George Washington Martin (1853 - 1928)

Born 12 Apr 1853 in Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Died 2 Jan 1928 at age 74 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Biography

George was born on April 12, 1853, in Illinois. His father was Zachariah S. Martin.^[1] Nancy Catherine Logan Martin was George's mother. George's parents were married on October 21, 1843, in Carroll, Indiana.^[2][3]

George married Celia Ann Matney in 1885.^[4] Celia was ten years younger than George, being born in Kansas in July of 1863.^[5][6]

1889 Oklahoma Land Rush.[7]

Along with his wife, Celia, George, participated in the federal government's Oklahoma Land Rush ^[8] , aka The Land Run of 1889.

The 1889 Oklahoma Land Run: video

George and Celia staked out land near what is now known as LaHoma, Oklahoma. According to the Oklahoma Historical Society, some fifty thousand land-hungry land seekers charged the newly opened lands on April 22, 1889, to make their claim on 160 acres of free land. It was a date that would go down in the Manifest Destiny archives of the 100 year-old nation.

Residing in the Oklahoma Territory, in the year 1900, in a place called Van Township in the county of Woods, Oklahoma, George and Celia were farming, while minding four children:^[4]

1. Cora Iona Martin Gardner., b. Jun 1886, in Nebraska.
2. Mary M., b. Sep 1888, in Nebraska.
3. Letha Iona Martin Wyatt, b. Jan 1892, in Nebraska.
4. George W., b. 1898, in Oklahoma. (looks like George Jr. died young)

Working as a carpenter in the year 1910, George was living in Comanche County, Oklahoma, with his wife, Celia, and three children:^[9]

1. George Thaddeaus Martin, b. 3 Mar 1902, in Lahoma, Oklahoma; he married Beulah.^[10]
2. Charley Bryan Martin, b. 10 Aug 1901, in Lahoma, Oklahoma.^[11]
3. John Leonard Roosevelt Martin, b. 29 Feb 1904, In Temple, Cotton County, Oklahoma.^[12]

The year 1920, finds George working as a carpenter in Oklahoma City. Living with him are his wife, Celia Ann, and three sons:^[13]

1. George T., 21 years, working as a house painter.
2. Charles B., 19 years old.
3. John L., 15 years old.

George's youngest son, John Leonard, was called Pepper Martin,^[14] a notable major league baseball player. Pepper was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals' World Series Champion team, called the Gashouse Gang, during the 1934 baseball season.^[15]

George passed away at the age of 74 on January 2, 1928, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is buried at the Rose Hill Burial Park in Oklahoma City.^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ Ancestry.com. Early Members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Black, Harvey B. Early Members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 6 vols. Provo, UT.Ancestry Record 5144 #14520
2. ↑ "Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXVM-72B : 10 February 2018), Zachariah S Martin and Nancy C Logan, 26 Oct 1843; citing Carroll, Indiana, United States, Marriage Registration, Indiana Commission on Public Records, Indianapolis; FHL microfilm 004203304.
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 29 January 2021), memorial page for Zachariah S. Martin (29 Sep 1820–2 Jul 1899), Find A Grave: Memorial #84253826 ; Maintained by Simmons Family (contributor 47450990) Unknown.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} ["United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMGP-5L7 : accessed 29 January 2021), George W Martin, Van Township, Woods, Oklahoma Territory, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 241, sheet 2B, family 44, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,344.
5. ↑ "Kansas State Census, 1865", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL68-6K61 : 12 March 2020), Selia Matney in entry for Charles Matney, 1865, Douglas, Kansas, U.S. Household ID 44, Line 27.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCJ2-GXS : 1 January 2021), Celia Matney in entry for Charles Matney, 1870, Willow Springs, Douglas, Kansas, U.S., Household ID 98, Line 34.
7. ↑ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Our_public_lands_-_Vol._26,_No._3,_Summer_1976_(IA_ourpubliclandsvo19unit).pdf Courtesy of Fae at Wikimedia Commons
8. ↑ Obituary for Celia Ann Martin; The Daily Oklahoman, 1Nov 1956
9. ↑ Year: 1910; Census Place: Temple Ward 3, Comanche, Oklahoma; Roll: T624_1248; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 0038; FHL microfilm: 1375261; Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Ancestry Record 7884 #22807055 * Ancestry Sharing Link
10. ↑ Steelworks Center of the West; Pueblo, CO; Ancestry.com. Colorado, Steelworks Employment Records, 1887-1979 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.Ancestry Record 61411 #189129 * Ancestry Sharing Link
11. ↑ The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Oklahoma, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 316; Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947Ancestry Record 2238 #14000705 * Ancestry Sharing Link
12. ↑ The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Oklahoma, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 317. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947. Ancestry Record 2238 #13632085 * Ancestry Sharing Link
13. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN1Z-GC3 : 24 January 2021), George W Martin, 1920, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma. Household ID 272, Line 27.
14. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Pepper Martin," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pepper_Martin&oldid=991317092 (accessed February 2, 2021).
15. ↑ Base Reference; 1934 St. Louis Cardinals Statistics
16. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images: accessed 29 January 2021), memorial page for George Washington Martin (12 Apr 1853–2 Jan 1928), Find A Grave: Memorial #64288640, citing Rose Hill Burial Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, USA ; Maintained by Emily Jordan (contributor 47063153) .

Acknowledgements

• Image of George provided by fantzama41 at Ancestry.com.