PORTER TOWNSHIP
PORTER TOWNSHIP was erected from Delaware and Lehman, December 16, 1851. It lies in the southern part of Pike County, is bounded on the southwest by Monroe, on the west by Greene, on the north by Blooming Grove and Dingman and on the east by Delaware and Lehman. The Blooming Grove Park Association's lands extend into the. northeastern corner, through which runs Taylor's Creek, emptying into the Big Bushkill, which flows through the northwestern part of the township and receives the waters of Rocky Hill Creek, which joins it west of Porterville. Rocky Hill Creek is the outlet of Rocky Hill Pond, in Dingman township, and also receives the outlet of Porter Lake. Saw Creek rises in the northern part of Porter township, and flows south through the east central part of Porter and the southwestern part of Lehman, into the Big Bushkill. It receives the outlet of Twelve-Mile Pond, which is in the south central part of the township. Porter township was named in honor of Hon. James Madison Porter, who bought a large tract of land of James Place, cleared a farm and built the first house out by Porter Lake, at Porterville, in 1849. The following persons were assessed in 1853: William R. Brodhead, with a house and saw-mill; Wells L. Bowhanan, house and saw-mill; Moses and John Coolbaugh, sawmill; Martin Cortright & Co., house and sawmill; William Overwild, house and saw-mill; Elijah Quigley, saw-mill; Wallace & Bowhanan, house and saw-mill. Besides these, John Countryman, Albert Countryman, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Decker, Charles Evans, J. Van Frast, J.B. Hall, John Kittle, Andrew Lake, William Overwell, James M. Porter, William Rake, William Smith, Charles Strunk, W.L. Smith, Andrew Shaft, Moses Smith, Nelson Waker, Jeffrey Wells, Christian Yerkes and John Titman. William Rhinehart and N.A. Rhinehart have the mill and hotel at Portersville now.
Philip B. Clark, Henry Evarts, William Harrison, Francis Mercer, Arthur Post, William Rake, William S. and William V. Rhinehart, Hiram, Moses C. and Jeffrey Smith, Luke Whittaker and Abram C. Heater were the principal inhabitants in 1880. The township contains some good timber land, but has been mostly slashed over and allowed to grow up without being cleared. There were but ninety-nine inhabitants in the township in 1880. They have about twelve voters, and divide up the offices among them. In fact, honors are plentiful in Porter township. The school board stood a tie for three years in relation to the propriety of building a certain school-house and the matter was referred to the courts. The court could not declare the seats of the six directors vacant, as there was not material enough in the township to fill their places. Abraham Coolbaugh furnished the money and finally one or more school-houses were built. Philip Clark is postmaster, supervisor, justice of the peace, etc. During the, summer Porter Lake is visited by hunters and fishermen. There is a school near Twelve-Mile Pond and one on the Bushkill, above Porterville. A State road runs from Bushkill through the township and on through to Blooming Grove. Another road, called the Brodhead, Titman and Ridgeway road, runs from Egypt Mills to Porterville.
Page(s) 976-977; History of Wayne, Pike and Monroe counties, Pennsylvania, Mathews, Alfred, Philadelphia, R. T. Peck & Co., 1886