Charles Hunt Porter was an American businessman and politician who served as the first mayor of

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county. Quincy is part of the Greater Boston area as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in ...

Early life

Porter was born on April 3, 1843, in

Weymouth, Massachusetts Weymouth is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is one of 13 municipalities in the state to have city forms of government while retaining "town of" in their official names. It is named after Weymouth, Dorset, a coastal town ...

. When he was six weeks old his family moved to Quincy, Massachusetts, where he resided for the remainder of his life. He attended grammar and high school in Quincy and engaged in the insurance business until July 1, 1862, when he enlisted in the Union Army. Porter served in the 39th Massachusetts Regiment for three years during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He mustered out as a captain, but was later given an honorary commission as a lieutenant colonel.

Business career

Upon his return from the war, Porter returned to the insurance business with W. Porter & Co. He later became a partner of the firm. He also served as a director of the Quincy Mutual Fire Insurance Co., a trustee of the Quincy Savings Bank, and director/president of the Quincy Water Co. Porter was the president of the Boston Red Stockings of the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

from through . During his tenure as president, the club made a tour of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. In 1900, Porter was part of a group that attempted to secure a Boston franchise in the new

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

. Porter negotiated a deal for the club to play in Charles River Park in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

, and had selected a person to manage the affairs of the team, but his group backed out after the league's backers met with a rival group. Boston would join the American League in 1901 when Cleveland businessman

Charles Somers Charles W. Somers (October 13, 1868 – June 29, 1934) was an American executive in the coal industry in Cleveland, Ohio, who also achieved prominence in professional baseball. The financial resources from his business interests allowed Somers to ...

formed what would become the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. Porter was a member of the

Adams Academy The Adams Academy was a school for boys in Quincy, Massachusetts founded by President John Adams, who outlined his wishes for a school to be built on the site of John Hancock's birthplace in an 1822 deed of trust. Opened in 1872, the Academy op ...

's board of management from the school's organization in 1871 until 1888.

Political career

Porter was a member of the Quincy board of selectmen from 1879 to 1880. From 1881 to 1882 he represented Quincy and Weymouth in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

. In 1888, Porter was elected Mayor of Quincy in the city's first mayoral election. Porter also served on Quincy's school committee for seven years and was a member of the inaugural Quincy's park commission. Porter served a member of the state board of health during the governorships of Roger Wolcott and Curtis Guild Jr. In 1899 he was appointed to the state civil service commission. In 1910 he was appointed by Governor

Eben Sumner Draper Eben (sometimes incorrectly Ebenezer) Sumner Draper (June 17, 1858 – April 9, 1914) was an American businessman and politician from Massachusetts. He was for many years a leading figure in what later became the Draper Corporation, the ...

to serve on a commission that investigated and reported on the care of tuberculosis patients.

Illness and death

Porter underwent an operation in the spring of 1910. His health declined afterwards and he died on August 10, 1911, at his home in Quincy.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Charles H. 1843 births 1911 deaths American businesspeople in insurance Major League Baseball team presidents Boston Braves owners Mayors of Quincy, Massachusetts Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Union army officers 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court