By: Turner S.R. No. 1096 1-1 SENATE RESOLUTION 1-2 WHEREAS, Porter Springs is a farming and ranching community 1-3 in western Houston County that was founded about 1880 on land 1-4 having numerous springs owned by J. M. Porter; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Although there is no record of the date that the 1-6 first settlers came to this specific area, the town is located on 1-7 the original Alabama/Brookfield Bluff Road which led from Crockett 1-8 to the ferry crossing of the Trinity River; it is presumed that 1-9 the community was an outgrowth of the Alabama settlement which was 1-10 established by Jacob Allbright in the early 1830s; some of his 1-11 descendants are still living in Porter Springs; and 1-12 WHEREAS, The 1850 census of Houston County lists the names 1-13 of early settlers, George and George W. Prewitt, William White, 1-14 George Murchison, and Elisha Clapp who lived in the area and whose 1-15 decendants still make their home there; Elisha Clapp is buried 1-16 in Porter Springs in the cemetery that was named for him; 1-17 William White immigrated to the area in 1834, and the Porter Springs 1-18 Cemetery is located on land which was deeded to the two churches of 1-19 Porter Springs by his heirs; and 1-20 WHEREAS, In May, 1862, Gould's Battalion was organized 1-21 and mustered into the Confederate service at Porter Springs, 1-22 Houston County, Texas, with the names of several local citizens 1-23 on that list; another early prominent citizen of the area was 2-1 Captain John Smith who came to Texas in 1849 and acquired a large 2-2 farm known today as Potter Farm; and 2-3 WHEREAS, The Post Office in Porter Springs was established 2-4 under the name of Porter's Springs on June 9, 1875, and was probably 2-5 housed in one of the grocery stores; John Murchison was an early 2-6 postmaster for the town which became Porter Springs in 1895; and 2-7 WHEREAS, The first school was established in Porter Springs 2-8 around 1870 and land was donated for a school by J. M. Porter in 2-9 1880; a simple wooden building was built first, followed by a 2-10 splendid brick schoolhouse built in 1935; the school continued 2-11 until 1965 when it was consolidated with Crockett; the land and 2-12 building were sold in 1973; and 2-13 WHEREAS, Porter Springs has always been a farming and 2-14 ranching community; the population steadily increased as offspring 2-15 of the early settlers married and remained in the area to raise 2-16 their families; World War II changed that trend as young men went 2-17 off to war and others moved to cities to work; small family farms 2-18 gave way to larger farms and ranches, with cattle replacing cotton 2-19 as the primary industry; and 2-20 WHEREAS, The Porter Springs Cemetery was first known as 2-21 White Cemetery as it was established as a hilltop family burial 2-22 ground on the homestead property of William Harrison White; his 2-23 son, James D. White was the first person buried there after his 2-24 death in the Civil War in 1863; when the property was deeded to the 2-25 Methodist and Baptist churches by Mr. White's heirs in 1899, it 3-1 became known as the Porter Springs Cemetery; the grounds were cared 3-2 for by volunteers for many years until the Porter Springs Cemetery 3-3 Association was organized in 1941 and donations were made to the 3-4 cemetery fund; a bequest was made to establish a perpetual fund 3-5 in 1987, and a one-acre tract addition was purchased by the 3-6 association in 1989; and 3-7 WHEREAS, Porter Springs community and cemetery will receive 3-8 an Official Texas Historical Marker from the Texas Historical 3-9 Commission on June 17, 1995, at a special dedication ceremony; 3-10 now, therefore, be it 3-11 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 3-12 74th Legislature, hereby recognize Porter Springs and Porter Springs 3-13 Cemetery as an Official Texas Historical Marker is placed to signify 3-14 the community's historic role in the development of the 3-15 State of Texas; and, be it further 3-16 RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be presented as a 3-17 memento of this notable event. 3-18 ______________________________________ 3-19 President of the Senate 3-20 I hereby certify that the above 3-21 Resolution was adopted by the Senate 3-22 on May 17, 1995. 3-23 ______________________________________ 3-24 Secretary of the Senate 3-25 ______________________________________ 4-1 Member, Texas Senate