Day 213: Porter-Vallejo Mansion, Pajaro, California
📌APIA Every Day (213) - The Porter-Vallejo Mansion, originally built in the 1850s by Antone Vallejo, was purchased and relocated by John T. Porter in 1871. Porter, a prominent businessman in the Pajaro Valley, had a diverse portfolio of interests. Following his marriage to Watsonville school teacher Fannie Cummings in 1859, Porter served as U.S. Customs Collector for the Port of Monterey under appointment by President Abraham Lincoln. By 1874, he had established the Pajaro Valley's first bank, the Bank of Watsonville, with six other founders and directors. Porter owned extensive agricultural lands, the region's largest sawmill (the Loma Prieta Lumber Company), and was co-owner of Santa Cruz County's beet sugar refinery. He also held several city blocks in Watsonville that housed the 1869-1888 Chinatown, providing lodging for Chinese laborers who worked on his properties.
In 1888, Porter emerged as a central figure in addressing issues related to the anti-Chinese movement in California. Faced with increasing pressure from anti-Chinese legislation in Santa Cruz County, Porter proposed and implemented a plan to relocate Chinatown. He negotiated with various parties to establish a new Chinese settlement within 50 yards of his own home, across the Pajaro River county boundary and outside Santa Cruz County's jurisdiction. This move was significant as it allowed for the development of a more complete community structure for the local Chinese population.
The new Chinatown evolved from a collection of single male workers to a more diverse community with families, merchants, civic organizations, temples, and schools. It became a regional center for Chinese people in the area, providing a stable environment for families and preserving traditional social order. Porter's arrangement ensured a constant, reliable supply of Chinese field labor, which contributed to the area's economic stability, particularly in the face of the 1890s economic depression. That same year, Porter left the Bank of Watsonville to found the city's second bank, the Pajaro Valley Bank, where he remained active as President until his death in 1900.
John Porter's wife, Fannie Cummings Porter, also played a significant role in managing Chinatown. She collected rents and managed income for the settlement, maintaining detailed ledgers of its architectural and social organization. Fannie Porter provided rent-free spaces for an English language Christian school and homes for elderly Chinese bachelors. The Porters' involvement with the Chinese community continued until the 1920s, though it gradually lessened after 1900 due to changing immigration laws and the acculturation of younger generations of Chinese-Americans. The Porter-Vallejo Mansion, particularly after its 1890s remodeling by architect William H. Weeks, stood as a symbol of Porter's status as a community and business leader. Its dining room served as a site for important business meetings that shaped the economic progress of the Pajaro Valley. The solidarity between the Porters and the Chinese community, along with the creation of Chinatown, contributed to the mansion's listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
LEARN MORE:
National Park Service Gallery: Porter-Vallejo Mansion NRHP Form
Calisphere: Porter home is central to Pajaro's history
Santa Cruz Trains: People: The Porter Family
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