MARTIN, William C.

William C. MARTIN, an energetic and enterprising agriculturist, residing on section 26, Saratoga township, now represents that township on the board of supervisors. He was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, April 22, 1848, and at the age of two years was brought to Illinois by his parents, John L. and Julia (ORGAN) MARTIN, who settled at Lacon, where the father attended the rope ferry for Mr. FISHER for about six years. In 1856 he purchased the present farm of our subject, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, for which he paid four hundred dollars. Being in a wild uncultivated state he at once began its improvement and development, but in June of the following year was called to the world beyond, leaving his widow with four small children, our subject, who was the eldest, being only nine years of age. The others were Porter O., now of York county, Nebraska; Almira, who became the wife of John DAVIS, and died some years ago; and Alfred J., also of York county, Nebraska. There were also two other children in the family who passed away before the father died.

The mother still continued to make her home on the farm and two years later became the wife of Frederick JACOBS, after which the family lived there or on the JACOBS farm near by for many years. Four children were born of the second union – Charles, of Platte county, Nebraska; Mary Alice, wife of James KEENAN, of Saratoga township, Marshall county; Adeline, wife of James HOLMES, of Rice county, Kansas; and Sims, who is unmarried and lives on a part of the old home farm. The mother received but little aid from her second husband, as he later left the country, but she kept her family together and cared for them until they reached maturity. Her death occurred on the 17th of May, 1892, at the age of sixty-two years, and she left many friends as well as her immediate family to mourn her loss.

At the age of twelve years William C. MARTIN started out in life for himself, working by the month as a farm hand in the neighborhood. He later returned to the old homestead farm, of which he took complete charge and became the head of the family. He now owns eighty acres of the old place, to which he has added another eighty acre tract, all of which is highly cultivated and improved. Besides general farming he was also engaged for a number of years in threshing and has been quite successful in his chosen calling.

On the 16th of October, 1877, Mr. MARTIN was joined in wedlock with Miss Emma H. TRIM, a daughter of Hezekiah and Thirze (HORENDN) TRIM, the former born in Massachusetts, and the latter in England. Her parents were married in Peoria county, Illinois, and became residents of Marshall county in 1856, where they continued to live until eight years ago, since which time they have been residents of York county, Nebraska. Mrs. MARTIN is the only one of the family now living in Marshall county. By her marriage with our subject she has become the mother of three children – Blanche, Leroy and Thirza, all at home.

Although his father was a democrat, Mr. MARTIN has ever been identified with the republican party, serving as a delegate to its conventions, has been road commissioner, and in 1895 was elected supervisor for a term of two years, which office he is now creditably filling. Socially he is connected with Sparland lodge, No. 441. F. & A. M., of Sparland. No man takes a deeper interest in the prosperity of Marshall county, where almost his entire life has been passed, and it is safe to say that few have contributed in a larger degree to bring about this result.

Extracted April 2011 by Norma Hass from The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois, 1896.

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