Biography:Lake N. Porter

Lake N. Porter

Given name:	Lake
Middle name:	"L.N."
Family name:	Porter
Place of birth:
Place of death:
Year of birth:
Year of death:
Profile:	Musician
Source of information:

Biographical notes

The John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip

1939 Southern Recording Trip Fieldnotes

Section 7: Falfurrias and Sarita, Texas; April 28-30

Falfurrias, Texas Lake N. Porter

April 29, 30, 1939

Mrs Edward Lasater of Falfurrias told us about the fiddler, Mr. Lake N. Porter, a champion in his earlier days. He was born in Mississippi, and is (in 1939) 85 years old. He is a charter member of the Texas Old Trail Drivers Association. He went up the trail three or four times, often sawing his fiddle as he rode along. For a long time he discontinued playing the fiddle and singing, but he has taken it up again recently, and now "he doesn't do anything else all day long", so his wife reports. The couple celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary last December (1938). They live in a comfortable cottage with their own garden and chickens. Their daughter lives across the street and a son, who holds a responsible position with a power company in the East, flies down to see them occasionally. This son has recently written to thank Mr. Lomax, for giving his parents so much pleasure by recording the fiddle tunes and to enquire whether he might get copies of the records. Mr. and Mrs. Porter were very much pleased to be "invited out" to a public restaurant for dinner. Mr. Porter was for fifteen years sheriff in Goliad County, Texas and in the county where he now lives, during some exciting days of that country. He lived in McMullen County when he was a cowboy and trail-driver. Black Jack Grove is his favorite fiddle tune.

During their days of work around Falfurrias Mr. and Mrs. Lomax were guests at the ranch of Mrs. Ed Lasater, of which her son Tom Lasater is manager. Her son Edward, county attorney, was at that time living on the ranch. Mrs. Lasater and Mr. Lomax had been friends on the campus of the University of Texas when Mrs, Lasater (Mary Miller) was student.