Sacramento Valley Biographies

A. D. PORTER

Transcribed by Sally Kaleta, May 2009.

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

         As one of a large number of men who have found business
opportunities in the county of Yolo and in turn have endeavored to promote
the commercial and agricultural welfare of this portion of California,
mention belongs to A. D. Porter, founder and president of the Yolo County
Savings Bank, of Woodland, also one of the organizers and at this writing a
director of the Bank of Yolo. Like the majority of men now influential in
the conduct of important enterprises in California, he is of eastern birth
and education, and was attracted to the far west by the great opportunities
it offered to energetic and capable young men, ambitious to gain a foothold
in the world of affairs. Born and reared in Wisconsin, he was not satisfied
to settle permanently in that state, but wished to identify himself with a
newer locality where the sanguine expectations of youth might realize an
earlier consummation. In this way he was led to settle in California. During
1861 he went to New York City, where he took passage on a ship bound for the
Isthmus of Panama. There he crossed to the Pacific ocean and sailed up to
San Francisco, from which city he proceeded to Yolo county, which has since
been his home.

       Having no means with which to purchase land or embark in business,
Mr. Porter sought an opportunity to earn a livelihood as an employe of
others, and without delay secured work as a farm hand. In a short time he
became familiar with the character of the soil and climate. With his savings
he began to operate rented land, where he conducted general farm pursuits.
Little by little he advanced and step by step accumulated a competency. With
the funds thus secured he rented a small room in Woodland and bought a stock
of groceries, embarking upon a business career which proved to be honorable
and successful. As his trade increased he felt the need of more adequate
accommodations and therefore built a store on Main street, which it soon
became necessary to enlarge. Later he added a large warehouse. The variety
of stock was increased as the demands of the trade grew larger and the
business in time became the most important of its kind in the city.

       Seeing that Woodland offered an excellent opportunity for the
establish-ment of a banking institution, Mr. Porter interested a number of
capitalists in the undertaking and without difficulty found the needed
number of stock-holders, the limit of stock held by one person being
$10,000. After $300,000 of capital stock had been subscribed, the Bank of
Yolo was organized in January, 1883, and on the first of June, same year, it
opened to the general public for business. Since that time he has retained a
large amount of stock in the institution, that would encourage young people
to form the habit of saving their small earnings by paying them interest on
such deposits as they could make. For older people, too, such a bank would
offer excellent advantages for the safe deposit of their earnings. In 1891
he established the Yolo County Savings Bank of Woodland with a capital of
$60,000 and at first conducted business in a rented building, but later
purchased the site occupied by the Fashion Livery stable, on the corner of
Main and College streets, where he erected a substantial bank building, the
first floor of which is occupied by the bank, while the second floor is
utilized for office purposes. Depositors are paid three per cent interest on
investments. Since the organization of the bank Mr. Porter has officiated as
its president. In the management of the institution he is assisted by J. I.
McConnell, cashier, and John Wohlfrom, vice-president.

        Another enterprise which owed its inception largely to Mr. Porter
was the building of the Byrns Hotel, which he erected in 1883, with T. M.
Prior and J. Byrns. Subsequently, by purchasing the interest of Mr. Byrns,
he acquired a two-thirds interest in the hotel, which is a modern building,
with first-class conveniences, well calculated to prove satisfactory to the
traveling public. His residence on Main street is one of the most beautiful
in Woodland, and is fitted and furnished throughout in modern style. Having
nine children in his family, the home was once well filled with young
people, but death, marriage, and business opportunities have scattered the
children, until now there are only two sons left at home.

"History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the
Sacramento Valley, Cal.," J. M. Guinn, The Chapman Publishing Company,
Chicago, 1906, Pages 492-493.