Eben Wever Martin Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1575-1576 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	HON. EBEN WEVER MARTIN, one of the representative lawyers of South 
Dakota, maintaining his residence in the city of Deadwood, is a native 
of Maquoketa, Jackson county, Iowa, where he was born on the 12th of 
April, 1855, being a son of James W. and Lois Hyde (Wever) Martin, the 
former of whom was born in Vermont and the latter in the state of New 
York. The father of the subject was numbered among the pioneers of the 
Hawkeye state and was prominently identified with its industrial and 
commercial development, while during the war of the Rebellion he 
rendered valiant service in defense of the Union, being captain of 
Company I, Twenty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. His grandfather, John 
Martin, was a soldier under General Washington in the war of the 
Revolution. The agnatic ancestry traces back to staunch Scotch-Irish 
stock, while the maternal genealogy is of English derivation. 

	Eben W. Martin received his early educational discipline in the 
public schools of his native town, and after completing a course in the 
high school in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, he went to the city of St. Louis, 
where he was employed as bookkeeper for four years. He then entered 
Cornell College, at Mount Vernon, Iowa where he completed the classical 
course and was graduated as a member of the class of 1879, while in 1882 
his alma mater conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts. He had 
in the meanwhile determined to adopt the profession of law as his 
vocation in life and with this end in view was matriculated in the law 
department of the Michigan State University, at Ann Arbor, where he 
continued his technical studies during the years 1879-80. In March of 
the latter year he was admitted to the bar of the state of Iowa and in 
August established himself in Deadwood, Dakota territory, and entered 
upon the active practice of his profession. His ability and his devotion 
to his work soon gained to him marked prestige and he stands today in 
the front rank of the active law practitioners of the state, while he 
has taken an active part in public and civic affairs and is one of the 
honored citizens of Deadwood. He has ever given a staunch allegiance to 
the Republican party, and in 1884-5 served as a member of the 
territorial legislature. He was for several years a member of the board 
of trustees of South Dakota State Normal School at Spearfish, and for 
three terms rendered effective service as president of the board of 
education of his home city. In 1900 Mr. Martin was elected to represent 
his district in the halls of congress, where his record has been a most 
creditable one, as may be inferred from the fact that he was chosen as 
his own successor in the election of November, 1902, and nominated again 
by acclamation in 1904. Mr. Martin has been signally loyal to the state 
of his adoption and has manifested an abiding faith in its future while 
he has accumulated financial and real-estate interests of importance in 
Lawrence, Pennington, Custer and Fall River counties. Fraternally he is 
identified with the Sons of the American Revolution and the Iowa 
Commandery of the Loyal Legion. Cornell College conferred upon Mr. 
Martin the degree of Doctor of Laws in June, 1904. He and his wife are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

	At Cedar Falls, Iowa, on the 13th of June, 1883, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Martin to Miss Jessie Arvilla Miner, who was born in 
the same city, being a daughter of George N. and Artemisia G. Miner, who 
were residents of Cedar Falls at the time of her marriage but who later 
took up their abode in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Following are the 
names of the children of the subject, together with respective dates of 
birth: George M., January 14 1885: Lois W., January 31, 1887; Paul E., 
December 28, 1889; Charles E., October 21, 1892, and Jessie A., May 26, 
1896.