Shawnee County KS Archives Biographies.....Martin, John 1833 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com September 26, 2006, 4:15 am

Author: James L. King (1905)

HON. JOHN MARTIN.

    HON. JOHN MARTIN, ex-United States Senator, whose portrait is herewith
shown, stands as one of the great and strong men of Kansas. Entering public life
through the avenue of the law, he pursued an upward course until he attained the
honorable ambition of every American statesman,—a place in the United States
Senate. Here his great legal abilities made him a valued coadjutor, in the
handling and solving of some of the most important issues ever brought before
that body.

    John Martin was born November 12, 1833, in Wilson County, Tennessee, and is
a son of Matt and Mary (Penn) Martin. The Martin and Penn families were old
families of lineage and breeding, but, like many others in that locality,
possessed of only limited financial resources. Our subject's home was an ideal
one, its atmosphere being one of family affection and gentle refinement, but
when the time came for the ambitious youth to push out for himself, little but
good wishes could be given him.

    Turning his face Westward, in search of a favorable field of operation, Mr.
Martin reached Tecumseh, Shawnee County, Kansas, on April 8, 1855. After casting
about a little, he decided that here he could complete his law studies, to which
he had already given considerable attention in Tennessee, and, in the words of a
well-known public man, now passed off the theater of life, "grow up with the
country." His ability was almost immediately recognized and he was made
assistant clerk of the first Territorial Legislature. As soon as he was admitted
to the bar, he was made county attorney of Shawnee County and served as county
clerk and register of deeds from 1857 to 1859. From the latter year up to
January, 1861, he was assistant United States attorney.

    In 1861 Mr. Martin opened his office at Topeka, where his legal ability
continued to more and more bring him into prominence, and in 1883 he was
appointed judge of the Third Judicial District, to which office he was
subsequently reelected. In 1873 he was sent to the State Legislature to
represent Shawnee County and again in 1874, and during this period he worked
hard for the best interests of Topeka, securing many advantages for this city,
one of these being the location of the Insane Asylum here. His political
affiliation has always been with the Democratic party and on several occasions
it has insisted on making him the standard-bearer in the contests for
gubernatorial honors. His following has always been large and influential, and
in 1893 he was elected to the United States Senate, to fill the unexpired term
of Senator Plumb. While in Washington his work showed him to be a steadfast
supporter of the principles of his party and a man of broad, enlightened views
and in every sense a true patriot. Judge Martin has served also as clerk of the
Supreme Court of Kansas. He still continues in the practice of his profession at
Topeka, where he is justly numbered with the eminent members of the bar.

    Judge Martin was married November 12, i860, to Caroline Clements, who was a
daughter of Judge C. B. Clements, of Tecumseh, and they have had three children,
viz.: Charles C, deceased; Hon. John E., who is not only the mayor of Emporia,
Kansas, but is the first Democratic mayor the city has ever elected; and Carrie,
an accomplished lady who is the competent stenographer of the Kansas State
Historical Society.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS
AND
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

EDITED AND COMPILED BY
JAMES L. KING
TOPEKA, KANSAS 

"History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples"

PUBLISHED BY
RICHMOND & ARNOLD,
GEORGE RICHMOND; C. R. ARNOLD.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,
1905.


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