Constantin Joseph Martin (1832 - 1902)

Born 12 Dec 1832 in Sourans, Doubs, France

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 23 Oct 1902 at age 69 in San Jose, California, United States

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Biography

Constant Martin has French origins.

Constant Martin migrated from France to USA.

Constantin "CJ" Martin was a pioneer in Cass County, Nebraska, having moved to the area from Sourans, France via Ohio and Indiana. His biography was included in a biographical sketch book of prominent citizens of the area.^[1]

C.J. MARTIN. Among the many fine farms in Cass County, whose broad acres, yielding abundant harvests, affording evidence of skillful and careful cultivation, and with their commodious and substantial farm buildings and neat surroundings, forming a pleasant feature in the landscape, those of our subject, one in Plattsmouth Township, where he makes his home, and the other in Rock Bluff Township, are as valuable as any. Mr. Martin is numbered among the early pioneers of this county, and his fortunes have grown with its growth, as he has risen from poverty to affluence, by the exercise of a steady determination to succeed by thrifty and industrious habits.

The birthplace of our subject was in the north of France, Dec. 12, 1832. His father, Charles Martin, who was born in the same locality, was reared to agricultural pursuits. At the age of twenty-one he joined the army, and served four years, was with his regiment in the war with Spain, and fought in some of the most important battles. In one of these he was severely wounded and was discharged from the service on account of disability. He returned to his native France, and followed farming there for several years, employing his time in the winter season in a woodwork establishment. In 1842, with his wife and six children, he set sail from Havre on an American-bound vessel, and landed at New York twenty-four days later. He located in Stark County, Ohio, buying a tract of partly improved land there, and engaged in farming there for two years. He then sold and moved to Indiana, going by the lake and in wagons, as there were no railways in that part of the country in that day. He bought land in Allen County, seven miles north of Ft. Wayne, then a small village. He built a hewed log house of the most primitive style, there being no sawed lumber or nails used in its construction, split puncheon was used for floor, door and window casings, and the roof was made of shakes, held in place by the weight of poles. In the years of hard labor that followed he performed the pioneer task of clearing a farm, which remained his home until his death in 1862. The maiden name of his wife was Frances Misgny, and she was also a native of France. She now lives on the old homestead, at the venerable age of eighty-six years. They were the parents of nine children, seven of whom grew to maturity, as follows: August, C. J., Lizzie, Delphis, Jane, Mary, Christina. The two youngest were born in America.

Our subject was ten years of age when he left the home of his birth in France, and accompanied his parents to this country. He had attended school in his native land in the winter season, and as soon as large enough he had been set to herding cattle in summer. After coming to America he assisted his father in clearing a farm, continuing to live with his parents until he was twenty-one. He had, however, commenced working out at fourteen years of age, being thus employed the greater part of the year, receiving from $8 to $10 a month in payment for his services. When he attained his majority he commenced to run an engine in a furniture factory, his wages amounting to $7 a week, out of which he had to pay his board. He ran the engine for three years, when the company suspended. He was then engaged as an engineer in a round house at Ft Wayne. In the fall of 1857 he started for the Territory of Nebraska, accompanied by his wife, coming by rail to St. Louis, and thence by steamer to Plattsmouth. This was then but a little hamlet, with a few habitations, four stores, and a saw and grist mill. The land around here was held by the claimants, who asked exorbitant sums for their claims, and as our subject's means were limited he could not afford to buy a claim and enter it at the land-office, as the men were all banded together to defend their property. As he could not get land he sought employment in a sawmill one winter, and then bought a pair of oxen and engaged at teaming.

In 1859 he prepared to go to Pike's Peak, but before he started emigrants returning from there told such discouraging stories of their ill-luck that he concluded not to venture. He rented a farm three miles south of the city, and three years later he had been so prosperous since coming to the Territory that he was enabled to buy it. He continued to reside on that place until June, 1885. During that time he had been more than ordinarily successful in his work, had made money, and invested it in land, and had become the owner of 363 acres in Plattsmouth, all in one body. Besides he has thirty acres of valuable timber land in this township, and a fine farm of eighty acres in Rock Bluff Township. On his Plattsmouth farm he has erected a commodious, conveniently arranged brick house, and a stone barn, besides besides a good set of frame buildings.

Mr. Martin was married, March 3, 1857, to Miss Lucy Pangnard, and they have four children living; Charles L., May N., Lillie Rose and Effie Belle. Mrs. Martin was born in the village of Moutier, the Canton of Berne, Switzerland. Her father, Luther Pangnard, was born in Renau, in the same canton, and his father, David Pangnard, was also a native of Moutier, his wife's name Augustine, born in Jocot Guillarnod, where he spent his entire life, working at his trade of watchmaker. Mrs. Martin's father, Luther Pangnard, was reared on a farm, and in early manhood married Jane Susan Frances Achpacker, also a native of the Canton of Bern. Her father, Jean Pierre Achpacker, was born in the same canton, of German parentage. In the spring of 1850 Mr. Pangnard set sail from Havre, with is family on board an American-bound vessel "Metoka," and in the month of May, twenty-six days later, landed at New York with his wife and four children. He located in Newville, thirty miles south of Ft. Wayne, and renting land there, began to carry on farming. But his health soon failed and in August, 1851, he passed away from the scenes of earth. Mrs. Martin's mother died at the home of a daughter, Adelia Zemmermann, in St. Joseph, Mo. She had been twice married. By her first marriage she had four children, namely: Lucy, Adelia, Elizabeth and Luther. Lucy was born Jan. 12, 1839, and was eleven years old when she emigrated to America. By her first husband's death the mother had been left in poverty with four children, and as she had not the means to support them properly, she yielded them to the care of strangers, and Mrs. Martin went to Ft. Wayne, and there found good homes with strangers, and earned her own living, residing there until her marriage. She is a most estimable lady, an excellent housewife, who looks carefully after her household and the comfort of its inmates, and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Martin is a valuable and useful member of this community, standing high as a man and, a citizen. In his home he is all that a good husband and a kind father can be, and in his relations with his neighbors he is uniformly obliging and courteous.^[1]

Family arriving in New York on 22 April 1843 on the Duchess d'Orleans

First name(s)	Last Name	Gender	Age	Arrival Date
Charles	Martin	Male	41	22 Apr 1843
Jeanne	Martin	Female	41	22 Apr 1843
Auguste	Martin	Male	12	22 Apr 1843
Monstance	Martin	Male	10	22 Apr 1843
Elise	Martin	Female	8	22 Apr 1843
Delphin	Martin	Male	6	22 Apr 1843
Eugenie	Martin	Female	2	22 Apr 1843

San Jose Evening News, Oct. 24, 1902. "MARTIN—In East San Jose, Oct. 23, 1902, C. J. Martin, husband of Lucy Martin and father of Belle and Lucy Martin and Mrs. C. L. Coaemer and Charles L. Martin of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, a native of France, aged 69 years and 10 months."

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Portrait and Biographical Album of Otoe and Cass Counties, Nebraska (Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1889). Online [1]

See also:

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHVF-LYW : accessed 6 April 2016), August Martin in household of Charles Martin, Perry, Allen, Indiana, United States; citing family 2748, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). lives with parents in Perry, Allen County, Indiana
• "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHDS-JVZ : accessed 6 April 2016), C J Martin, Nebraska, United States; citing p. 15, family 116, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,327. 1870 in Rock Bluffs, Nebraska. Lives with wife, Lucy, son Charles
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8Y4-C6M : accessed 6 April 2016), Constan J Martin, Rock Bluffs, Cass, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district ED 264, sheet 205A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0744; FHL microfilm 1,254,744. lives in Nebraska. Farming. Wife Lucy, CHildren Charles, Nettie May,
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3BL-R3S : accessed 6 April 2016), Joseph Martin, Plattsmouth city Ward 3, Cass, Nebraska, United States; citing sheet 4B, family 71, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,240,919. lives in Nebraska with wife, daughter Lillie Rose, and Belle Martin
• "The Deaths." The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana). 25 Oct 1902: p. 4, col. 5. Print.
• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6RF-5RB : 18 February 2021), C J Maitin, 1860.
• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHDS-JVZ : 29 May 2021), C J Martin, 1870.
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8Y4-C6M : 21 December 2021), Constan J. Martin, Rock Bluff, Cass, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
• "Nebraska State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3XJ-HFJ : 2 March 2021), C J Martin, 1885; citing NARA microfilm publication M352 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 499,535.
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3BL-R3S : accessed 23 December 2021), Joseph Martin, Plattsmouth city Ward 3, Cass, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 12, sheet 4B, family 71, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,919.
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229658462/c-joseph-martin