My Genealogy Hound

James A. Martin, one of the most prominent civil engineers and surveyors in Arkansas, residing at 607 West Fifth Street, Little Rock, was born in Pulaski County, Ark., and has made Little Rock his home almost all of his life. His father was Jared C. Martin, a native of what was then the Cherokee Nation, in Georgia, who was a son of John and Elizabeth (Allen) Martin, of Ireland. The grandparents removed from Georgia to Cape Girardeau, Mo., by wagon, at an early period, where their son, Jared C, was reared, and remained until his fifteenth year, when he came to Pulaski County to join a brother, Hutchison Martin, who had preceded him about three years. The brother was living at that time on the river front, opposite the foot of Main Street. The site has long since been washed away, and the Arkansas River now flows where his house stood. Jared operated a ferry boat for his brother for some time after his arrival, and then carried the mail for two years from Little Rock to Arkansas Post. He was subsequently engaged in farming, and followed that calling for the remainder of his life. He represented Pulaski County in the State legislature two terms, and was then appointed to fill an unexpired term of Gen. John Hutt, who was removed from the office of State treasurer, and at the expiration of that term was elected for the succeeding one. His death occurred on November 7, 1857, at the age of fifty-one years. His wife before marriage was Miss Mary Douglass, of Sumner County, Tenn., who was born in 1809. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom five are yet living, four sons and one daughter: James A., William A., Mollie D. (wife of James J. Martin, of Little Rock), Jared C., Jr., and Henry G. (also civil engineers at Little Rock). The mother died February 14, 1877, at the age of sixty-eight years, and both parents are buried on the old homestead in Fourche Township, Pulaski County. They were members of the Christian Church, and devout Christian people. James A., the principal of this sketch, was reared on the homestead farm, and received the best education offered by the schools of that period. His father at one time erected a school-house himself, and employed the best teachers to be found, but afterward sent James to Sumner County, Tenn., where he attended school for one year. After his return to Arkansas he commenced farming, and when twenty-two years old, he was married to Miss Huldah Tracy Toncray, of Memphis, Tenn., a daughter of Silas T. and Orpah (Hansbrough) Toncray. After his marriage he continued farming for one year, and then purchased his present residence. Mr. Martin studied surveying with a man by the same name, but no relation, and in the fall of 1853, he commenced surveying for the Government, remaining at that occupation for six years. He put in four years as deputy State treasurer, under treasurers John Quindley and Oliver Basham, and was appointed treasurer on the death of the latter, who was killed at Pilot Knob, Mo. During the last two years of the war he was a member of Capt. Watkins’ company, in Hawthorne’s regiment, and served as clerk in the adjutant’s office, under Gen. Fagan most of the time. He subsequently served in the same capacity under Gen. Hawthorne, and spent the last four months of his service in the Topographical Bureau of the engineer’s department, at Shreveport, La. Since the war he has been engaged in engineering and surveying over the States of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Indian Territory, and assisted in locating the Cairo & Fulton Railroad (now the Iron Mountain), and the Little Rock & Fort Smith Railway, also the Little Rock, Mississippi River & Texas Railroad, the road from Monticello to Texarkana, also from Van Buren, Ark., to Arkansas City, Kas. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Martin, of whom four are yet living: Silas C. (a civil engineer, of Little Rock, who was married to Miss Fannie E. Martin), Mollie O. (wife of Charles Fowler, in charge of the city trade for C. F. Penzel & Co.), Frank Douglas and James Cook. The entire family are members of the Christian Church, to which Mr. Martin has belonged since 1848, and has been connected with the Little Rock church of that denomination since 1853, holding the office of elder. He is also a member of the Arkansas Society of Surveyors and Engineers.