Peter Buell Porter (May 7, 1806 – 1871) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Assemblyman and

Speaker of the New York State Assembly The speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party. As in most countries with a British heritage, the Speaker (politics), speaker presides o ...

in 1841.

Early life

Peter Buell Porter was born on May 7, 1806 in

Salisbury, Connecticut Salisbury () is a town situated in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is the northwesternmost in the state of Connecticut; the Massachusetts-New York-Connecticut tri-state marker is located at the northwest corner of the town ...

, to

Augustus Porter Augustus S. Porter (January 18, 1769 – June 10, 1849) was an American businessman, judge, farmer, and politician who served as an Assemblyman for the state of New York. Early life Augustus Porter was born in Salisbury, Litchfield County, Conne ...

(1769–1849), and his second wife Jane Howell. His uncle, and namesake, was

Peter Buell Porter Peter Buell Porter (August 14, 1773 – March 20, 1844) was an American lawyer, soldier and politician who served as United States Secretary of War from 1828 to 1829. Early life Porter was born on August 14, 1773, one of six children born to Dr. ...

(1773–1844), the

United States Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

under

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States ...

. Shortly after his birth in June 1806, Porter moved with his family to Niagara Falls, New York. He graduated from

Hamilton College Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York. It was founded as Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812 in honor of inaugural trustee Alexander Hamilton, following ...

. Then he studied law, was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

and practiced in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

Family life

Porter died in 1871.

Career

Elected as a Whig, Porter was a member from

Niagara County Niagara County is in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 212,666. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word ''Onguiaahra''; meaning ''the strait'' or ''thunder of waters''. Niaga ...

of the New York State Assembly from January 1, 1838 to December 31, 1841, and was Speaker in 1841. In 1852, he was a vice president of the committee that organized the celebration of the anniversary of the Battle of Lundy's Lane, and was a director of the

Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad The Buffalo and Niagara Falls Railroad was a part of the New York Central Railroad system, connecting Buffalo, New York to Niagara Falls. It is still used by CSX for freight and Amtrak for passenger service. History The Buffalo and Black Rock Rai ...

References

External links

*John Stilwell Jenkins: ''History of Political Parties in the State of New-York'' (Alden & Markham, Auburn NY, 1846)

Committee for celebration of the Battle of Lundy's Lane, in NYT on July 13, 1852
''The Papers of Henry Clay: The Whig Leader, January 1, 1837-December 31, 1843''
by Henry Clay, Robert Seager II, Robert Seager, and Melba Porter Hay (University Press of Kentucky, 1988, , , page 474)
1806 births 1871 deaths New York (state) Whigs 19th-century American politicians Members of the New York State Assembly Speakers of the New York State Assembly People from Niagara County, New York Hamilton College (New York) alumni 19th-century American railroad executives People from Salisbury, Connecticut {{NewYork-NYAssembly-stub