Shaver, F. A., Arthur P. Rose, R. F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, compilers.  "An
Illustrated History of Central Oregon." ("Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam,
Wheeler, Crook, Lake, & Klamath Counties")  Spokane, WA: Western Historical
Publishing Co., 1905.  p. 503.
 
JOHN RUSCO MARTIN 

     is one of the substantial agriculturists of Sherman county and has gained
his present holding by virtue of his industry and thrift since coming here. He
resides now about three miles southeast from Moro, where he has a fine estate of
four hundred acres. He has bought and sold much land since coming to the county
and has largely given his attention to farming and stock raising. He was born in
Chautauqua county, New York, on March 9, 1831. John Allen Martin, his father,
was a native of Glasgow, Scotland and came to the United States when sixteen
years of age, being a drummer boy in the British Navy. He settled in Chautauqua
county, New York, and there married. Our subject  was six years of age when the
family moved to Ohio and there engaged in farming. Later, the father took up the
woolen manufacture business and about 1850, moved to Pennsylvania and bought a
woolen mill. Later he sold out and started in near Waterford, Erie county. Four
years later, this property was destroyed by fire and then they moved to
Wisconsin where he farmed until his death. In 1853, our subject, being one of a
company of eighteen young men, crossed the plains with ox teams to Hangtown,
California. For eighteen months he wrought in the mines, then bought a pack
train and went to Salt Lake City where he met his wife and two children, who had
come on from Pennsylvania. After wintering in Salt Lake City, they journeyed on
to San Bernardino, California, where Mr. Martin farmed about three years and
operated a steam sawmill for a short time. Then he went to Alameda county and
did diversified farming. After that, he was in Los Angeles county and did
farming for fifteen years. He operated a threshing outfit for a short time, but
owing to the fact that he lost three crops in succession and to a defect in the
title of his land, he lost nearly his entire property. Selling as best he could
what little he had left, he came on to Oregon, landing here in May, 1880. After
spending a year in Umatilla county, he took up the place where he now lives and
since then, this has been his headquarters for his operations.
     In Waterford township, Erie county, Pennsylvania, in 1851, Mr. Martin
married Jane C. Brown., who was born in Green township in the same county. Her
parents, Ezekiel and Catherine (SIauson) Brown, were natives of Pennsylvania and
descended from Pennsylvania-Dutch stock. Mr. Martin has one brother, James,
living in Sherman county, and one sister, Hulda, the widow of Dan Troops, in
Geneva, Ohio. Mrs. Martin has three sisters living ; Eliza, wife of George Rust,
in Utah ; Amelia, wife of Andrew McComb, in Utah ; and Isadore, the wife of Mr.
Peck, in Utah. Mr. and Mrs. Martin have the following named children ; Dwight,
near Marysville, California; Leroy H., near our subject, a farmer ; Wilbert, in
Morrow county, Oregon; Julius, in Moscow, Idaho; Harvey U., a farmer near Kent,
Oregon ; Elwin, at home with subject ; Etta, single, living in Moro.
     Since the organization of the Republican party, our subject has been a
member of the same although he has not been especially active in this realm. For
fifteen years, he has been school director and has always labored for the
welfare of the country and community. Mr. and Mrs. Martin are excellent people,
highly esteemed and among the best citizens of the county.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2010 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.