BIO: John Imbrie MARTIN, Beaver County, PA
    
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    BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES.  This Volume Contains Biographical Sketches 
    of Leading Citizens of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.  Buffalo, N.Y., 
    Chicago, Ill.: Biographical Publishing Company, 1899, pp. 127-129.
    _________________________________________________________________ 
    
    JOHN IMBRIE MARTIN, whose portrait is shown on the opposite page, is a
  substantial and capable citizen of the town of Beaver, with which community
  he has been prominently identified for many years. He has served as deputy
  sheriff, and as sheriff, of Beaver county, but is now engaged in the real
  estate business. He was born on the old homestead in Darlington township,
  Beaver county, and is a son of James Powers Martin, and a grandson of James
  Martin.
    
    Major Hugh Martin was the great-grandfather of the subject hereof, and
  although
    
    128  BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES
    
  born in the North of Ireland, he was of Scotch-French extraction; he came to
  this country in 1770, and was an Indian scout and captain of a reconnoitering
  party during the War of Independence; he met with many thrilling adventures
  while in that capacity, which he was wont to relate with pleasure. Before the
  close of the war he was commissioned a major. About the year 1798, he took up
  a tract of fifteen hundred acres of land, a portion of which was near
  Greensburg, Westmoreland county, Pa., and the rest extended into Darlington
  township, Beaver county. His three sons, William, John, and James inherited
  the estate upon his death.
    
    Mr. Martin's grandfather received the homestead and one hundred and
  seventy-five acres, as his portion of the estate; he greatly improved the
  property by supplanting the old net of log buildings with a new set of brick
  and stone buildings, which are still in use by the heirs of his son, James P.
  He reared a family of children, and those who grew to maturity were: Hugh,
  Daniel, Leasure, Jesse, Robert, John, James P., Eliza J., and Maria. He died
  aged seventy-two years, and his wife, Elizabeth Leasure, also attained an
  advanced age.
    
    James Powers Martin was born in 1828, on the homestead, and upon the death
  of his father, bought out the interests of the heirs to the homestead; the
  greater part of his life was devoted to farming, in which he was very
  successful. 'He was at one time connected with an oil refinery, which was
  built on his farm, the oil being manufactured from cannel coal. From January
  1, 1876, to 1879, he served as sheriff of this county, being elected on the
  Republican ticket. At about seven o'clock on Christmas Eve of 1892, he was
  struck by an engine while walking down the railroad track, from the result of
  which he died the next day at one o'clock. He had just left the railway
  station after accompanying his daughter there, and was on his return home,
  when the accident occurred. His death was deeply lamented both by his family
  and relatives, and by his host of friends. He was married, in 1850, to Mary
  Imbrie, a daughter of John Imbrie, a prominent farmer of Big Beaver township,
  Beaver county, and they were the parents of the following children: James R.,
  a lawyer of Beaver; John I., the subject hereof; Rose, the wife of A. Duff,
  of Beaver Falls; Mary I., the wife of Isaac Hall; William H., a real estate
  dealer of Beaver Falls; De Lorma E.; Lilla J., the wife of Dr. J. R. McQuaid,
  of Leetsdale, Pa.; and Jere C.
    
    John Imbrie Martin was reared on the farm and attended the Darlington
  Academy; he continued to work on the homestead until he became associated
  with A. Duff in the dry goods business at Beaver Falls. Four years later he
  sold out and returned to farming, which he followed four years. He was then
  deputy sheriff under Sheriff A. J. Welsh, for one term, and in 1890 he was
  elected sheriff, -his term beginning January 1, 1891, and ending January I,
  1894. During this period, he erected dwelling houses on Fourth street, also
  one on Beaver street, in
    
    BEAVER COUNTY  129
    
  which he made his home; in 1898, he erected his present handsome residence
  opposite the college, on College street. Mr. Martin devotes much of his time
  to real estate ; he is also interested in other enterprises in the borough.
    
    Mr. Martin was joined in matrimonial bonds with Griselda Best, a daughter
  of Charles L. Best of Lawrence county, and one child has blessed their
  home, -Norman I., born June 28, 1894. Politically, the subject of this
  biography is an active Republican; he has been elected a director of the
  schools for several terms. Religiously, he is a Presbyterian. Fraternally, he
  is a member and past master of St. James Lodge, No. 457, F. & A. M. Mr. Martin
  is a prominent member of the Beaver County Agricultural Society, of which he
  has been treasurer for the past three years.