John Martin
Among the leading citizens and representative farmers of Wooster township, Wayne county, Ohio, is he whose name forms the caption to this brief article, and this work would be incomplete were there failure to make specific notice of him. The people of the United States give special reverence to those brave men who, laying aside all personal interests and love for home and family, went forth to battle for the perpetuation of the national integrity, knowing full well that the cost of their sacrifice might be life itself. The subject gave a valiant and faithful support of "Old Glory" on many southern battlefields and carries scars received from southern bullets, a badge of honor to be held in higher esteem than the royal badges bestowed by old world monarchs.
John Martin is a native son of the old Buckeye state, having been born in Franklin township, Tuscarawas county, Ohio, on May 2, 1844, and is the son of Andrew and Catherine (Wickey) Martin, both of whom are now deceased. The subject remained at home with his parents during his youth and secured a fair education in the common schools of the neighborhood. In 1860 he came to Wooster township, Wayne county, and entered the employ of John Walters, with whom he remained until October 9, 1861, when he responded to his country's call and enlisted as a private in company I, Sixty-fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was subsequently promoted to the rank of corporal and gave faithful service until being mustered out on December 10, 1864, at Marshall, Tennessee. During his service he was in the commands of Generals Buell, Rosecrans and Sherman, and took part in all the battles incident to the campaign leading up to the capture of Atlanta, Georgia. At Chickamauga, Mr. Martin had one finger of his left hand shot off, the bullet being deflected from his body by striking the barrel of his gun.
Upon the conclusion of his army service Mr. Martin returned to Wooster, where he worked for two years. In 1866 he was married and moved onto his father-in-law's farm, which he managed until the latter's death, when he purchased the farm and has since continued to operate the place. It is now a well-improved farm in every respect and under Mr. Martin's able management it has been maintained as one of the most fertile and productive farms in Wooster township. The subject is a man of indefatigable energy and enterprise and is progressive in his methods. He carried on a general system of agriculture and also devotes considerable attention to the raising of live-stock and in both lines he is meeting with a gratifying degree of success.
On the 20th of September, 1866, Mr. Martin was untied in marriage to Balinda A. Eckert, a native of Wooster, Ohio, and a daughter of George and Mary (Burnett) Eckert, both of whom are now deceased. To the subject and wife the following children have been born: Peter W., who resides three miles northwest of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Lillie Allie is the wife of Isaac N. Hough, auditor of Wayne county, and they reside at Wooster; Emma Bell is the wife of Dellsworth Wrenn, of Mason, Ohio; John Q., who resides at Cleveland, Ohio, married Grace Beebe; Walter E., who is a farmer near West Salem, Ohio, married Flora Shank; Samuel C., a street car conductor at Mansfield, Ohio, married Emma Atkins; James Roy, of near Wooster, Ohio, married Altie Kimber; Charles H., of near Canal Fulton, Ohio, married Isa Franks; Mary Maude is deceased; Ethel is a student at the Agricultural Experiment Station.
Politically, Mr. Martin is a Democrat and has taken an active part in the councils of his party, having served as a member of the county central committee and the state committee. He has been a number of times honored by official positions, having served as a member of the township board for twenty-six years; township assessor, six years; infirmary director for six years, and in 1907 he was elected trustee of Wooster township, in which position he is still serving. His religious membership is with the Lutheran church at Wooster, to which he gives a generous support. Fraternally, he is a member of Given Post, No 133, Grand Army of the Republic, at Wooster, of which he has served as junior vice-commander. He is also a member of the Improved Order of Red Men.
Mr. Martin has been a very busy man and successful withal. He has at all times evinced a commendable interest in public affairs and has always stood for the highest and best interests of the community. His genial disposition and kindly attitude towards all having dealings with him have won for him a host of warm personal friends and he is eminently deserving of being numbered among the representative men of his county.
From The History of Wayne County, Ohio, B. E. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, 1910