Guide to the James Porteous Collection, 1877-1947, 1972
Processed by Jeanette L. Jurkovich; machine-readable finding aid created by
James Lake
Fresno City & County Historical Society Archives
7160 West Kearney Boulevard
Fresno, California 93706
Phone: (559) 441-0862
Fax: (559) 441-1372
Email: Fhsarchiv@aol.com
URL: http://www.valleyhistory.org
© 1999
Fresno City and County Historical Society. All rights reserved.
Guide to the James Porteous Collection, 1877-1947, 1972
Collection number: MSS #004
Fresno City & County Historical Society
Archives
Fresno, California
Contact Information:
- Fresno City & County Historical Society Archives
- 7160 West Kearney Boulevard
- Fresno, California 93706
- Phone: (559) 441-0862
- Fax: (559) 441-1372
- Email: Fhsarchiv@aol.com
- URL: http://www.valleyhistory.org
- Processed by:
- Jeanette L. Jurkovich
- Encoded by:
- James Lake
© 1999 Fresno City and County Historical Society. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: James Porteous Collection,
Date (inclusive): 1877-1947, 1972
Collection number: MSS #004
Origination:
Porteous, James, 1848-1922
Extent: 9 boxes
Repository:
Fresno City and County Historical Society
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Acquisition
Papers of James Porteous, donated by his daughter, Mrs. Agnes Porteous Walker.
Access
Collection is open for research by appointment only.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Fresno City and County Historical Society. All requests for
permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing
to the Society archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf
of the Fresno City and County Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be
obtained by the reader.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], James Porteous Collection, MSS #004, Fresno City and County Historical Society.
Biography
James Porteous was born in 1848, in Haddington, Scotland, the son of a wheelwright and blacksmith, William Porteous. In 1877,
James Porteous moved to Fresno and established a wagon shop that would later become the largest agricultural implement business
in the valley, Fresno Agricultural Works.
James Porteous is best known for his role in the development and marketing of the Fresno Scraper. After developing and patenting
several dirt-scrapers himself, he would purchase the rights to two additional scrapers--one patented by William Deidrick,
and one patented by Abijah McCall and Frank Dusy. Porteous would combine the elements of these two scrapers with his own improvements
and begin manufacturing the Fresno Scraper. This implement would play a vital role in the land-leveling, ditch-digging and
road construction of the San Joaquin Valley and go on to be marketed throughout the world. The Fresno Scraper was used during
WWI on the European front, and was used in the construction of the Panama Canal. Eventually, the bulldozer would bring the
use of the Fresno Scraper to an end.
At the time of his death, Porteous held 200 patents, including patents for 50 of his own inventions. In addition to his operation
of Fresno Agricultural Works (now known as Fresno Ag), Porteous farmed 80 acres of tree fruit and vines and was active in
Fresno's civic life. He was one of the founders of the YMCA, a charter member of the First Presbyterian Church, president
of the Knob Hill Oil Company in Bakersfield, a member of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, and an officer of the lodge of Odd
Fellows. Porteous authored a volume of poetry entitled
Death and the Reporter. Records indicate 1000 volumes were published and paid for by Porteous.
Porteous became a citizen in 1879, and married Jenny Ritchie. (There is a discrepancy in their year of marriage. Fresno Past
and Present, Vol. 23, No.4, indicates the wedding took place in 1895 yet personal correspondence alludes the wedding may have
occurred in late December, 1900.) James and Jenny had 6 children, William, Mary, Agnes, Margaret, James Jr., and John. In
1916, the family moved to the prominent home that still stands at 1095 North Van Ness.
Scope and Content
The Porteous papers span 1877-1947, 1976 and contain correspondence, financial records, patents, and legal documents, printed
material, Fresno Agricultural Works catalogs, photographs, a scrapbook, newsclippings, the manuscript and one hard-bound copy
of
Death and the Reporter.
Abstract
Photographs: Photo Boxes 1 and 2, files 1-80, Glass Negative Collection #004
Published Sources
"James Porteous, Fresno's Forgotten Inventor,"
Fresno Past and Present.
The Journal of the Fresno City and County Historical Society. Winter 1981. Volume 23 No.4.
"James Porteous,
'History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the San Joaquin Valley, California'",
by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A.M.
The Chapman Publishing Co. Chicago. 1905. Pg. 1271+.
Death and the Reporter, by James Porteous,
Monfort and Co. Printers, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1913.
Correspondence (1896-1923)
Scope and Content Note
Arrangement
Arranged by date and includes personal correspondence (1900-1923), correspondence from Scotland (1896) and Fresno Agricultural
Works (1897-1921).
Patent and Patent Rights (1882-1920)
Additional Note
Arranged by year and include patents for dirt scrapers, raisin stemmers, vineyard weed cutters, plows, raisin graders, fruit
presses, rotary harrows, raisin and fig presses, combined plow and seeders, fruit graders, etc. File 41 holds patents held
by other inventors (1881-1929). File 42 holds a few separate unidentified patent drawings.
Printed Material
Scope and Content Note
Includes Fresno Agricultural Works stationary, company calendars for 1941-1945, 1947, two company catalogs from c.1904 and
1906, a large catalog (assumed to be a salesman's) with photographs of equipment, a copy of Bill Porteous' yearbook for Fresno
High School class of 1921, and newsclippings (1944-1976).
Financial Documents
Scope and Content Note
Includes various receipts and bills, including an accounting of taxes for 1880-1881, and a ledger book (1886)
Literary Productions
Scope and Content Note
Includes correspondence relating to the publishing of Death and the Reporter (1896-1916) indicating Porteous paid to have
1000 books published with proceeds to be donated to the Board of Foreign Missions. Several journals contain his handwritten
manuscript of poetry. A paper entitled "Long Underwear," written by Agnes Porteous and a handwritten account of a person enduring
the "London Blitz" is also included.
Legal Documents
Scope and Content Note
Include correspondence (1913-1927), mostly between Porteous and his patent attorneys, birth certificates, James Porteous'
Letter of Intention/Naturalization, a partnership agreement between Tuttle and Porteous (1880-1881), documents relating to
the formation of Knob Hill Oil Company, legal disputes related to rights involved with the Raisin Stemmer, a patent held by
William Porteous (son of James Porteous), abstracts of title for land bounded by Tulare, Kern, L, and M streets (1870-1892).
Scrapbook and Scrapbook
Scope and Content Note
Materials consist of one scrapbook containing various clippings of actresses.
Photographs
Scope and Content Note
Include several photos of agricultural equipment, a photo of Fresno Agricultural Works parade float, a Fresno Agricultural
Works promotional wagon, and numerous family photos.
Box Box 1, file 1
Personal incoming
1900-1923
file 2
Letters from Scotland
1886
file 3
Fresno Ag. Works Incoming
1897-1921
Box Box 1, file 4
1882
Scope and Content Note
Dirt Scraper
file 5
1883
Scope and Content Note
Dirt Scraper
file 6
1885
Scope and Content Note
Dusy/McCall Dirt
file 7
1885
Scope and Content Note
Hague Dirt Scraper
file 8
1887
Scope and Content Note
Raisin Stemmer
file 9
1887
Scope and Content Note
Vineyard Weed Cutter
file 10
1887
Scope and Content Note
Lissenden Dirt Scraper
file 11
1888
Scope and Content Note
Plow
file 12
1889
Scope and Content Note
Diedrich Transfer of Scraper Rights
file 13
1890
Scope and Content Note
Raisin Grader
file 14
1890
Scope and Content Note
Patent Transfers
file 15
1891
Scope and Content Note
Dusy Transfer of Rights
file 16
1891
Scope and Content Note
McCall Scraper
file 17
1891
Scope and Content Note
Smith/Hopkins scraper
file 18
1891
Scope and Content Note
Raisin/Fig Press
file 19
1893
Scope and Content Note
Scraper Agreement Cancellation
file 20
1894
Scope and Content Note
Raisin Grader
file 21
1895
Scope and Content Note
Presses for packing fruit-Denotovich
file 22
1896
Scope and Content Note
Combined Plow/seeder
file 23
1897
Scope and Content Note
Draft Connection
file 24
1898
Scope and Content Note
Orchard Plow
file 25
1899
Scope and Content Note
Fruit Grader rights
file 26
1900
Scope and Content Note
Wagon gear
file 27
1901
Scope and Content Note
Disk Harrow
file 28
1902
Scope and Content Note
Raisin Stemmer rights
file 29
1904
Scope and Content Note
Steam Generator
file 30
1909
Scope and Content Note
Brush Chopper
file 31
1910
Scope and Content Note
Adjustable Truck
file 32
1911
Scope and Content Note
Revolving Harrows
file 33
1911
Scope and Content Note
Raisin feeder/sorter
Box Box 2, file 34
1912
Scope and Content Note
Vineyard Plow
file 35
1913
Scope and Content Note
Raisin Stemmer
file 36
1914
Scope and Content Note
Tractor Wheels
file 37
1916
Scope and Content Note
Combination elbows
file 38
1917
Scope and Content Note
Vineyard disk plow
file 39
1920
Scope and Content Note
Non-leaking bearings
file 40
1920
Scope and Content Note
Scraper transfer of rts.
file 41
Patents held by others (1881-1929)
Scope and Content Note
various
file 47
Catalogs
c. 1904
Scope and Content Note
Catalog #6
file 48
Catalogs
1906
Scope and Content Note
Catalog #7
file 49
Newsclippings
(1944-1976)
Scope and Content Note
various
Box Box 3, file 50
Receipts/bills
Scope and Content Note
various
file 53
Manuscripts
n.d.
Scope and Content Note
Death and Reporter Sep. Sheet to Box 6
file 54
Manuscripts
n.d.
Scope and Content Note
Long Underwear, London Blitz
file 58
Decl. of Intention/Naturalization
1877, 1879
file 59
Tuttle Porteous Prtnrshp
1800-1881
Box Box 3, file 64
Prescription, landscape plan
Lit Prod, Legal, and Printed Material
Printed Material, Scrapbook
Box Photo Box 1, file 1
Fresno Agricultural Works Building
file 2
Man at drafting table
Interior photos of showroom and shop
file 3
Interior of store, counter area
file 4
Interior of shop with 4 men
file 5
Interior of shop with 3 men
file 8
Construction of Fresno Agricultural Works, courthouse and water tower in background
file 10
Interior showroom, machinery
file 11
flat bed wagon, rubber tire buggy c.1890's
file 13
G. A. Gordon's Combine harvester c.1907
file 14
machinery c.1898, machinery
file 15
Fresno Ag. Works parade float
file 16
8-horse drawn earth packer, harrows
file 18
Fresno Scraper (So. Methodist Church in background)
file 19
7 different photos of dirt-movers
file 24
Fresno Sulfur duster, Exterior of Fresno Ag. Works, Tractor pulling machinery
file 27
Fresno Ag. Works staff photo and promotional wagon
file 29
mechanized field equipment
file 31
tree plow pulled by tractor
file 32
portrait of children, Bill, Agnes, Margaret and Mary
file 37
Margaret, James Jr., Agnes and Mary Porteous
file 38
Mary, Margaret, and Agnes Porteous
file 39
Mary, Bill, Margaret, Agnes, Jimmy Porteous
file 40
Agnes, Margaret, Mary Bill Porteous
file 41
Mary, Margaret, and Bill Porteous
file 43
Porteous children and Jenny
file 44
Porteous children and auto c.1910
file 45
Bell Ritchie with Bill and Mary Porteous
file 49
Mary, Bill, and Jenny Porteous
file 50
Mary, Bill and Jenny Porteous at the Cherry/Church Ranch
file 53
Bill and Mary Porteous (1905)
file 54
Jenny, Mary, Bill Porteous (1905)
file 55
Proofs of Porteous children
file 57
Porteous children with Jenny
file 58
Porteous children with Jenny
file 59
Porteous children with Jenny
file 60
Porteous home on Van Ness and T St.
file 67
Jenny Porteous at the beach
file 70
Margaret Porteous on a burro
file 71
Agnes and Jimmy Porteous on a burro
file 80
Fresno Agricultural Works Exhibition