County of city: Audrain County
Location of city: SE corner of county: crossroads of MO-19, MO-N & MO-U
County is in the NE section of the state
Elevation: 810 ft (247 m)
Population: 307 (2016)
The Person:
William Russell Martin
Born 5 January 1802 in Kentucky - Died 22 February 1867 in Audrain County, Missouri
"A town in Loutre Township, laid out in November 21, 1857, and named for William Russell Martin, a Kentuckian, who settled in the county in 1851. ... History of Audrain County, p 623
"I have seen it pop up as unsourced information that my 3rd great-grandfather, William Russell Martin (b. 5 Jan 1802 KY - d 22 Feb 1867 MO) was a slave trader. However, I have spent hours and hours searching various records at the National Archives and in the State of Missouri and am unable to find proof. The closest I have come is this one picture I have attached on my ancestry.com tree. I am also trying to hunt down a copy of the book referenced regarding the history of Pioneer Families in Missouri. I have moved back to Virginia and am no longer in Missouri so is proving a bit challenging. And so far Google has not yielded much. Thanks for any help anyone has!" ~ Amy Barlow on WiKiTree
"There is a William R. Martin in Audrain county, Missouri listed in the 1860 Federal Census - Slave Schedules who is listed as owning 23 slaves who range in age from 1 to 44. He was definitely a slave owner." ~ Carol Wilder on WikiTree
"Hi Carol - agreed. I have the copy of the census showing the slave ownership. I am trying to prove or disprove the family lore that he was a slave trader. It keeps popping up within "hints" on ancestry.com. I may never be able to get an answer. Could be one of those things that came down through the family with no evidence following it. Thanks for your response!! :-) - Amy Barlow
"Amy, It sounds like a family story that just doesn't ring 100% true on the slave trading but is true about slave ownership. William's occupation is listed as farmer in both the 1850 and 1860 census' and he also has slaves in both the 1850 and 1860 Slave Schedules. Based on my experience, you'll never get the "slave trading" erased from the records. The best you'll be able to do is document that William's occupation was a farmer and that he owned slaves. At this point in your research, I wouldn't worry about proving something that appears to have never happened based on the existing records. Good luck" ~ Carol Wilder
"If you find out how much land he farmed, it might be a clue as to how many field hands he would need to do the work. Just because he owned slaves, as much was true in that time period, does not mean he was a trader for profit." ~ Judie Heckel on WikiTree
The Place:
This community has been nominated as The Nicest Place in America in 2017 in a Readers Digest project
"A town in Loutre Township, laid out in November 21, 1857, and named for William Russell Martin, a Kentuckian, who settled in the county in 1851. The station previously was known as Hudson City, named by Martin for a friend, a traveling clockmaker, who was well liked in the community. He was quite a philosopher. The name was changed to honor the donor of the town site. Early spelling varies with Martinsburgh." ~ History of Northeast Missouri, Vil I, page 227; Plat Book 1
"Wm. H. and Jackson H. Bane were proprietors of the Martinsburgh elevator and corn sheller. Chas. E. Burchard was railroad agent. J. W. Douglas & Co., dealers in general merchandise; Patrick H. Gantt and John E. Fish, composing the first of Gantt & Fish, dealers in general merchandise; Oscar Krueger, dealer in general merchandise; Joseph S. Munster, carpenter and undertaker; J. R. Toneyson, blacksmith and wheel-wright." ~ History of Audrain County, pages 621, 630, 656, 659, 666.
"It had a church, school, picture frame factory, bank, newspaper the "Success", hotel, and about fifteen other business places, including stores, shops, etc. There were also coal mines in the vicinity. Population, 1899 (estimated) 300." ~ Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri, 1901, Conard, Vol. 4, page 210.
"Martinsburgh...on the St. L. K. C. & N. R. W. (now Wabash) 14 miles southeast of Mexico, had a population of about 500. It had 1 church, 1 school-house, 6 stores and a cheese factory." ~ Campbell's Gazetteer of Missouri, Campbell, 1874, page 49.
"It is situated in southeast corner of the county on Sec. 24, Twp. 50 N, R. 7 W at the junction of V, N & 19.
'It was laid out in January, 1859, by William R. Martin and named in his honor. He was a native of Kentucky and settled near the town site in 1854." How MO Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named, Eaton, First Article, p. 204.