Peter A. Porter

Peter Augustus Porter (1853-1925), Congressman from New York

Peter Augustus Porter (October 10, 1853 – December 15, 1925) was a U.S. Representative from New York, and grandson of Peter Buell Porter. Porter was the son of Mary Cabell Breckenridge and Colonel Peter A. Porter, the Civil War hero who bravely died in the bloody Battle of Cold Harbor. Porter was one of Niagara's first native poets.

Early life

Born in Niagara Falls, New York,Porter's mother died when he was four years old For his schooling he was taught by private teachers and later attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire from 1865 to 1871. He graduated from Yale College in 1874. After his formal education, Porter engaged in banking and was an extensive landowner. He served as president of the village of Niagara Falls, New York in 1878.

Politics

Porter was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly (Niagara Co., 2nd D.) in 1886 and 1887. In 1907, he was elected as an Independent Republican to the 60th United States Congress, holding office from March 4, 1907, to March 3, 1909. He declined to be a candidate for renomination.

Later life

Following his stint in politics, Porter engaged in the study and writing of history of the Niagara frontier. He died in Buffalo, New York, December 15, 1925 and was interred in Oakwood Cemetery in his hometown of Niagara Falls.

References

• Peter A. Porter at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

External links

• Works by Peter A. Porter at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about Peter A. Porter at Internet Archive
• Peter A. Porter at Find a Grave

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.