Porter family

Augustus F. Harvey, son of Henry L. and Nancy Wilbur (Ford) Harvey, was born at Waterville, NY on January 19, 1830. Moving to Pennsylvania and later to Washington D.C. he became a teacher of mathematics at Rugby Academy. In 1856 he came west and settled in Nebraska City. Upon arriving in Nebraska City, Augustus F. Harvey became involved in real estate. He also joined a military company known as the "Otoe Rifles" which served as a militia for times of need. In less than a year, he became a second lieutenant. In 1857, Augustus along with his brother William, opened a night school that taught mathematics, physics, chemistry, drawing, and civil engineering. In time, he launched a political career, holding key positions such as city engineer, secretary to the Otoe County Horticultural Society, and city recorder. Among other accomplishments he was an editor and wrote under the assumed name "Ajax." On May 20, 1868 he married Julia A. Studley, daughter of Captain John Studley. Together they moved to Kirkwood, Missouri where he later died on August 28, 1900. He left behind three children, one of whom was Julian C. Harvey.

Julian C. Harvey was born in 1869 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was a graduate of Washington University and married Mary Elizabeth White on September 30, 1913. He had one son, Julian C. Harvey Jr., who was born in 1916 and became a bomber navigator in World War II . Later, Julian C. Harvey Jr. sought his fortune in mines and electronics. During WWII he met Jean Porter, and the two were married on September 16, 1943.

Jean Porter was born on November 19, 1914. She was raised by her parents, Clyde Henderson Porter and Mae Reed Porter. Jean Porter was a gifted and well known artist. In her professional career, Jean Porter had many interesting jobs, including being a clerk and then a photographer for Vogue Magazine. While working in New York, she had a relationship with Bernard Baruch.

Mae Reed Porter was born on September 2, 1889. She spent seven years homesteading with her husband in Jerome, Idaho. Her husband was shipped to Europe during World War I and Mae Reed Porter left the homestead and moved to Kansas City. When her husband returned from war, they spent a majority of their time in Kansas City pursuing their mutual interest in history. Together they investigated the history of the fur trade. With this historical knowledge they supplied introductory material to many volumes including: Beyond the Wide Missouri (1947), Ruxton of the Rockies (1950), Life in the Far West (1951), Prairie and Mountain Sketches (1957), and Matt Field on the Santa Fe Trail (1960). A lover of art, Mae Reed Porter acquired the Alfred Jacob Miller collection. In her later years, she moved to Santa Fe, NM were she lived until her death on October 23, 1969. She was preceded in death by her husband Clyde Henderson Porter.

Clyde Henderson Porter was born in St. Louis on April 27, 1889. He attended Culver Military Academy and later Iowa State College at Ames. At college he met Willie Mae Reed whom he married on July 23, 1910. He joined the army when World War I broke out and was shipped to France where he drove an ambulance from 1917 to 1918. After the war he remained an executive at the Kansas City Power & Light Company for the next 35 years. He later moved to Santa Ana, California were he died August 20, 1958. Clyde Henderson Porter was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Franklin Porter and his mother, Jennie Henderson Porter.

Joseph Franklin Porter was a successful man and held many influential positions. He was a member of the Edison Pioneers in his early years. In 1893, he became president of the Alton Railway, Gas and Electric Company. In 1906 he became president of the Tri-City Railway and Light Company in Rhode Island. The Kansas City Power and Light Company made him president in 1917, a position he held for twenty-two years. He died on November 7, 1942.

From the guide to the Porter-Harvey Family Papers, 1815-1989 (bulk 1917-1969), (University of New Mexico. Center for Southwest Research.)