John Wilson Porter came to Marceline from Bynumville and was among the first settlers. He was an active home builder and contractor and some of his work were the buildings where Simpson & Miller Dry Goods Store, Reece’s Confectionery, and Otto Zurcher Millinery Shop were on Kansas Avenue. There are two houses on West Howell Avenue, three on West Gracia Avenue, two on West Lake Street, and many others which he built that are still lived in today.
Mr. Porter had the following men helping him in the building trade: James Womack, E. E. Fitch, S. N. Brown, W. E. Buruss, Floyd Newman, and Charles Henning.
Mr. Porter and his wife Rose had two sons – Harvey and Frank, and two daughters, Ethel and Iva.