Rees W. Porter

Rees Whitsitt Porter (October 30, 1809 – November 11, 1892) was a slave trader in Nashville, Tennessee in the 1850s. At one time he worked out of 33 Cedar St., now the site of the landmark Morris Memorial Building. He was a partner with Joseph W. Dabbs in the firm Dabbs & Porter. He had a full page ad in the 1857 Nashville city directory. Porter was the author of what have been described as "some of the more disturbing newspaper advertisements in Tennessee history," listing for sale "extra No. 1, Fancy Boy, 10 years old," "No. 1 Fancy Girl" (as distinct from "several House Girls"), and "1 very pretty Girl, 13 years old."

Porter moved to Texas in the late 1870s, settling in Brazoria County where his son lived and worked as a doctor.

Early life R. W. Porter was born on October 30, 1809, to Reese Porter and Sarah Whitsitt, who were married before March 1805 in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. One account holds that Porter's birthplace was in Christian County, Kentucky. Rees Jr. married Elizabeth McLaurine. They had five children together, Robert Rees Porter; Elizabeth, who married Sweeny; Samuel Porter, who married a widow named McAulay, born Blakey; William Porter; and Margaret Porter. In August 1850, when he was about 40 years old, Porter listed for sale his farm in Middle Tennessee, which he listed as "a good stock or cotton farm...containing about seven hundred acres, four hundred of which is in cleared, lying 7 miles North of Pulaski, good neighborhood. The land is good, water excellent, price low and terms easy." He was appointed to be an assistant marshal for the taking of the seventh U.S. census in Giles County. At the time of the enumeration of November 5, 1850, Porter lived with his wife and children in Giles County, Tennessee, worked as a farmer and reported that he owned real estate valued at $10,000. As of 1851 he was a member of the Whig Party.

Porter seems to have entered the slave trade by 1852, as reported in 1888 by a Chicago Times writer retelling the history of Nashville's old slave mart at the time of its demolition: He was partners with Joe Dabbs and their advertisement stated that they had "associated themselves together for the purpose of carrying on GENERAL AGENCY BUSINESS, in the buying and selling of NEGROES. We can at all times be found at our office, No 33, Cedar Street, between Cherry and Summer, where we have erected safe and comfortable quarters for keeping any number of Negroes; and those wishing to sell, may be assured of getting the highest market price, as we will either buy on our own account or sell on commission for others. We pledge ourselves to obey instructions, and especially to be particular in selecting good homes for favorite servants, without separating families." At the time of the 1860 U.S. census Porter was a resident of Davidson County, Tennessee; he listed his occupation as "trader."

Texas Porter's son, Robert Rees Porter, served as a surgeon to Texas regiments of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. In 1878 Porter was pickpocketed while traveling by train from Houston. Porter moved from Tennessee to Texas in 1879. They lived near Main Street and Duval, adjacent to the landmarked James Price Phillips Home, which "was where the first hospital was built in Texas for the soldiers in the Texas Revolution. It was also the site of the first cloth manufacturing in Texas. Mrs. Porter made cloth for the soldiers of the Columbia Company."