A Charles White lithograph entitled "The Contribution of the American Negro to Democracy" will be shown in the building. Charles White worked for the WPA and has had shows at the New York Metropolitan Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Adelbert Deloss Porter, or A.D. Porter, as he was called, was born in Racine Wisconsin October 23, 1845. In 1861, he left home and journeyed to New York City when he took a boat through the Panama to the Pacific coast. He landed in San Francisco and came directly to Yolo County. He first worked as a farm laborer. Then he began to rent land. He lived next to the Sacramento River. In 1867, he moved to the Bell Sterling Ranch and remained there for 3 years. In 1870, he lived in the Cache Creek Township and was a farmer and merchant. In 1880 he moved to Davisville and became a grocer. He rented a small room. In 1900 he lived in Woodland and became a capitalist. he moved to Woodland and rented a small room and became a grocer He soon grew out of his small rented building and built his own store on Main Street. He was so prosperous that he had to build a warehouse to hold his supplies. He was seen by his contemporaries as a progressive merchant. He soon thought that Woodland needed a banking institution. He began to interest capitalists and secured the needed number of stockholders raising $300,000. In Jan of 1883, the Bank of Yolo was organized and on June 1 opened for business. He served for many years on the board but soon decided to that there was a great need for a savings institution whereby young people might be encouraged to save their earnings and older people wanted to receive interest on their accounts. In 1891 he organized the Yolo County Savings Bank in Woodland with a capital of $60,000. The original bank was in rented rooms, but later Mr. Porter bought a site on Main and College Streets. He became President until his death. In 1883 he purchased 2/3 interest in the Byrns Hotel. His contemporaries were A.W. Gable and J. Byrns He married Elizabeth Mosby 3 years after coming west. They had 9 children. Elizabeth died and he married Mattie. Porter died unexpectedly March 3, 1911.

Porter was said to be remarkable man, a man of honor, a man of generous and exalted instincts and high ideals. He was public spirited and earnest and unselfish in promoting the interests of the state, county and city. He was modest and his life was truly the American dream. He was charitable and hospitable. He was tolerant of the views of others and reasonable in all things.

The Porter Building was built in 1913 by his son, William as a tribute to his pioneer father. The building was built on the Craft Hotel site in the Beaux Arts style. It boasted an electric elevator, steam heating system and a telephone serving each office. William Henry Weeks designed the building and Earle I Younger was the contractor. In 1978, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Info from Yolo County Archives

In 1978, The Porter Building still houses two of Woodland’s oldest businesses…Dr. D.C. Fisher, Dentist for the past 50 years and Kidder and Kidder Accounts since the 1920’s

November 24, 1913 Wooley’s “Now demonstration! The Wonderful new Edison Disc and Amberoia Phonographs”, at Lawsons Pharmacy

June 3, 1914 Hurst & Hurst; C.E. Arnolds – Civil Engineer and Surveyor; Dr. T. A. Guthrie, Dentist (3rd floor), Dr. A. Y. Dick, dentist (room 303), Chester McDonald, attorney at law (rm 309), Wilbur S. Pierce, attorney at law (rooms 222, 223); A. G. Bailey, attorney at law (rooms 305-306)

March 17, 1916 Dr. Milford B. Bransford, physician and surgeon (rooms 205-206)

Aug. 26, 1914 C H. Simpson, N.D. Simpson( Simpson Bros) grain buyers. Highest price paid for grain . Insurance and real estate, also agent for the Oldsmobile Cars. Be sure and see us before selling your grain.” Rm 224

Feb. 22, 1919 E.L. Younger “Lumber Cheap for Sale”

Jan 12, 1925 Buttons Business College ‘complete $125 course in Shorthand Bookkeeping and typewriting for $75 for the first 10 who enroll day and evening classes (rooms 220, 221, 222) Russell Long, chiropractor (rooms 305-6-7)

Dec. 21, 1922 Yolo Water and Power company , W. E. McClelland, chiropractor (room 307)

Sept. 11, 1923 E.L. Younger , general contractor (rooms 327-29)

Feb. 12, 1925 Woodland Business College (Room 222); Bruce Brubaker, public accountant

June 26, 1928 Ed. Praet “Many Sparkling Suggestions in Jewelry Every Day in the Year at our New Store. 35 years dependable service with H.T. Hebeisn, Woodland’s exclusive optician” Vanitie Shoppe (Miss Wanda Stitt) Rm 214 “A permanent wave by the duart method stilled specialists, using exclusive methods to render your wave unusually attractive and lasting

Sept 1, 1921 W.J. Blevins, M.D. (Office 114, Residence 65) Dr. J. L. Fayette, chiropr ctor; Maude H. Tillotson, M.D. Rooms 304-05)