Iawyer, judge, politician, land speculator, b. Martinsburg, N.Y. He graduated from Hamilton College, Clinton, N.Y. (1824), studied law in Lowville, N.Y., and in 1826 moved to Detroit where he was admitted to the bar (1827) and set up a law practice. In the same year, acting on the advice of his cousin, James Duane Doty (q.v.), he moved to Green Bay (then a part of Michigan Territory), and from 1831 to 1835 served as a member of the Michigan territorial legislature. In 1836 Wisconsin achieved territorial status, and in 1838 Martin and Moses M. Strong (q.v.) called a convention at Green Bay to organize the Democratic party in Wisconsin. Martin served in the upper house of the Wisconsin territorial legislature (1838-1844), and was president of this body (1842-1843). He was territorial delegate in Congress (1845-1847), and served as president of the second Wisconsin state constitutional convention (1847-1848). He was state assemblyman (1855, 1874), state senator (1858-1859), and during the Civil War served as paymaster in the Union army with the rank of major (1861-1865). One of the leading figures in early Wisconsin history, Martin toured Wisconsin's lead region as early as 1828, and in 1829 accompanied Doty to Prairie du Chien as district attorney pro tempore. For almost fifty years he was the chief promoter of the various Fox-Wisconsin River improvement projects, and spent most of his later life litigating for payments that he claimed were due him in connection with the project. Martin was also active in the development of early Milwaukee, and in July, 1833, first visited the mouth of the Milwaukee River and sketched a "Map of Milwaukie," dated Aug., 1833. In Oct., 1833, he and Solomon Juneau (q.v.) entered an oral agreement regarding joint promotional activities in the area. Martin purchased a half interest in Juneau's pre-emptive claim on the east side of the Milwaukee River, and in 1834 bought a pre-emption right to the south of Juneau's claim. Together, Martin and Juneau platted the village of Milwaukee, graded streets, and erected many of the first buildings. Martin was also prominent in many early territorial banking and railway activities, and in 1866 was an unsuccessful candidate for Congress. He served as U.S. Indian agent (1866-1869), and from 1875 until his death was county judge of Brown County. Biog. Dir. Amer. Cong. (1928); Colls. State Hist. Soc. Wis., 11 (1888); Proc. State Hist. Soc. Wis. 1906 (1907); J. Schafer, Winnebago-Horicon Basin (Madison, 1937); Green Bay Daily State Gazette, Dec. 12, 1887; WPA MS; M. L. Martin Papers.

View Martin's narrative at Wisconsin Historical Collections.

Learn More

Dictionary of Wisconsin History

Explore more than 1,600 people, places and events in Wisconsin history.

[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]