forty-five minutes of jury deliberation. 

 Joe was an Army Private in WWI and wrote many letters to his sister Frankie who had the Philipsburg Mail publish them. In the late 50's Joe and his wife Esther leased out Porter's Corner and moved to town where he  operated an electrical business for many years.

Joe died October 4, 1974 and is buried in the Philipsburg Cemetery.

This picture is of Ole Sandin, Joe Porter and Jack Guianne playing cowboy and robbers in the early 1900's.