John Andrew Martin (April 10, 1868 – December 23, 1939) was an American journalist, attorney, soldier, and politician, who represented Colorado in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He recruited troops and commanded the 115th Supply Train, Fortieth Division during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Early life and education
He was born in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
,
a son of Hugh and Ann (Bohan) Martin.
He acquired a public school education in Mexico and in
Fulton, Missouri
Fulton is the largest city in and the county seat of Callaway County, Missouri, United States. Located about northeast of Jefferson City and the Missouri River and east of Columbia, the city is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri, Metropolita ...
until he was twelve years old and began working in a tobacco factory.
He moved with his parents to Kansas in 1884
and worked on a farm in
Turon.
Career
He came to Colorado in 1887. He was employed on railroad construction work and as a locomotive fireman from 1887 to 1894;
He worked on the construction of the
Colorado Midland Railroad
The Colorado Midland Railway , Railway Equipment and Publication CompanyThe Official Railway Equipment Register June 1917, p. 786 incorporated in 1883, was the first standard gauge railroad built over the Continental Divide in Colorado. It ran ...
and then as a locomotive engineer on the Santa Fe.
He became publisher of the ''La Junta Times'' and was member of the city council of La Junta in 1895 and 1896.
He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1896.
In 1897, he began practicing law in Pueblo.
He was a member of the State house of representatives in 1901 and 1902. He was the city attorney in 1905 and 1906. He was elected as a Democrat to the
61st and
62nd Congresses (March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1913). He declined to be a candidate for reelection in 1912 and resumed the practice of law.
In
1914
This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...
, he challenged incumbent U.S. Senator
Charles S. Thomas for the Democratic nomination, but dropped out of the race before the primary election. He was again the city attorney in 1916 and 1917.
At the outbreak of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he was attempted to enlist, but was denied due to his age and he was the head of a family.
Undeterred, he recruited a volunteer battalion of
National Guardsmen in Pueblo and was commissioned a major over the group of men that he recruited.
He commanded the 115th Supply Train, Fortieth Division.
After the war, he was a member of the San Isabel Chapter Number 2 of the
Disabled American Veterans
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is an organization created in 1920 by World War I veterans for disabled military veterans of the United States Armed Forces that helps them and their families through various means. It was issued a federal ch ...
of the World War. He was also post commander of the Pueblo Post Number 2 of the
American Legion.
He resumed the practice of law in Pueblo, Colorado.
Twenty years after his first service in the House of Representatives,
he was elected to the
73rd Congress and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1933, until his death.
During that time, he worked on the
Railroad Retirement Act of 1935 and the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. Among his other efforts, he framed holding company legislation while on the
House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee.
Personal life
On September 6, 1892
or 1902, he married Rose May Chitwood at
Wellington, Kansas
Wellington is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,715.
History
19th century
Wellington was platted in 1871 and named for the Duke of Wellington. It w ...
. They had a daughter, Stella.
He wrote a novel based on the lives of his wife's parents who were pioneer settlers in Kansas. Published in 1908, it depicted the "dawn life of the prairie West and its people."
He contacted a case of
ptomaine poisoning
Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease and food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the spoilage of contaminated food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food,
as well as prions (the agents of mad cow disease ...
and died in Washington, D.C. on December 23, 1939.
He was buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Pueblo, Colorado.
See also
*
List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)
References
External links
*
John Andrew Martin (1868-1939)at politicalgraveyard.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, John Andrew
1939 deaths
1868 births
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado
Democratic Party members of the Colorado House of Representatives