My Genealogy Hound

JACOB TEUCHNAN MARTZ, lawyer and educator, Greenville; born in Darke Co. Sept. 14, 1833; he is the son of John Martz, who was born in Somerset Co., Penn., in 1798, and settled in Darke Co. in 1829, and now, at the age of 81, is living with his son in Greenville; his wife, Barbara Hardinger, a native of Bedford Co., Penn., died in 1841. Our subject was early trained to self-reliance, and, when but a lad, started out to make his own living as best he could; he obtained the rudiments of an English education in the common schools of his neighborhood, chopping and hauling wood to pay for his tuition; at the age of 18, he began teaching in the country schools, and, by this means and by manual labor, he had accumulated $250 at the time he became of age; he then entered the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, for the scientific course, and graduated in the summer of 1856, and of his educational fund had left $3.50; during the five succeeding years, he was engaged in teaching in his native county, within which time he studied law, under the preceptorship of Judge D. L. Meeker, of Greenville, and was admitted to the bar in 1861. In the spring of 1862, he was elected Superintendent of the public schools of Greenville; in August, 1865, he was appointed Receiver of the Cincinnati & Mackinaw Railroad, which occupied his time for nearly five years; in 1871, he was elected to his present position of Superintendent of the Greenville public schools. In September, 1860, he married Miss Esther M., daughter of James M. Jamison, of Delaware, Ohio; four sons are the issue of this union. Prof. Martz has been for some years the President of the Darke Co. Teachers’ Association, in the organization of which he was prominently active. For twenty years, he has been on the Board of County Examiners, and was for several years Secretary of the county agricultural society. Prof. Martz is one of those who learn the value of a dollar by earning it; by untiring industry, he has acquired a good education and a comfortable competency, and during his career has won and kept the good will of his neighbors; no one questions his integrity, or ability; he is somewhat reserved in his manner, but is socially very agreeable.