Louisa E. Porter was born November 1, 1861, the ninth child of Andrew Jackson Porter and Sarah Ann Smith Porter in Keokuk County Iowa where the Porter family homesteaded in the early 1850s. The Porters and extended family members settled in the Mesquite, Texas area by 1876.
Louisa married Stephen Decatur Lawrence, known as S.D., in Mesquite January 2, 1878. Lawrence, the son of Mercer colonists John P. Lawrence and Fannie Coats Lawrence, was born in the Long Creek area April 13, 1853. By the time of his marriage, S.D. was a successful farmer and had built a small home on his 640 acre homestead east of Mesquite. By 1882, with a growing family, the Lawrence’s began construction of a two story 14 room prairie style home. The homestead evolved into a well designed and functioning stock farm including a large livestock barn, mule barn and several outbuildings.
Their daughter Ida Bell, born March 17, 1879, was the first of their six children. Ida married Samuel Vanston in 1895 and they had two children. She died March 29, 1920 and she and her husband are buried in Mesquite City Cemetery.
Their second child John Stephen Augustus was born March 7, 1882. He married Martha Elizabeth Wilson, granddaughter of John H. Florence, on May 25, 1904. John served many years as councilman and mayor of Mesquite. He was a cotton farmer and manager of the Mesquite Co-op Gin, the last gin in Mesquite. John died April 1, 1959 and he and his wife are buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas.
Son Woodson Upton died October 23, 1884 shortly after his birth on October 6.
Son Charles Bertram was born December 15, 1885. He married Jesse Erwin, had two daughters and lived in East Texas where he was a railroad conductor. He died January 24, 1961 and he and his wife are buried in Rose Lawn Gardens, Mineola, Texas.
William Augustus, Louisa’s fifth child, was born December 3, 1887. Little William’s short life ended June 5, 1892.
Louisa’s last child, Effie May was born and died November 2, 1891. Louisa died twenty five days later on November 27, 1891. She was thirty years, and 26 days old. She joined her daughter Effie May and two sons, Woodson Upton and William Augustus in the Lawrence family plot in Long Creek Cemetery.
Widower S. D. married Louisa Hill Walker in 1893 and they reared John and Charles as well as their own eight children in the Lawrence Homestead. S.D. died July 4, 1934 and he and Louisa are buried in Mesquite City Cemetery. Their daughter Opal Lawrence at her death in 1995 willed the home place and adjoining two acres to the City of Mesquite as the Opal Lawrence Historical Park. The house, basically in its original late nineteenth century condition, is a Texas Recorded Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Louisa married Stephen Decatur Lawrence, known as S.D., in Mesquite January 2, 1878. Lawrence, the son of Mercer colonists John P. Lawrence and Fannie Coats Lawrence, was born in the Long Creek area April 13, 1853. By the time of his marriage, S.D. was a successful farmer and had built a small home on his 640 acre homestead east of Mesquite. By 1882, with a growing family, the Lawrence’s began construction of a two story 14 room prairie style home. The homestead evolved into a well designed and functioning stock farm including a large livestock barn, mule barn and several outbuildings.
Their daughter Ida Bell, born March 17, 1879, was the first of their six children. Ida married Samuel Vanston in 1895 and they had two children. She died March 29, 1920 and she and her husband are buried in Mesquite City Cemetery.
Their second child John Stephen Augustus was born March 7, 1882. He married Martha Elizabeth Wilson, granddaughter of John H. Florence, on May 25, 1904. John served many years as councilman and mayor of Mesquite. He was a cotton farmer and manager of the Mesquite Co-op Gin, the last gin in Mesquite. John died April 1, 1959 and he and his wife are buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas.
Son Woodson Upton died October 23, 1884 shortly after his birth on October 6.
Son Charles Bertram was born December 15, 1885. He married Jesse Erwin, had two daughters and lived in East Texas where he was a railroad conductor. He died January 24, 1961 and he and his wife are buried in Rose Lawn Gardens, Mineola, Texas.
William Augustus, Louisa’s fifth child, was born December 3, 1887. Little William’s short life ended June 5, 1892.
Louisa’s last child, Effie May was born and died November 2, 1891. Louisa died twenty five days later on November 27, 1891. She was thirty years, and 26 days old. She joined her daughter Effie May and two sons, Woodson Upton and William Augustus in the Lawrence family plot in Long Creek Cemetery.
Widower S. D. married Louisa Hill Walker in 1893 and they reared John and Charles as well as their own eight children in the Lawrence Homestead. S.D. died July 4, 1934 and he and Louisa are buried in Mesquite City Cemetery. Their daughter Opal Lawrence at her death in 1995 willed the home place and adjoining two acres to the City of Mesquite as the Opal Lawrence Historical Park. The house, basically in its original late nineteenth century condition, is a Texas Recorded Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Louisa E. Porter was born November 1, 1861, the ninth child of Andrew Jackson Porter and Sarah Ann Smith Porter in Keokuk County Iowa where the Porter family homesteaded in the early 1850s. The Porters and extended family members settled in the Mesquite, Texas area by 1876.
Louisa married Stephen Decatur Lawrence, known as S.D., in Mesquite January 2, 1878. Lawrence, the son of Mercer colonists John P. Lawrence and Fannie Coats Lawrence, was born in the Long Creek area April 13, 1853. By the time of his marriage, S.D. was a successful farmer and had built a small home on his 640 acre homestead east of Mesquite. By 1882, with a growing family, the Lawrence’s began construction of a two story 14 room prairie style home. The homestead evolved into a well designed and functioning stock farm including a large livestock barn, mule barn and several outbuildings.
Their daughter Ida Bell, born March 17, 1879, was the first of their six children. Ida married Samuel Vanston in 1895 and they had two children. She died March 29, 1920 and she and her husband are buried in Mesquite City Cemetery.
Their second child John Stephen Augustus was born March 7, 1882. He married Martha Elizabeth Wilson, granddaughter of John H. Florence, on May 25, 1904. John served many years as councilman and mayor of Mesquite. He was a cotton farmer and manager of the Mesquite Co-op Gin, the last gin in Mesquite. John died April 1, 1959 and he and his wife are buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas.
Son Woodson Upton died October 23, 1884 shortly after his birth on October 6.
Son Charles Bertram was born December 15, 1885. He married Jesse Erwin, had two daughters and lived in East Texas where he was a railroad conductor. He died January 24, 1961 and he and his wife are buried in Rose Lawn Gardens, Mineola, Texas.
William Augustus, Louisa’s fifth child, was born December 3, 1887. Little William’s short life ended June 5, 1892.
Louisa’s last child, Effie May was born and died November 2, 1891. Louisa died twenty five days later on November 27, 1891. She was thirty years, and 26 days old. She joined her daughter Effie May and two sons, Woodson Upton and William Augustus in the Lawrence family plot in Long Creek Cemetery.
Widower S. D. married Louisa Hill Walker in 1893 and they reared John and Charles as well as their own eight children in the Lawrence Homestead. S.D. died July 4, 1934 and he and Louisa are buried in Mesquite City Cemetery. Their daughter Opal Lawrence at her death in 1995 willed the home place and adjoining two acres to the City of Mesquite as the Opal Lawrence Historical Park. The house, basically in its original late nineteenth century condition, is a Texas Recorded Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Louisa married Stephen Decatur Lawrence, known as S.D., in Mesquite January 2, 1878. Lawrence, the son of Mercer colonists John P. Lawrence and Fannie Coats Lawrence, was born in the Long Creek area April 13, 1853. By the time of his marriage, S.D. was a successful farmer and had built a small home on his 640 acre homestead east of Mesquite. By 1882, with a growing family, the Lawrence’s began construction of a two story 14 room prairie style home. The homestead evolved into a well designed and functioning stock farm including a large livestock barn, mule barn and several outbuildings.
Their daughter Ida Bell, born March 17, 1879, was the first of their six children. Ida married Samuel Vanston in 1895 and they had two children. She died March 29, 1920 and she and her husband are buried in Mesquite City Cemetery.
Their second child John Stephen Augustus was born March 7, 1882. He married Martha Elizabeth Wilson, granddaughter of John H. Florence, on May 25, 1904. John served many years as councilman and mayor of Mesquite. He was a cotton farmer and manager of the Mesquite Co-op Gin, the last gin in Mesquite. John died April 1, 1959 and he and his wife are buried in Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas.
Son Woodson Upton died October 23, 1884 shortly after his birth on October 6.
Son Charles Bertram was born December 15, 1885. He married Jesse Erwin, had two daughters and lived in East Texas where he was a railroad conductor. He died January 24, 1961 and he and his wife are buried in Rose Lawn Gardens, Mineola, Texas.
William Augustus, Louisa’s fifth child, was born December 3, 1887. Little William’s short life ended June 5, 1892.
Louisa’s last child, Effie May was born and died November 2, 1891. Louisa died twenty five days later on November 27, 1891. She was thirty years, and 26 days old. She joined her daughter Effie May and two sons, Woodson Upton and William Augustus in the Lawrence family plot in Long Creek Cemetery.
Widower S. D. married Louisa Hill Walker in 1893 and they reared John and Charles as well as their own eight children in the Lawrence Homestead. S.D. died July 4, 1934 and he and Louisa are buried in Mesquite City Cemetery. Their daughter Opal Lawrence at her death in 1995 willed the home place and adjoining two acres to the City of Mesquite as the Opal Lawrence Historical Park. The house, basically in its original late nineteenth century condition, is a Texas Recorded Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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