Estill County KyArchives Biographies.....Martin, Jackson H. unknown - April 1902 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ky/kyfiles.html ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sandi Gorin http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00002.html#0000404 April 1, 2005, 7:19 pm Author: History of Atchison County, Kansas. by Sheffield Ingalls - 1916. Jackson H. Martin, or "Uncle Jack," as he was commonly called, was reared in Estill County, married there, and in 1855 bought his family to Buchanan County, Missouri, where he lived one year. In the spring of 1856 he came to Kansas and settled at Mormon's Grove. The place derived its name through being a former Mormon emigrant settlement. It was about five miles from Atchison. "Uncle Jack" and his family occupied the Mormon cabin until he could build one of his own. He preempted a quarter section of land at this point and engaged in farming. A native of Kentucky, a Democrat as well, he naturally became involved in the turmoil of events preceding the Civil War. For the protection of himself and family, he built a double wall of stone and earth around his dwelling. This caused it to be called Ft. Martin. The place was attacked one night by Jayhawkers who were after horses. The attacking party were driven off without booty and several of their number were wounded. "Uncle Jack" continued to reside at Ft. Martin until 1878, when he became a resident of Effingham. He built the Martin Hotel and conducted it for a number of years. He was a success as a host, his hotel was family for its cookery and hospitality and Effingham the gainer by his coming. His death occurred in April, 1902, at the age of ninety years. He had lived an eventful life, had watched Kansas grow from a sparsely settled, faction-torn border state to one of the most prosperous agricultural commonwealths of the Union. He had met many of the most famous men of her formative period, and was a personal friend of John A. MARTIN, Paddy BROWN, Governor GLICK and Charles ROBINSON. His wife, Polly WALTERS, whom he married in Estill Springs, KY., died in April, 1895. They were the parents of four children: Ann Elizabeth, the wife of William HIGHT, of Fremont County, Colorado; Sidney, the subject of this review; Mary W., widow of Gilbert KEITHLINE, of Atchison County, and Sally, widow of Henry WOODARD. Twins died in infancy. Martha died at the age of sixteen years. Sally (Martin) Woodard was born in Estill County, Kentucky, in 1852, and came with her parents to Kansas in 1856. She was reared on the old Martin farm in Atchison County, and in 1869 married Henry WOODARD, who was born in Evansville, Ind., in 1844. He was a son of Philander Henry Woodard, who came to Atchison in the early sixties and engaged in the milling business. After his marriage, Henry Woodard settled on a farm in Jackson County, where he remained until 1874, when he located in Effingham and engaged in the mercantile business. He followed this line of occupation until a few years before his death which occurred May 30, 1914. He is survived by his widow and the following children: Philander Henry, Jack Martin, Gilbert Campbell, Dorothy, wife of Elmer PERCIVAL, of Sheridan County, Kansas; Helen Lee wife of Rolla TALIAFERRO; and Sally Bernice, a student in the Atchison Business College. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ky/estill/bios/martin25nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/kyfiles/