Patrick County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Biographies.....Martin, Peter April 24, 1878 - August 19, 1953 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ron Martin cindyandron@bellsouth.net February 18, 2023, 9:06 pm Author: Ron Martin The life and times of Peter Martin has been quite mysterious due to the remote location that he resided as well as the fact that he and his wife had a very small family. His wife died very young and he never remarried. Peter was born on April 24, 1876, the third son of William Green Martin and Celia Ann Hancock Martin. He was born in a very remote area of Patrick County, Virginia on the waters of Puppy Creek. In the 1900 and 1910 census, he was still farming while residing with his parents and siblings on Puppy Creek. In March, 1917, he purchased seven acres of property from his aunt, Margarett Bryant on the waters of Puppy Creek for the sum of $80. In August, 1917, he purchased another thirty acres of property located on the Smith River from T.I. Elgin and Julia L. Elgin for the sum of $200. By 1920, he had established his own farm as he has moved from his parents' home and was living on property near his future in-laws. On February 6, 1922, he purchased 7 acres of property from his future father-in-law Taylor Anderson Wright on the waters of Puppy Creek. Sometime around the land transfer, Taylor's wife Lelia passed away. On May 13, 1922, Taylor remarried and six days after that on May 19, 1922, he sold those same seven acres to his brother Charlie Bishop Martin but for whatever reason, the transfer was not recorded in the Patrick County Circuit Court Clerk's office for twenty seven years. On December 8, 1922, he married twenty year old Dovie Wright, the daughter of Taylor Anderson Wright and the late Lelia Jane Bryant Wright who lived near him. Dovie gave birth to a son in Rocky Mount, Virginia on March 23, 1923. Six days later, the infant succumbed to pernicious anemia. On March 26, 1925, the couple welcomed their son Jackson Curtis Martin into the world. Four years later on April 23, 1929, their only daughter, Virginia Bessie Martin was born. During this time, there were several other additions to the family. Dovie's mother Lelia passed away in 1922 and sometime thereafter her brother Erman as well as her sister Mamie Lou (Lucille) had joined the Martin family at their home on Puppy Creek. Tragically on January 25, 1931, Peter's wife Dovie succumbed to tuberculosis. She was buried near the home place on Puppy Creek. After her death, Peter continued to farm his land while raising his two kids. Erman, Dovie's brother continued to reside with the family as well. However it appears that farming was not his only occupation. Peter resided in an extremely remote area of Dodson on Puppy Creek which spills into the Smith River which presented him a great opportunity to engage in the production of moonshine which was a very lucrative occupation although risky. Many families in the Dodson and Fayerdale communities engaged in the moonshining business in order to raise their families as there were few jobs in this area. Peter soon learned about the risks on May 7, 1943 as ABC and ATU investigators descended upon the area and discovered one 500 pound still in full operation and within 50 yards of that, they uncovered a 300 gallon still that was being mashed in. They also found 2520 gallons of mash and 99 gallons of whiskey. Due to a sentinel on a hill above the location providing advanced warning of the agents' arrival, they were able to escape but they were detained the following day. On August 19, 1953, Peter Martin passed away was pronounced dead at the age of 75 from what appeared to be a cerebral hemorrhage and he was buried near the home place on Puppy Creek. Additional Comments: This needs to replace the current biography as more information has been obtained about his life. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/vafiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb