HistoricSiteMarkers
Progressive & Modern Era

The Millie Porter House

Wheeler, Wheeler County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Built 1914 by Mr. & Mrs. J. M. Porter, pioneer settlers; Porter, an ex-cowboy, ranched near here after marrying Millie, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. J. R. Jones, 1886 settlers in Mobeetie area. Millie (1877-1957) as a child helped herd sheep; she attended Fort Worth University as a girl, University of Oklahoma at 70. She wrote valuable histories: "Put Up or Shut Up" and "Memory Cups of Panhandle Pioneers". Mr. & Mrs. Porter had six children. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1968

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Built in 1914 by J.M. Porter, an ex-cowboy who ranched nearby, and his wife Millie, this Panhandle home belonged to a remarkable pioneer woman. Millie Porter had herded sheep as a child, attended Fort Worth University as a young woman and enrolled at the University of Oklahoma at the age of 70, and wrote valued histories of the region, including "Memory Cups of Panhandle Pioneers."

Why it matters

Millie Porter is remembered as a chronicler of the Panhandle's settlers, one of the frontier women who not only lived the pioneer story but preserved it for the generations that came after.

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Related people

  • ยท Millie Porter
  • ยท J.M. Porter

Themes & tags

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