John Berryman Martin

From Biographical Souvenir of Texas, 1889. Page 571-2.
Copied by J. Edward Johnson, MD.,
Mineral Wells, Texas
Summer 1937


John B. Martin, farmer and stockraiser, was born in Hart County, Kentucky, Nov. 14, 1823. Garland R. Martin, his father, was born in Albermarle County, Virginia, was of French descent, and when a young man moved to Kentucky, where he was employed in farming. He married Miss Betsy Ann Richardson, daughter of Samuel Richardson, of Virginia, and of Scotch-Irish descent. Of the seven children born to these parents, John B. is the fourth, the latter worked mostly for his father when young, and in 1842, came to Texas. He worked one month in Fannin County for Mrs. Damron on Big Caney, then went to Dallas, or where the town is now and camped there with John Nealy Bryant, whose head-right the town was located on. Captain Gilbert and his wife were there then, living in a small cabin on the bank of the Trinity River. In July, 1842, Isaac Young came to Dallas and camped with his family. Bryant, John Pulliam, Long and J.B. Martin cut and carried logs and built Young a cabin. In a short time his wife was confined and died. This was the first person to die in Dallas, and she was buried north of the public Square, some four or five hundred yards. John Pulliam killed a buffalo one night where the public square, now is. In the last of November, J.B. Martin returned to Fannin County and worked for Bob Taylor, for Judge Roberts and for Dr. Rogers. In February 1843, the alarm was given that the Indians had killed Dr. Colder near where the town of McKinney is, while he was on his way from Dallas to the settlement in Fannin County for provisions, with a pack horse. Within fourteen hours twenty five men were in the saddle and on the ground where the doctor was killed, and John B. was one of them. Col Jack Maguire was elected captain and the trail was followed for eight days but the party never got in sight of the murderers. In March, George M. Smith had a Negro man killed one mile from Bonham, but no trail of Indians was found. In April the county seat was moved from old Warren on Red River to where Bonham is now. The first house built was for Wilkes Fletcher for the purpose of holding school. John B. Martin worked there until the spring of 1844, when he went back to Kentucky for a year, and then, in 1845, returned to Texas with his brother, Garland A. Martin. John B. worked as a laborer at Bonham until the spring of 1846, and when L. D. Evans was raising a company to go to the Mexican War, John B. and his brother volunteered, and L. D. Evans was elected captain, and a regiment was formed, and Bill Young elected colonel. It served eight months, when it was mustered out of service. J.B. then hired as a government teamster, and hauled supplies for the army five months, and now receives a pension for his services. In 1847 he returned to Texas, to which state his father had come in the meantime, and whom he found in Peters' Colony. John B., knowing that the head of a family could secure 640 acres of land under the Peters' Colony Act, and that the power to make such grants would expire in 1848, secured for himself a wife in March of that year. And also secured his headright on which he still lives. In 1852 John b. was elected County Commissioner of Collin County, served two years and was re-elected and served two years more. In 1856 John B. was elected Justice of the Peace of Precinct Number 5, and served two years. In 1862 he enlisted in Company I, Captain Throckmorton's Company, Stone's Second Regiment of Partisan Rangers, and served until the close of the war. Mr. Martin married Miss Martha Cook, daughter of Henry Cook, of Virginia, but later of Tennessee and Illinois, and since 1846, of Texas. Mr. Cook served in the War of 1812, and was later a major of militia. Eleven children have been born to Mr. Martin and are named: George W., Emily F., Maria T., Meredith B., Betsy A., John A., Nona J., Allen R., Henry, Lula, and Laura Lee. Mr. Martin is an ardent Free Mason.