My Genealogy Hound

JAMES H. MARTIN is a leading attorney of Murphysboro, and a popular and genial gentleman, who wins friends wherever he goes by the many excellencies of his character and his sterling worth. The record of his life is as follows: He was born in Ripley County, Ind., October 18, 1852, and is a son of William Martin, who was born in Kenton County, Ky. The grandfather, James Martin, was a general farmer, and a native of Kentucky, but his father was born in Virginia. In an early day the latter removed to Kentucky, where he built a log house and opened up a farm. In the Indian massacre of the settlement all of the family were killed except the grandfather of our subject. He afterward removed to Ohio, where he carried on farming for some years. His last days were spent in the home of his son William, and he died in 1864, at the age of ninety years.

When about twenty-nine years of age William Martin purchased and cleared land near Holton, Ind., becoming the owner of a fine farm of two hundred acres. In 1866 he removed to Richland County, Ill., where he had previously purchased land, and carried on general farming until his death, in 1881, at the age of fifty-nine. In religious belief he was a Universalist, and in politics was a conservative Democrat. He married Caroline Behymer, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of John Behymer, who was born in Pennsylvania. Her grandfather was a native of Germany, and after emigrating to America made his home in the Keystone State. Her father was a miller by trade, and in the early days of Indiana he erected a horse-mill in Ripley County. Later he built a water-mill on Otter Creek, and carried on that business until 1858, when he removed to Boone County, Ill., continuing the same business until called to his final rest, at the age of sixty-five. He, too, was a Universalist. He had three sons who supported the Republican party, and who were numbered among the brave boys in blue during the late war. Mrs. Martin is still living on the old home of three hundred and fifty acres in Richland County, at the age of sixty-four. In the family were thirteen children, twelve of whom grew to mature years, while ten are still living.

The subject of this sketch was reared upon the home farm until twelve years of age, and then accompanied his parents to Illinois. His education was acquired in the schools of Noble, and at the age of twenty-one he began teaching, which profession he followed for three years. During this time he read law under Judge Preston, of Olney, Ill., and in 1878 he entered the law department of the State University, from which he was graduated in 1880, with the degree of LL. B. In the autumn of that year he came to Murphysboro, and in June, 1881, formed a partnership with Hon. G. W. Hill, which connection has since continued. Mr. Martin is the attorney for the Logan family and for the Abstract Title and Guarantee Company. He drew up the papers and aided in the organization of the City National Bank, of which he is one of the directors. He is an attorney for the Jackson County Homestead Building and Loan Association, and was the attorney for the first building and loan association in this place.

November 13, 1888, Mr. Martin was united in marriage with Miss Lizzie Kennedy, a native of Murphysboro, and a daughter of George Kennedy, a retired merchant and early settler of this place. Mrs. Martin was educated at the normal school in Carbondale and is a cultured and refined lady. They have one daughter, Anna Kennedy. Socially, Mr. Martin is connected with Amity Lodge, I. O. O. F., the United Workmen, which he has represented in the Grand Lodge, and the Knights of Pythias. In politics he is an inflexible adherent of Democratic principles. He is recognized as one of the best judges of the law in southern Illinois and has hardly an equal and no superiors as an attorney.