Multnomah County OR Archives Biographies.....Porter, Andrew R. 1857 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/or/orfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com October 23, 2009, 12:04 am Source: History of the Columbia River Valley From The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. III, Published 1928, Pages 61-62 Author: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company Any list of Portland's big business men, whose activities have been distinctively and literally constructive in character, must include the name of Andrew R. Porter, who ranks among the leading general contractors of this country. The scope of his operations for a long period of years has been international and of great magnitude and his business methods have been on a plane that has commanded for him the unqualified confidence of all with whom he has dealt. Mr. Porter was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1857, and is a son of James and Jane (Patrick) Porter, both of whom are deceased. His father was a farmer and contractor. Mr. Porter received his educational training in the public schools and before attaining his majority engaged in the contracting business. In 1883 he went to Duluth, Minnesota, where, in association with his brothers, R. B. and J. D. Porter, he took contracts on the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. In 1886 they went to Helena, Montana, where they did extensive contract work on the Great Northern Railroad, and three years later they helped to build the main line of the Great Northern from Haver to Seattle, Washington, this work occupying their attention for three years. They were engaged in contract work at various places on the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railroads until 1917, and during this period also built the Oregon Trunk Railroad, in central Oregon, the greater part of the North Bank Railroad, from Portland to Spokane, and the Northern Pacific from Vancouver to Tacoma. In 1913 they commenced the construction of the Ocean terminal at Halifax, Nova Scotia, one of the largest ocean terminals on the continent, which they completed in 1917. They also built the great ocean terminal at Norfolk, Virginia, at a cost of thirty million dollars, and also two sections of the new Welland canal from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, and are now engaged in the construction of the tubes under the river between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Canada. J. D. Porter died in 1926 and Andrew R. and R. D. Porter, who have been associated together for forty-five years, are carrying on the business. In October, 1923, Mr. Porter and his brothers purchased the splendid twelve-story office building in Portland which bears their name, besides which he has other large property interests in this city and in Spokane, Washington, in which city his brother resides. Mr. Porter became a resident of Portland in 1908 and here the general office of the business is maintained. On his big contracts Mr. Porter employs thousands of men and he long ago demonstrated his ability to successfully handle any job, regardless of its size or difficulty. He is a director of the United States National Bank of Portland and for the past ten years has been a member of the Port of Portland. In 1885 Mr. Porter was united in marriage to Miss Mary O'Rorrick, of Nova Scotia, and to them have been born a son and daughter: Guy R., who is manager of the Porter building, is married and has four children, while Margaret, is the wife of Robert Butler, of St. Paul, Minnesota. Mr. Porter gives his political support to the republican party, and fraternally is a Knight Templar Mason and Noble of the Mystic Shrine, and an Odd Fellow, and also belongs to the Arlington Club, the Waverly Country Club, the Multnomah Athletic Club and the Chamber of Commerce. A man of positive character, strong determination and keen and discriminating judgment, he commands respect wherever he is known and is regarded as one of the representative men of the Pacific northwest. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/or/multnomah/bios/porter878gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/orfiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb