Martin E. Hitt Biography


	This biography appears on pages 885-888 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	MARTIN E. HITT. -- The subject of this review is an honorable 
representative of an old and highly respected American family, which 
has been closely identified with the history of several states and it 
is also well known that certain of its members have risen to 
distinguished position in the public affairs of the nation. Martin 
Emory Hitt is a native of Ohio and the son of Rev. Thomas and Emily 
Hitt, the father born in Kentucky, the mother in the state of 
Pennsylvania. Thomas Hitt was reared in his native commonwealth and 
when a young man entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, in which capacity he traveled extensively throughout Ohio, 
Indiana and other states, preaching at various points and becoming 
widely and favorably known as an able and faithful minister of the 
gospel. After spending a number of years in the itinerancy he located 
at Urbana, Ohio, but three years later removed to Mt. Morris, Ogle 
county, Illinois, where he subsequently closed a long and useful career 
by retiring from active life on account of failing health. Later he 
took up his residence on a farm near the above city and spent the 
remainder of his days in the enjoyment of the quiet and content which 
he had so nobly earned, dying about the year 1851.  

	Rev. Hitt, in 1830, was united in marriage with Miss Emily John, 
of Pennsylvania, who bore him eight children and departed this life in 
1881. The oldest of the children, a son by the name of John, lives in 
Chicago, where for the last thirty-seven years he has been serving as 
first deputy collector of internal revenue. Hon. Robert R. Hitt, the 
second of the family, was one of the distinguished public men of 
Illinois and for over twenty years represented the old thirteenth 
district in the United States congress. He was first assistant 
secretary of state under James G. Blaine, also served as first 
secretary to the American legation to Paris, France, and accompanied 
General Grant on his tour of the world, having been a warm friend and 
personal confidant of the famous soldier and distinguished ax-
President. His name has not only added luster to his native state, but 
his services to the government in different capacities have won for him 
a conspicuous place among the leading statesmen of the Union. Martin 
Emory Hitt, whose name introduces this sketch, is the third in order of 
birth, the fourth being Elizabeth, widow of Captain Benjamin R. Wagner, 
of Washington county Maryland. Captain Wagner entered the army at the 
beginning of the Civil war as first lieutenant of Company H, Thirty-
fourth Illinois Infantry, was wounded at the battle of Shiloh and after 
his recovery rose to the rank of captain, in which capacity he served 
until the downfall of the rebellion. His military career embraced a 
period of nearly five years, during the greater part of which time he 
was on duty at Rock Island. Subsequently he was honored with various 
public positions, including among others that of deputy United States 
marshal, sheriff, representative and senator, in all of which he 
rendered distinguished service and made himself popular with the 
people. In 1874 he came to Bon Homme county, South Dakota, and 
purchased a large tract of land to which he moved his family four years 
later and from 1878 to his death he was prominently identified with the 
public affairs of his adopted state. He represented Bon Homme county in 
the general assembly from 1882 to 1885 inclusive, served for several 
years as trustee and commissioner of the board of education and was 
also president of the state board of education, in which capacity he 
did much to promote the efficiency of the schools and bring the system 
up to its present high standard of excellence. Captain Wagner possessed 
a broad, well-balanced mind, a keen intellect and ripe judgment, and he 
honored every station in the public service to which he was called. He 
was as deeply interested in local matters as in state affairs and 
during his residence in Bon Homme county encouraged every laudable 
enterprise for the material development of the country and used his 
influence in behalf of all progressive measures for the social, 
educational and moral welfare of his fellow men. He was popular with 
all classes and conditions of people, stood especially high in the 
esteem of the large circle of personal friends who learned to value him 
for his sterling worth and his death, which occurred in February, 1898, 
was deeply lamented by all who knew him. Since the latter year his 
widow has lived with her brother, Martin E., over whose home she 
presides and after whose interests she looks with more than sisterly 
regard. She bore her husband two children, the older of whom, Howard 
H., ex-sheriff of Bon Homme county, is now a prominent resident of the 
county of Charles Mix, where he is quite extensively engaged in farming 
and stock raising. He married Miss Lydia Peck and at this time has a 
family of five children, whose names are Mary E., Benjamin H., Nina M., 
Howard W. and Harold. Walter, the second of Captain Wagner's sons, 
farms the old Wagner homestead and is one of the rising young men of 
the county of Bon Homme. He took up one of the first claims in the 
Yankton reservation, was postmaster at Wagner for some years and also 
conducted a mercantile establishment in that city, of which place he 
was founder and the name of which was given in his honor. Walter Wagner 
married Miss Clara James, of Bon Homme county, and is the father of two 
children, Morris and Francis.  

	Thomas M. Hitt, the fifth of the children of Rev. Thomas and 
Emily Hitt. is a retired farmer and stock raiser, living at this time 
in Tyndall, South Dakota. He served four years in the army as a member 
of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, participated in a number of battles and 
earned an honorable record as a brave, gallant and, under all 
circumstances, faithful and trustworthy soldier.  

	Henry P. Hitt, the next in succession, was also a farmer and 
stock raiser, but, like his older brother, is now living a life of 
retirement in the enjoyment of the fruits of his many years of labor 
and thrift. Margaret, the seventh in order of birth, married A. W. 
Newcomer and lives at Mt. Morris, Illinois, where her husband is 
engaged in business pursuits. Sarah, the youngest of the family, whose 
home is also in Mt. Morris, is the wife of Charles Newcomer, a well-
known and popular resident of that city.  

	Reverting to Martin Emory Hitt, the direct subject of this 
sketch, it is learned that his birth occurred in Urbana, Champaign 
county, Ohio, on April 27, 1836. With his brothers and sisters, he 
received his preliminary education in the schools of Mt. Morris and 
later entered the Rock River Seminary, of Illinois. where he pursued 
his studies until finishing the prescribed course. He remained on the 
old home place in Mt. Morris until the year 1874, when he came to Bon 
Homme county, South Dakota, and, entering three hundred and twenty 
acres of land in Hancock township, began the task of its improvement, 
in which enterprise his labors were in due time crowned with the most 
encouraging success. By persevering industry he soon succeeded in 
reclaiming his land from a wild state and converting it into one of the 
best and most desirable farms in the above township, the meantime 
adding to its area until he now owns six hundred and forty acres, the 
greater part of which is leased to other parties, the portion reserved 
for his own use being largely devoted to pasturage.  

	Mr. Hitt has been a model farmer, but having accumulated an ample 
competence he is no longer under the necessity of laboring for a 
livelihood, consequently he spends the most of his time looking after 
his live-stock interests and managing his other business affairs. Few 
men in the community are as well known and certainly no one individual 
has taken a more active part or exercised greater influence in 
forwarding the development of this section of the state and developing 
its various resources. He encourages and supports every enterprise 
having for its object the material growth of his township and county 
and the interest he has ever manifested in public affairs has given him 
prestige second to that of few of his contemporaries, his generosity, 
unswerving integrity and pronounced ability having gained him a 
distinctive position as an intelligent, broad-minded citizen and 
progressive man of affairs.  

	As already indicated, Mr. Hitt is a man of fine intellectuality 
and, being a wide and discriminating reader, he keeps in close touch 
with the trend of modern thought and with current events, having well 
grounded opinions on the leading questions and issues of the times 
concerning which men and parties are divided. His study of political 
economy and kindred subjects has made him an independent thinker; 
nevertheless he is a politician in the broad sense of the term and 
believes that every good citizen should manifest an abiding interest in 
the elective franchise. Of recent years he has given his allegiance to 
the Populist party as more nearly representing his ideas than any other 
and, while zealous in maintaining the soundness of his convictions and 
active in supporting his favorite candidates, he has never been an 
office seeker in this regard, preferring to labor in behalf of others 
rather than press his own claims to public recognition.  

	Mr. Hitt has never assumed the responsibility of family ties, 
being an unmarried man, and, as already stated, his home at this time 
is presided over by his sister who spares no pains in making the 
domestic circle mutually pleasant and happy. A great lover of home, he 
has done much to beautify the same and add to its comfort and his free-
handed hospitality has attracted to him a large circle of warm friends 
and admirers, who find beneath his roof a welcome characteristic of the 
typical gentleman of the old school. Mr. Hitt's career has been 
eminently honorable and crowned with usefulness and, sustained by 
genuine, popular approval, he is destined long to be remembered as one 
of the leading men and representative citizens of his day and 
generation in the county of Bon Homme.