Bio: Martin, William E. (1849 - ?)

Contact: Lisa Winner Haas

Email: lwinner2@verizon.net

Surnames: Martin, Sanders, Machlett, Grundig, Brandstater

----Source: Rib Lake History - by Robert P. Rusch, Rib Lake Herald: Annotated Chronology - Volume 1: 1902-1911

8 Aug 1902 - Politics - County Clerk William Martin was in the village today and renewed his old acquaintances. He is the same old jolly William of yore. He is a candidate for re-nomination for the second term, and will get it. The Republicans of Taylor County never turn down a man who has made a good record while in office for the last two years."

*Martin lived in the Town of Greenwood just south of the Rib River. I believe one of his sons was Ed Martin - famous Rib Lake historian.

8 Aug 1902 - County Clerk William Martin was in the village today and renewed his old acquaintances. He is the same old jolly William of yore. He is a candidate for re-nomination for the second term, and will get it. The Republicans of Taylor County never turn down a man who has made a good record while in office for the last two years."

19 Sep 1902 - WOMEN WILL VOTE. "Will cut a big figure in county and state school matters. ¶ The women's vote will doubtless cut more a figure in school matters in the coming election than many think. In this village a large vote will be cast in the women's clubs throughout the state and will become active in seeing that women cast their votes for state and county superintendents. ¶ To make this matter a success, it is imperative that the candidacing committee should be strictly non-partisan, and should make it distinctly understood that they are candidacing for no candidate, but simply for the purpose of securing such a vote as will show that the women of the place appreciate the right of sufferage in school matters. ¶ Clubs ought also to endeavor to get out the vote in adjoining towns and villages where there are no clubs. There will be no registration in towns and villages, so that the matter can be taken up at any time during October."

It sounds as if women were only allowed to vote in school board elections. The Sept. 19 edition of The Herald also includes "County Clerk Martin has promulgated the notification by Secretary of State Froehlich of the official opinion by Attorney General Hicks that "separate ballot boxes shall be furnished at every election precinct in the state, and at every primary, general, municipal or special election, for the use of women desiring to vote on school matters, and separate ballots also for the use of said women." [emphasis added]

24 Oct 1902 - [the front page] "The men on the Republican ticket. They deserve the support of every citizen who favors clean, honest office order." "It is with pleasure that The Herald presents the readers with a biographical sketch of the Republican candidates, to be voted at the coming general election, which falls on the 4th day of November of this year. ¶ Every one of the Republican candidates is a man of honor and integrity and no voter should hesitate to cast his vote for them. Moreover, every one of the Republican nominees is competent to fill and discharge his duties for the office for which he is aspiring. ¶ County Clerk William Martin, who has served one term and was re-nominated, is one of the pioneer citizens of Taylor County. Before being elected to this office he resided on his farm in the Town of Greenwood, and was very popular there and in the Town of Chelsea. He was born in Germany and moved to Sheboygan County about 30 years ago, later coming to Taylor County, where he has lived every since. He held the office of town clerk in Greenwood for 14 years, and spent two years as supervisor for the Town of Chelsea. He was a delegate to Milwaukee to receive Prince Henry and help entertain him in that city. Mr. Martin has proven himself to be one of the best clerks the county has ever had.
Punctual, unassuming and obliging, and with a cheerful word for his neighbor, he has the warm friendship of both republicans and
democrats. Vote for him!

On the same page is an article for Peter Waschatka. "Peter Waschatka, the independent Republican candidate for sheriff was born at Beloit 41 years ago and there received his early school education. His ancestors are Germans. He has lived in Taylor County about 23 years, for a short time in Rib Lake and Westboro, and during the past 18 years at Chelsea. He was undersheriff for a short term 16 years ago. Mr. Waschatka has friends wherever he is known, because he is honest, and cheerful and minds his own business."  *No explanation of the term independent Republican candidate is made.

11 Sep 1903- Agriculture - "County Clerk Martin has compiled from the assessor's report statements of the total crop yield for 1902 and the total number of acres plated this year. Number of bushels harvested last year, wheat 7,831, corn 1245, oats 88,860, barley 9,290, rye 9,652, flaxseed 17, potatoes 66,298; other root crops, 5,818, hay 13,064 tons, butter 173,229 pounds; cheese 79,450 pounds. Number acres seeded this year, wheat 544, corn 100, oats 3,136, barley 436, rye 508, flaxseed 4, potatoes 635, other root crops 22, cultivated grass 6,661.”

4 Nov 1904 - Politics & Greenwood & Germania - THE LOCAL REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. WILLIAM E. MARTIN FOR COUNTY CLERK. "The popularity of County Clerk William E. Martin has been attested in two elections. Two years ago he had the largest majority of any county candidate. He has ably conducted the business of his office for 4 years. He has kept a careful record of the county's business and has been obliging in his treatment of those who have had business with his office. Mr. Martin was one of the early German settlers in this county; having taken a homestead in the Town of Greenwood 23 years ago. He still owns the place and was living there when elected to his present office. He was at one time a member of the county board, representing what is now the towns of Greenwood, Chelsea, Molitor, Rib Lake and Cleveland. For 14 years he was the clerk of his town, but decided to accept the office of county clerk. His public services will be rewarded by a large majority vote on Nov. 8."

*There is a beautiful portrait of William E. Martin accompanying this ad. He is wearing various military medals, one of which appears to be the German iron cross. He was a veteran of the German army. ¶ It should be noted that the German army veterans organized the Deutsche Krueger Verein, or German Veteran's Club in Medford at the turn of the century. Many German war veterans of the Franco-Prussian War were very proud of their service.

11 Feb 1910 KONZ "Paul Kaske is busy hauling ties and pulpwood for Jura Walter. ¶ Everybody around here is busy hauling something. ¶ Stephen Konz's teams were hauling bark to Rib Lake. ¶ William Martin went to Whittlesey Saturday morning."

7 Apr 1911 - Businesses - "H.C. Headstream has opened a jewelery store and repair shop in the rooms formerly occupied by Dr. Brace.¶ William Martin and family have moved into the living rooms adjoining Mack Clendenning's barber shop. ¶ Krueger and Eggleston, the milliners, have been in Minneapolis and St. Paul to buy new millinery goods and the same have arrived."

----Sources: Federal Census Reports and Birth Records, Commemorative Record of the Upper Lake Region, pgs. 369-70.

WILLIAM MARTIN. Many of our most substantial citizens are of foreign birth, but the majority on coming to this country and finding a home within the friendly boundaries give to our government the honor and allegiance due a kindly foster parent. Among those who have thus become valued citizens, is William Martin, county clerk of Taylor county.

Mr. Martin's parents were Frederick and Fredericka (Sanders) Martin, natives of Saxony, who came to the United States in 1881, following their son thither, and made their home on a farm in Taylor county. Frederick Martin and his wife died some two years apart, he in 1894, aged seventy-four, and she in 1896, when seventy-one years old. They had ten children, three of whom came to this country and are living in Wisconsin.

William Martin was born in Gotha, Saxony, Germany, May 23, 1849. He was given a good education and after completing his studies, gave his services to his country during the Franco-Prussian war. He took part in twenty-five battles and skirmishes and received for his gallant service an iron cross, which he still cherishes as a valued memento of his army life. In spite of his active service he was never wounded, although bullets passed through his clothing on several occasions.

In 1873 Mr. Martin sought our western shores and, traveling on as far as Wisconsin, settled first in Sheboygan county. Later he moved to Calumet county and worked in a chair factory at Chilton. From there he went to Clark County, Wisconsin in 1875, bought forty acres of wild land and spent the next seven or eight years improving his property. In 1881 his parents came to America and settled in Taylor county, so he too went there the year following their arrival, and took up a homestead near Chelsea in the present town of Greenwood, Taylor Co., Wis., 160 acres in section 12, township 32, range 2 East.

Settling on the new homestead was a matter of toil and difficulty, for there were no roads to the farm from Chelsea, and Mr. Martin was obliged to carry all his household goods over the six miles lying between the two, while for his first house he carried 1,500 feet of lumber on his shoulders for a mile and a half. He still owns the place and now has forty acres under cultivation, with all necessary buildings.

Mr. Martin on becoming a citizen, affiliated himself with the Republican party. and took an active part in politics. After the town of Greenwood, Wisconsin was organized, he was the second town clerk elected, and served for fourteen years, while for a similar period he was a school director. In 1900, and again two years after, he was elected county cleric, and has been a most faithful and efficient officer.

The year before leaving Germany, in 1872. Mr. Martin took to himself a wife. Miss Aurora Machlett, who died eleven years later (1883), aged thirty-four years. She was a member of the Lutheran Church. Two sons survive her, Herman and William, both residents of Milwaukee. In 1883 Mr. Martin was married again, his present wife being also a native of Germany, born in Saxony. Her maiden name was (Sidorea) Olga Grundig. Mrs. Martin is the mother of five children. Otto, Ella, Rosa, Frieda and Edwin. The family is connected with the German Lutheran Church.

Mr. Martin is a member of the A. O. U. W.. and holds the office of recorder in the local lodge. He is a most intelligent and progressive citizen, and well posted on general affairs. While well educated in German, his knowledge of English is self-taught, save for some private lessons from a teacher who boarded in his home, a fact which makes his grasp of English and American current events the more remarkable.

Aurora Machlett Martin (1853 - 1883)

1880 Federal Census, Colby, Clark, Wisconsin, United States, pg. 364

Aurora Martin, married American female
occupation : Keeps House
spouse's birthplace : Germany
father's birthplace : Germany
mother's birthplace : Germany

Household Members
self William Martin M 31 (1849) Germany
wife Aurora Martin F 27 (1853) Germany
son Herman Martin M 7 (1873) Germany

1900 Federal Census, ED 177 Chelsea & Greenwood towns, Taylor, Wisconsin, United States, pg. 10, family 169

William Martin, white, married, male
father's birthplace: Germany
mother's birthplace: Germany
years married: 15
estimated marriage year: 1885
immigration year: 1873

Household Members
head William Martin M 51 (May 1849) Germany
wife Olga Martin F 33 (Oct 1867) Germany, 5 living children, both parents b. Germany
son William Martin M 18 (Jul 1882) Wisconsin
son Otto Martin M 12 (Jan 1888) Wisconsin
daughter Ella Martin F 10 (Feb 1890) Wisconsin
daughter Rosa Martin F 7 (May 1893) Wisconsin
daughter Frieda Martin F 5 (Oct 1895) Wisconsin
son Edwin Martin M 2 (Jan 1898) Wisconsin

1905 Wisconsin State Census, Medford city, Taylor, Wisconsin, pg. 133, family 64, line 25

William Martin, white, married, male
place of birth: parent 1: Germany
place of birth: parent 2: Germany

Household Members
head William Martin M 56y Germany
wife Olga Martin F 36y Germany
son Otto Martin M 18y Wisconsin
daughter Ella Martin F 15y Wisconsin
daughter Frida Martin F 9y Wisconsin
son Edwin Martin M 7y Wisconsin

Wisconsin Marriages

Wilhelm Martin
groom's birthplace: Germany
bride's name: Olga Grundig
bride's birthplace: Germany
marriage date: 20 Dec 1885
marriage place: Taylor Co, Wisconsin
groom's father's name: Fredrick Martin
groom's mother's name: Fredericke Martin
groom's race: White

Herman A. Martin
groom's birth date: 1872
groom's birthplace: Germany
groom's age: 47
bride's name: Marie B. Wolf
bride's birth date: 1890
bride's birthplace: Germany
bride's age: 29
marriage date: 23 Sep 1919
marriage place: Ironwood, Gogebic, Mich.
groom's father's name: Wm Martin
groom's mother's name: Aurora Machlett
bride's father's name: Martin Brandstater
groom's race: White
groom's marital status: Single
groom's previous wife's name:
bride's race: White
bride's marital status: Unknown

Wisconsin Birth Records

Alvin Otto Martin
gender: Male
birth date: 01 May 1888
birthplace: Greenwood, Taylor, Wisconsin
father's name: William Martin
mother's name: Sidorea O(lga) Grundig

Edwin Martin
gender: Male
birth date: 14 Jan 1898
birthplace: Greenwood, Taylor, Wisconsin, United States
father's name: Wilhelm Martin
mother's name: Olga Grundig