My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of Miami County, Ohio published by W. H. Beers & Co. in 1880.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

DAVID J. MARTIN, P. O. and residence Covington; is a son of Jacob Martin, and grandson of John Martin; his grandfather came from “Morrison’s Cove,” Penn., through Cincinnati, Ohio, and located in Warren Co., when there was but one frame building in Cincinnati. Jacob grew to manhood in Warren Co., and was married first to Abigail Thomas, who was of a Quaker family, and the mother of David J.; they removed to this county in 1830, and located in this township, near Clayton. Mr. Martin was a millwright, and built a great many mills in this vicinity; he laid out the town of Clayton, and was a useful and respected citizen; he removed to Iowa in 1852 and died there in 1856, at the age of 68. The subject of this sketch was born in Warren Co. in 1829, but grew up in Miami Co.; he learned the blacksmith’s trade in a machine shop in Piqua, and followed his trade here and in Piqua, until 1862. He enlisted in the United States Army, was mustered with the 110th O. V. I. and remained in the service until after he witnessed the surrender of Lee, at Appomattox; since his return he has invented, or rather perfected the invention of a “tweer” for blacksmith’s forges, for which he has a patent, and which is now in very general use; he also invented an automatic car-coupler, which ought to be in general use, and would be, but for the parsimoniousness of railroad corporations, who place more value on a few dollars than upon the lives and limbs of their servants; he has also patented an animal-trap, which has been quite extensively introduced, and is meeting with general favor. He organized the Covington Silver Mining Company, who purchased a mine near Rosita, in Custer Co., Colo., which is now being successfully operated by a Philadelphia company that have it leased. In 1873, he organized what is known as the Covington Stone Company of which he is the only resident member, and of which he has had the sole charge. The company now employ from five to fifteen hands, and are shipping stone to all points within reasonable distance, their sales amounting to about $8000 per year. Mr. Martin is an active, wide-awake business man, and an old, respected citizen of Covington. His residence is situated on the Piqua pike, near the eastern corporate limits. He was married in 1851 to Miss Mary, daughter of Samuel Thompson, whose biography also appears in this work.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 964 biographies included in The History of Miami County, Ohio published in 1880 by W. H. Beers & Co.  For the complete description, click here: Miami County, Ohio History and Genealogy

View additional Miami County, Ohio family biographies here: Miami County, Ohio Biographies

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.