William T. Porter
William T. Porter | |
---|---|
Born | William Trotter Porter December 24, 1809 Newbury, Vermont |
Died | July 19, 1858 New York, New York | (aged 48)
Other names | William T. Porter |
Occupation(s) | Newspaper editor and journalist |
William Trotter Porter (December 24, 1809 – July 19, 1858) was an American journalist and newspaper editor who founded an early American newspaper devoted to sports. After working at a number of small newspapers, Porter moved to New York City in the 1830s. After employment at a newspaper in the city, he founded the
Early life
Porter was born on December 24, 1809, the son of Benjamin Porter and Martha Olcott in Newbury, Vermont. He was one of five boys born to his parents. His father was a lawyer, but died suddenly in 1818, leaving the family in difficult financial circumstances. He attended a charity school in Hanover, New Hampshire after the family moved there, but left school to work in a print shop.[1] He also attended Dartmouth College.[2] His mother died in 1825, which meant the family was broken up and Porter worked at a number of small newspapers before arriving in New York City in the early 1830s.[1] While in New York, Porter gained the nickname of "York's Tall Son".[2]
Editorial work
Porter edited the Constellation, a newspaper in New York City that published humorous stories.
Porter was interested in reforming the sport of
Porter also served as an arbiter of disputes about sports rules and sports betting. Porter also encouraged new authors from the south and the west to write in his newspaper and helped them get books published. He also edited two collections of short stories from the frontier, The Big Bear of Arkansas in 1846 and A Quarter Race in Kentucky and Other Sketches in 1847.[1]
Besides the sporting interests, the Spirit was involved in the emergence of American literature, especially the "
The Panic of 1837 hurt the Spirit's circulation, but Porter responded by buying out his main competition, the American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine[1] and moved it to New York City.[2] Porter edited the Turf Register until the paper stopped being published in 1844.[4] Porter continued the publication of annual stallion lists and the publication of lists of horses owned by breeders.[7] However, the purchase of the American Turf Register strained Porter's finances, and he sold the Spirit to another printer, John Richards, who retained Porter as editor.[1] The 1840s were prosperous, but in the 1850s the magazine again encountered difficulties.[1] Around 1855, Porter left Richards' paper,[8] and in 1856, another printer, George Wilkes, began a new sporting newspaper, which he called Porter's Spirit of the Times, and employed Porter as editor.[1]
Later life
In 1845, Porter served as secretary for the New York Jockey Club, during the famous match race between the fillies Fashion and Peytona at the Union Course on May 15, 1845.[9] Although the Spirit and the American Turf Register were known for their coverage of horse racing, Porter's main sporting interest for himself was fishing.[2]
Porter never married, and three of his brothers died before Porter himself caught a cold and died of consumption on July 19, 1858,[1] in his house in New York City.[8] He left unfinished a biography of his friend Wiliam Herbert.[8] The journalist and historian Frank Luther Mott wrote that "Porter undoubtedly did much to give American sports a respectable standing."[4]
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dizikes "Porter, William Trotter" American National Biography Online
- ^ a b c d Harrison Background of the American Stud Book pp. 87–88
- ^ Mott History of American Magazines p. 425
- ^ a b c d Mott History of American Magazines pp. 480–481
- ^ Robertson History of Thoroughbred Racing in America p. 33
- ^ Harrison Background of the American Stud Book pp. 42–47
- ^ Harrison Background of the American Stud Book p. 33
- ^ a b c Staff (July 20, 1858) "Death of William T. Porter" New York Times
- ^ Robertson History of Thoroughbred Racing in America p. 64
References
- Dizikes, John (2000). "Porter, William Trotter" (fee required). American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
- OCLC 2825694.
- OCLC 1893743.
- Robertson, William H. P. (1964). The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America. New York: Bonanza Books. LCCN 64-17364.
- Staff (July 20, 1858). "Death of William T. Porter" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
Further reading
- Brinley, Francis (1860). Life of William T. Porter. New York: D. Appleton. OCLC 367554850.
- Current-Garcia, Eugene (November 1955). "Mr. Spirit and the Big Bear of Arkansas". American Literature. 27. JSTOR 2922154.
- Current-Garcia, Eugene (Winter 1955). "York's Tall Son' and His Southwestern Correspondents". American Quarterly. 7. JSTOR 2710431.
- Yates, Norris (1957). William T. Porter and the "Spirit of the Times"; A Study of the Big Bear School of Humor. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press. OCLC 334687.