Troy Porter was born in Fayette County, Kentucky April 15, 1855. His parents were Winnie Porter, who had been born a slave, and a man whose name may have been Troy or John Porter. The elder Porter enlisted in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861-1865) and died at the Battle of Perryville. Winnie escaped to Camp Nelson in Kentucky, and then to Ripley, Ohio. In 1865, through the influence of Rev. Granville Moody (a Union Army officer), they moved to Paris, Illinois. At the age of eleven he began to learn the trade of plumbing, gas and steam fitting. On November 21, 1876, he began to work for himself. He became an important member of the local Republican Party and in 1882 he was appointed superintendent of the Paris Water Works. In 1885 he was elected town clerk of the township and was reelected to the position in 1887.