John Martin

by Charles Cook -- John Martin was the brother of Hugh Martin Jr., Woods County, Oklahoma's first sheriff. John was born in Cincinnati in 1868. Like Hugh, he grew up in Missouri and Kansas. Like his father and a couple of his brothers he once was a railroad worker.

While a fireman on a locomotive, and living in Pueblo, Colorado, he studied law, and later passed the bar examination. After that, he was a member of the Pueblo city council in 1895 and 1896, and published the LaJunta Times newspaper.

In s1907 he was elected to congress and served until 1913. Then he served as a Major in the Army during World War I. After the war he returned to private law practice.

He was again elected to congress and served from 1933 to his death in 1939. This photo was taken at the Washington zoo. The alligator was a gift to him, and he donated it to the zoo. He died shortly after the photo was taken, in December of 1939.

The John Martin dam, reservoir, and state park in southeastern Colorado is named after him.

I have cards and letters John sent to his "sheriff" brother in Alva. Most were addressed simply to Hugh Martin Sheriff Woods County Oklahoma. Not bad for sons of Irish immigrants.
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