Walter Webb Allport was born in Lorain, Jefferson County, New York in June 1824.

At age 20 he enrolled in medical school in Watertown, New York. In 1847 he married Sarah Maria Haddock, also of Watertown, New York; they had four children: May, Frank, Walter and Henry. Dentistry continued to interest him so abandoned his plans to become a physician and enrolled in the New York Dental College.

In 1853 Dr. Allport and his family moved to Chicago where he opened a dental office on Lake Street. He was elected president of the American Dental Association in 1886. An innovator, Dr. Allport was among the first dentists to use gold to restore decayed teeth. In addition to his dental practice Dr. Allport taught dental surgery at Rush Medical College which recognized his contribution to the dental field by awarding him an honorary medical degree.

Dr. Walter Webb Allport died in his home on Maple Street on March 21, 1893 while preparing a dental exhibit for the Columbian Exposition.