Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Martin, Lafayette 
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Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 February 2, 2008, 3:09 am

Author: Past & Present Will County, 1907

Lafayette Martin was a retired farmer and stock-raiser living in Wilmington at 
the time of his death, which occurred December 18, 1906. He was born in St. 
Lawrence county, New York, November 19, 1824, and was a son of Nathaniel and 
Rhoda (Perry) Martin. The father was born in Hampton, Connecticut, in 1790, 
and died at the age of eighty-seven years in Hampton, Minnesota, while his 
wife, whose birth occurred in Putney, Vermont, in 1792, passed away in 
Hampton, Minnesota, at the age of eighty years. They were married in her 
native city and in 1844 came to the middle west with their family, traveling 
by wagon and later by canal to Buffalo and by boat to Chicago. Mr. Martin 
located at Schaumberg, Cook county, near where Palatine now stands and 
purchased eighty acres of government land. Later he bought forty acres more 
and upon his farm erected a frame dwelling, in which he lived for about eight 
years. He then sold the farm and removed to Waukegan, Illinois, where he lived 
for about ten years, when he removed to Minnesota, where he spent his 
remaining days. He was justice of the peace in New York state for a number of 
years and also held several township offices in Schaumberg. Both he and his 
wife were members of the Congregational church in the Empire state and in 
early life Mr. Martin gave his political allegiance to the democratic party, 
being an adherent of Jeffersonian principles, but in later life he became a 
republican. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Martin were born eight children, five sons and 
three daughters, of whom three are now livings Albert P., a resident of 
Hampton, Minnesota; Porter, who resides at Farmington, Minnesota; and Rhoda, 
the wife of Oliver Gibbs of Prescott, Minnesota. Lafayette Martin spent the 
days of his boyhood and youth in the Empire state and when twenty years of age 
accompanied his parents on their removal to the middle west. He engaged in 
farming in Wesley township, Will county, Illinois, for two or three years, 
after which he purchased government land in Rockville township, Kankakee 
county, securing one hundred and sixty acres with a soldier's land warrant. In 
1859 he took up his abode upon that place and subsequently he purchased land 
from time to time until he had two hundred and eighty acres. At different 
times he bought and sold farms and in 1888 he removed to Plainfield, where he 
resided for a year, after which he went to Wilmington, where he resided until 
his death. While living on the farm he bred Poland China hogs and Hereford 
cattle. He kept from twenty to thirty cows and did a good dairy business. He 
also carried on general farming and stock-raising and his business interests 
were so carefully managed and his investments so judiciously made that as the 
years passed he acquired a handsome competence that enabled him to live 
retired. On the 30th of April, 1856, Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Miss 
Mary L. Frazer, who was born in Vermilion county, Illinois, December 5, 1834, 
and died in 1906. She was a daughter of Alexander and Mary (Kelley) Frazer, 
natives of Virginia. Her father came to Illinois in 1834 and cast in his lot 
with the pioneer settlers of Vermilion county, while later he removed to Will 
county, taking up his abode in Wesley township, where he lived until the death 
of his wife. He then took up his abode in the village of Wilmington, where he 
passed away in 1872. In their family were four daughters: Mrs. Martin, Sarah, 
Elizabeth and Martha. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Martin were born four children, of 
whom two are now living: Ralph, a resident of Joliet; and Mrs. Clara B. 
Armstrong, of Chicago. Mr. Martin served as school trustee for a number of 
years while living in Kankakee county and was also a newspaper correspondent 
there, writing considerably for different papers. The greater part of his 
life, however, was devoted to general agricultural pursuits and at length he 
was able to enjoy a well earned rest. He passed the eighty-second milestone on 
life's journey, and his activity in former years brought to him a handsome 
competence that enabled him to spend the evening of his days in comfort and 
ease.

Additional Comments:
PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the 
Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1907

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