Martin M. Travis (1811 - 1898)

Born 4 Jul 1811 in Overton County, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Eliza A. (Thompson) Travis — married 14 Dec 1837 in McLean County, Illinois, United States

Descendants

Died 17 Feb 1898 at age 86 in Fairbury, Indian Grove Township, Livingston, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Martin Travis was born in Tennessee on the 4th of July,1811. He was the son of Jeramiah Travis and Margaret "Peggy" Peek. His parents relocated the family to McLean County, Illinois. Martin married Eliza Thompson on 14 Dec 1837. They settled on a farm in the small community of Belle Prairie in southwest Livingston County. They had ten children. His wife, Eliza died in 1887. Martin passed away at the age of 87 on 17 Feb 1898. He is buried with Eliza in Cooper Cemetery in Livingston County.

Biography ^[1]

MARTIN M. TRAVIS... Mr. Travis is a pioneer of Livingston County, whose farm is located on section 5, Belle Prairie Township. He was born on the 4th of July, 1811, in Overton County, Tenn., and his parents were Jeremiah and Margaret (Peek) Travis, natives of Georgia and Virginia respectively. The father was born in 1788, married in 1807, came to Illinois in 1834, and died in 1871. The mother was two years his senior and died in 1872. The father was a chair and spinning-wheel maker by trade, but devoted considerable of his to the occupation of a farmer. When they removed to Illinois their mode of transportation was by a wagon drawn by oxen, which made their travel necessarily slow. They were the parents of eight children - Susanna, Annie, Martin, John, Pollie, David, Jeremiah, and Nancy. Four of these are now living [1888].

The subject of this sketch was married, on the 14th of December, 1837, to Miss Eliza Thompson, who was born on the 31st of March, 1814, and was the daughter of John B. and Mary (Steers) Thompson, natives of Kentucky. The father was born in 1788, and died in 1882; the mother was born about the same date and died in 1873. They came to Illinois and located in McLean County in the year 1829, where they remained until the occurrence of his death. They were the parents of ten children - Eliza, Johnson, William, Simpson E., James, Lilliard, Serena, Elizabeth, Washington and Mary.

Mr. Travis came to Illinois in 1834, accompanying his parents. His boyhood days and early manhood were so thoroughly devoted to the service of his parents on the farm that he never had an opportunity to attend school for even a single day. At the age of twenty-three he began the struggle of life for himself, and entered forty acres and then 160 more. His farm now consists of 195 acres of well-improved land, on which is a comfortable and commodious residence. Although he is now [1888] in his seventy-seventh year, the latest demonstration of his astonishing vitality was recovering his two-story house with shingles, entirely unaided. Beginning life without any means whatever, through his own industry and the unflagging aid and devotion of his wife, he accumulated lands and means enough to make him thoroughly independent during the balance of his days. Mr. and Mrs. T. had born to them the following children: Mary A., Rachel, John D., Adeline and Francis; besides three deceased, viz: Elizabeth, at the age of eighteen; Serena, at twelve, and Minerva, at thirty-three.

Mrs. Travis for very many years was a devoted and consistent member of the Baptist Church. Our subject has twenty-five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Mr. Travis has been a life-long Democrat and refers with great satisfaction to the fact that he cast his first Presidential vote for Gen. Andrew Jackson.

Sources

1. ↑ Portrait and Biographical Album of Livingston County, Illinois, Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1888; Pages 356, 357; https://archive.org/details/portraitbiograph00chic/page/354/mode/1up

Marriage to Eliza Thompson

• "Illinois Marriages, 1815-1935", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HS83-9SW2 : 13 January 2020), Martin Travis and Eliza Thompson, 14 Dec 1837, McLean County, Illinois, USA.

Census Records

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8R3-F1N : 20 December 2020), Martin Travis, male, age 38, birthplace Tennessee, head of household; Indian Grove Township, Livingston, Illinois, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX4Y-L6W : 18 February 2021), Mark Traviers [Travis], male, age 49, birthplace Tennessee, head of household; Belle Prairie Township, Livingston, Illinois, United States.

• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6HS-PB2 : 29 May 2021), M M Travis, male, age 59, birthplace Tennessee, head of household; Belle Prairie Township, Livingston, Illinois, United States.

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXV8-TCC : 13 January 2022), Martin M. Travis, male, age 68, birthplace Tennessee, farmer, head of household; Belle Prairie Township, Livingston, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .

Death & Burial

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21577453/martin-m-travis: accessed 07 January 2023), memorial page for Martin M Travis (4 Jul 1811–17 Feb 1898), Find a Grave Memorial ID 21577453, citing Cooper Cemetery, Fairbury, Livingston County, Illinois, USA; Maintained by Contributor 46922820 .

Other Family Records

1924 - Death of daughter, Mary M. (Travis) Steers

• "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQ22-QBL : 8 March 2018), Martin M. Travis in entry for Mary Ann Steers, 02 Feb 1924, Fairbury, Livingston, Illinois; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,452,344.

1942 - Death of daughter, Rachel (Travis) Crumbaugh

• "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3C7-V6G : 25 April 2022), Martin Travis in entry for Rachel Travis Crumbaugh, 15 Feb 1944, Le Roy, McLean, Illinois.

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