The law firm of Flett and Porter was created in 1888 when William Hadley Flett and Milton C. Porter joined forces in Merrill, Wisconsin. The attorneys accepted many kinds of legal cases, although they specialized in debt collection and credit reporting. The partnership was dissolved in 1907, and Porter continued the practice alone.
William H. Flett was born May 10, 1856 in the Town of Somers, Kenosha County, Wisconsin. He was one of eight sons of James and Ann Heddle Flett, who
were among the middle class farming families who immigrated to the United States from the Orkney Islands. Flett's early life included education in grammar schools, carpentry training and employment, and continued study at night. The latter enabled him to receive certification to teach district school, which in turn helped support two years of study at the University of Wisconsin. In 1882 Flett entered the Racine law office of Quarles and Winslow where he studied for a year. He received a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1884.
Flett began law practice in Madison, and shortly thereafter moved to Merrill where he opened an office in 1885. In 1887 he married Clara Baker of Madison. The combination of an extremely prosperous law practice and Flett's election as city attorney in 1888 produced a need for an associate in the law firm, and Milton C. Porter became Flett's partner.
After 1888 Flett was active in county politics and local organizations, and in 1897 was elected Republican member of the State Assembly from Lincoln and Taylor counties. Flett also served as treasurer of the Wisconsin Board of Managers of the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. In 1907, after a number of months of traveling and several previous attempts to establish himself in business, Flett settled in Seattle, Washington, and became a legal partner of Charles E. Shepard in the firm Shepard and Flett.
Milton C. Porter was born on a farm near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, February 2, 1855. His parents, John, a native of New York, and Ann O'Shea Porter, from Ireland, had twelve children. Educated at Waushara common schools and at Lawrence College, from which he graduated in 1879, Porter subsequently taught school and served as high school principal in Merrill for six and one-half years. He studied law with the Oshkosh firm of Hooper and Hooper and was admitted to the bar in April 1888.
In addition to his work as Flett's law partner (1888-1907), Porter was active in local politics and civic organizations. His elected offices included three terms as Lincoln county judge (1910-1925), three terms as Lincoln county district attorney (1904-1910), and five terms as city attorney. Also, Porter was a member of the Merrill and Lincoln County boards of education (for 21 and 7 years, respectively), the T.B. Scott Free Public Library board (15 years), and the local cemetery board (21 years). He joined the Merrill Masonic Lodge and served as master for five years. A contemporary account of Porter characterized him as extremely able, a man of high integrity, great energy, and systematic industry.
Porter was married twice -- first to Ella M. Rideout of Oshkosh, from 1881 until her death in 1901, and then in 1911 to Minnie Belle Shockley of Darlington. He and his first wife had three children, Ward K., a physician; Winnifred (Mrs. Walter Winneman), and Bonnie (Mrs. Joseph A. Chilsen). (Joseph A. Chilsen was the brother of Walter B. Chilsen, founder of the Merrill Daily Herald, and uncle of State Senator Walter J. Chilsen.) Milton C. Porter died July 25, 1935.
