Porterville was established in 1905 by Dr. Phil Porter, a physician who relocated from Michigan due to what he believed were health benefits of living in the desert.

At one point in time, the town was a bustling community, with a hotel, a blacksmith's shop, a post office, a doctor, and two general stores.

However, the nearby Pecos River was not big enough to accommodate the needs of the farmers, and the population of the town declined precipitously.

The only building that still survives in any usable fashion is the town's church, which was built in 1909 and moved to Mentone in 1931.

The community's elevation and geographic coordinates are unknown, as the town today is essentially a bare strip of local highway.