"Judge R.L. Porter Is City's Oldest Living Citizen" from the Fiftieth Anneversary Edition--The Greenville Evening Banner Vol. 50 No. 1 Thursday, February 24, 1944 Section 1, Page 3 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Vince Leibowitz April 22, 2001 http://www.usgwarchives.net/ ************************************************************************ [Transcriber's Note: This is transcribed as it appears in the newspaper. Any misspelled words have been left as such, followed by [sic]. The same is true for any other obvious errors created at the time of publication.] Judge R.L. Porter Is City's Oldest Living Citizen Not many years ago Greenville's oldest livin citizen was making daily trips to his law office and occassionally was appearing in the court rooms to represent his clients. He is Judge R. L. Porter, who established his residence in Greenville 64 years ago on January 18, 1880, when he was 23. Judge Porter, who now resides at 2825 Oneal [sic] street, where he has lived 49 years, has made his home in this city continously since he came here from Dallas. He has reared and educated his family here, and has served this town and community with distinction in both official and civic capacities. Greenville had no railroads, it was just an "up and coming" town with prospects for advancement when Judge Porter located here. An abmbitious, energetic young lawyer whose intelligence could aptly be described by the old adage: "Sharp as a Fox," Judge Porter made the trip from Dallas by way of Terrell to Greenville in a two-horse wagon. His ride cost him nothing, for it was, in modern-day parlance a "hitch-hike." Deciding that Greenville was a pretty lively place and had a good future, Judge Porter placed a card in the weekly newspaper operated bg O.W.G. Perins, and he hastened, too, to hand out his "shingle." It seemed that the services of a trained lawyer were not so much in demand during the months that followed, so a few months later Judge Porter accapted a place in the post office when the late Dr. Schoonover was postmaster. A few months afterward the City Government was regoganized, and Judge Porter was elected City Attorney, a position he held 4 years. At the same time of his election, Bob Spencer was chosen as mayor and J.P.B. Young, city marshal. Judge Porter was elected mayor of Greenville in 1098, and held the office two years. During the years that followed he built up an outstanding law practice and devoted his attention outside of the interests associated with his practice to the education of two sons in the legal profession. One is R.L. Porter, Jr., who formerly served with his father as a partner, and who is now with the Justice Department with Dallas as his headquarters, and the other is Perry Porter, who is practicing in Miami, Oklahoma. Judge and Mrs. Porter have two grandchildren, Lou Porter, a student in the University of Texas, and Peggy Porter, of Miami.