Sumner County, Kansas ~ Late 1800’s

My third great-grandfather, Moses Franklin PORTER, was born January 20, 1826 to Henry PORTER (1778-1868) and Nancy BOWLES (1792-1836) in Muddy Creek, Madison, Kentucky.  Moses died December 26, 1900 in Oxford, Sumner County, Kansas.

His second wife, Mary Ann “Polly” ROSENBERGER was born December 24, 1841 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Abraham Rosenberger (1799-1883) and Elizabeth KING (1817-1845). She was the step-mother of Daniel PORTER.  “Polly” died June 15, 1904 in Oxford, Sumner County, Kansas.

Moses and “Polly” married August 30, 1857 in Taylorville, Christian County, Illinois.

The 1880 Census for Moses and “Polly” PORTER household shows the following:

Name: Moses Porter
Age: 54
Birth Year: abt 1826
Home in 1880: Oxford, Sumner, Kansas
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relations to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital Status: Married
Spouse’s Name: Mary Porter

Moses’s Birthplace: Kentucky
Moses’s Father’s Birthplace: Maryland
Moses’s Mother’s Birthplace: Maryland
Moses’s Occupation: Farming

(Polly) Mary’s Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Mary’s Father’s Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Mary’s Mother’s Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Mary’s Occupation: Keeping House

Moses Porter ~ 54 ~ head ~ farming
Mary Porter ~ 38 ~ wife ~ keeping house
Mary I. Porter ~ 22 ~ daughter ~ Housekeeper
Laura Porter ~ 12 ~ daughter ~ Works Out
Ellen S. Porter ~ 15 ~ daughter ~ Works Out
Aaron D. Porter ~ 12 ~ son ~ Farm Laborer
Fanny M. Porter ~ 10 ~ daughter ~ At Home
Moses F. Porter ~ 7 ~ son ~ Herder
Charles L. Porter ~ 5 ~ son ~ At Home
Shirley G. Porter ~ 1 ~ son ~ At Home
(Other records show his name as Shirley Edwin Porter)

My second great-grandfather, Daniel Marion PORTER, was born December 28, 1855 in Moweaqua, Shelby County, Illinois to Moses Franklin PORTER (1826-1900) and Elizabeth Ann HOSKINS (1828-1855).  Elizabeth died due to the childbirth of Daniel and an un-named twin who died sometime after the new year.  Daniel died February 27, 1925 in Winfield, Cowley County, Kansas.

My second great-grandmother, Caroline Adele GILBERT, was born in 1864 in Iowa City, Wright County, Iowa.  She died in 1895. Daniel and Caroline were married December 1, 1879, when “Carrie” was 15 years old.   They had two children after this census: Nellie May PORTER (1882-1980) and Charles Oscar PORTER (1884-1946) ~ my great-grandfather.

The 1880 Census for Daniel and “Carrie” PORTER household shows them  as neighbors to Moses and “Polly”.  Their details are as following:

Name: Daniel M. Porter
Age: 24
Birth Year: abt 1856
Home in 1880: Oxford, Sumner, Kansas
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital Status: Married
Spouse’s Name: Carrie B. Porter

Daniel’s Birthplace: Illinois
Daniel’s Father’s Birthplace: Kentucky
Daniel’s Mother’s Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Daniel’s Occupation: Farming

Carrie’s Birthplace: Iowa
Carrie’s Father’s Birthplace: New York
Carrie’s Mother’s Birthplace: New York
Carrie’s Occupation: Keeping House

Daniel M. Porter ~ 24 ~ head ~ Farming
Carrie B. Porter ~ 16 ~ wife ~ Keeping House
(Other records show her name as Caroline Adele)
Joseph D.J. Montgomery ~ 16 ~ white ~ servant ~ Farm Laborer
John Montgomery ~ 18 ~ white ~ servant ~ Farm Laborer

My main questions: Why were Joseph and John Montgomery listed as servants on this census?  Where they related in some way?  Why did they list the very young children of Moses and Mary as different types of laborers?  Did they go to school?

Here is a copy of the original 1880 Census for these two families:

Moses PORTER and Daniel PORTER Families in the 1880 Census

I have also created a Pinterest board called Sumner County, Kansas that focuses on photos of people and places in Sumner County in the late 1800’s and links to genealogy resources for the area.  Be sure to also go to my main Pinterest page to Follow All of my boards.