My Genealogy Hound

JONAS MARTIN, one of the early grape-growers of the town of Portland, and an active business man of Brocton, is a son of Jason and Elmira (Hill) Martin, and was born in the town of Portland, Chautauqua county, New York, November 26, 1828. The Martins and Hills were among the early settled families of Vermont, and many of them served with credit in the Revolutionary struggle for Independence. Zadoc Martin (grandfather) came into this county in 1816 with an ox team, and purchased two hundred and seventy acres of land in the town of Portland. He was accompanied by his wife and four children, none of whom are now living. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, served in the war of 1812, and died in the autumn of 1851, at seventy-three years of age. His son, Jason Martin, (father), came with him in 1816, and settled one and one-half miles east of the village of Brocton, where he followed farming until his death in 1872, when, in the sixty-ninth year of his age. He was a prosperous farmer and an old-time democrat, and married Elmira Hill, of Vermont, who was born in 1808, and passed away in the same year in which her husband died. Her grandfather, Reuben Hill, (maternal great-grandfather), was a gunsmith, and made guns for the Continental army, in which his son, Zimri Hill, (maternal grandfather), served in a light-horse company and lost one of his hands. He was but eighteen years of age when he enlisted in the Continental army, and afterwards served as a soldier in the war of 1812. In 1817, Zimri Hill, the hero of two wars, settled in Portland where he bought three hundred acres, one mile south of Brocton, and where he died in 1844.

Jonas Martin grew to manhood on the farm, and received his education in the common schools and a select school of the town of Portland. He commenced life for himself by working by the month as a farm hand, and in two years acquired sufficient means to purchase a small farm of fifty acres. After farming for some years he engaged in his present business of grape raising and speculating in real estate. He was among the first grape growers in the town of Portland, has over two hundred acres of bearing vineyards, and buys and ships large quantities of grapes.

In 1852 he married Elvira, daughter of Phillip Mericle, of Brocton. Mrs. Martin died in 1887, leaving one child, Jerome P., and in 1889 Mr. Martin united in marriage with Julia E., daughter of William Strasmer, of Buffalo. To this second union has been born one child, a son, William J.

In politics Mr. Martin is a democrat, and has served his town as assessor. He was the first man that ever shipped a full car load of grapes from Brocton. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and of the Knights of Honor.