{"nrhp_refnum":"66000819","name":"Porter Farm","other_names":["Porter, Walter C., Farm"],"category":"site","location":{"address":"2 mi. N of Terrell on FR 986","address_restricted":false,"city":"Terrell","county":"Kaufman County","state":"TX","lat":32.77533176850005,"lon":-96.27429546127024,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1966-10-15","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1964-07-19","areas_of_significance":["Agriculture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A working farm about two miles northwest (also described as north) of Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas, on Farm Road 986. The nominated area is the seventy acres where the first farm demonstration took place in 1903, together with the original farmhouse.","why_significant":"This was the site of the first farm demonstration organized by Dr. Seaman A. Knapp of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, begun February 26, 1903, as a response to the cotton boll weevil. The demonstration led to the nationwide Agricultural Extension Service and to programs such as Boys' Corn Clubs, canning societies and 4-H Clubs.","narrative":"Seventy acres of farmland near Terrell, Texas, mark the place where organized agricultural demonstration began. In early 1903, farmers and businessmen in Kaufman County were looking for ways to fight the boll weevil, which threatened their one-crop cotton economy. They invited Dr. Seaman A. Knapp of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who proposed that one farmer plant and grow a crop by his methods for the whole community to see. Walter C. Porter was chosen, and local businessmen placed $1,000 in a bank to cover any loss; none was needed. Porter's yields exceeded what he had previously harvested. The Department of Agriculture adopted the approach, and the work grew into the national Agricultural Extension Service, with 4-H clubs and similar programs tracing back to it. The farm is still worked by Porter's family, and the original farmhouse stands across the road. Three markers face the original demonstration fields.","period_of_significance":"1903","architect_builder":"Founder: Dr. Seaman A. Knapp","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Still an active farm operated by the Porter family; the condition is listed as excellent and altered. The original farmhouse remains in use, and a tomato warehouse within the boundary does not add to the landmark's significance.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:19.292526-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/50/9709/40970950/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/66000819_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000819/8d99c1b768-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000819/8d99c1b768-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Joseph Scott Mendinghall, National Park Service","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PorterFarm.png\" rel=\"noopener\">Joseph Scott Mendinghall, National Park Service</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PorterFarm.png"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40970950","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_Farm","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7231615"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/kaufman-county/porter-farm-66000819/"}