[8][9] He built the Arcade Building on Falls street in which the Gazette and the United States post office were housed for many years.

[17] In 1888, he argued against a bill before Governor David B. Hill that would construct a 200 foot wide boulevard stretching 20 miles from Niagara Falls to Buffalo, claiming that the $375,000 expense was too great for the communities affected.

[18] In 1903, he was successful in defeating Senator Irving L'Hommedieu's Niagara Falls Charter bill, along with W. Caryl Ely, George Urban Jr., and Charles R.

He represented the 34th Congressional District, which comprised Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties.

[20] Following his stint in politics, Porter engaged in the study and writing of history of the Niagara frontier, and was a prominent member of the Buffalo Historical Society.

He donated many of the collections relics and took an active interest in the Niagara County Pioneer Association, serving as its president for three terms.

But we did ask that just as far as engineering science would decide that the water of the cataract could be safely used for commerce, without impairing the scenic beauty of Niagara Falls, to that extent power development should be not only permitted, but encouraged.

[22] The plan called for immense power development at Foster Flats by means of a huge dam which would back up the waters of the Lower Niagara River, obliterating the upper and lower rapids of the whirlpool and utilizing the entire flow of the river.