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Archiver > ALLAUDER > 2002-07 > 1026755238


From: "P McDonald" <>
Subject: [ALLAUDER] PORTERS OF LEXINGTON AL & PORTER TOWN
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 12:53:36 -0500
References: <3D31E80D.5D733AA6@vzinet.com>


Florence Alabama City Historian, Col. William L. McDonald, has written a
book that has a bit of information of interest to PORTER and related
families. I hope I do not stretch the copyright laws if I abstract a few
lines from his book. He's a great person, a distant kinsman, and usually
quite happy to share his vast knowledge of area history.

The Lauderdale web site has mailing address for Bill. I don't know if he
has any more books available or not.
Pat McDonald
==============

William Lindsey McDonald, A Walk Through the Past - People and Places of
Florence and Lauderdale County, Alabama; Florence Alabama, Country Lane
Printing, 1997

Chapter 35 Early East Lauderdale County
Pg. 147-8
Lexington, Dugout, Porter Town, Belew and Cotton Gin

"Beginning in March 1818, the following families entered land in and around
Lexington: Horatio Pettus, Edward Chambers, John Callahan, James Gage,
Edward Poteet, Louis Marshall, Gutherage Masterson, John Miller, Rolin
Brown, Thomas McCarley, Zachariah Johnson, Jacob Cody, Joseph Price,
Benjamin Hagood, Mark Shelton, Wilson Collier, Robert Mitchell, John
Finoler, James Hardin, William Hammond and Joseph McDonald.

"...Lexington emerged first as a crossroads village, and later as one of the
larger towns in East Lauderdale County. In 1832, Felix A. Westmoreland was
appointed as its first postmaster. In that same year Denis Springer, Robert
Mitchell and Zachariah Johnston were appointed supervisors of the voting
place. ...."

"Perhaps a forerunner of Lexington was Dugout. Established about 1820...."

"Porter Town was also north of Lexington and near Dugout. It was named for
several Porter families who settled here from Abbeville, South Carolina,
during the 1820s. Hugh and Sarah Bowie Porter were born in the early 1790s.
Their son, James Gleen Porter, established a grist mill and blacksmith shop
in this community. Hugh's nephew, Washington Porter, was also here as well
as a widow, Rebecca Porter, who was born in 1790 in North Carolina. Her
son, Andrew was a native of South Carolina.

Belew was an early Blue Water Creek community near the Tennessee line, a few
miles northwest of Lexington. Rainey Belew from South Carolina arrived here
in 1818. He was married to Rebecca Johnson...."


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