San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-16
Pioneer Tells Of Early Days in Texas
M. H. Martin Helped Or.
ganize McMullen County
and Was Its First Sheriff
in the Days Of Indians
and Bad Men.
BY ORAN WARDER NOLEN.

Eighteen hundred and forty-five
Is long time ago when 1t is
used to mark the beginning of span
of life that reaches down to the
present day. That was rs years ago,
and any one living through the past
70 years of the worlds history would
have witnessed many things that the
changes of three-quarters of cen
fury has wrought, and if 76 years of
that time had been spent in Texas
it would cover the most momentous
times in the history of the state.
At Fowlerton, Tex, there lives a
man who was one of the pioneer set
tiers of Southwest Texas, having lived
in the state ever since he was two
years old. and who served as peace
officer and helped organize counties
and towns in the 16 years he has
lived in Texas.
This man is NJ. III. Martin Sr.
When he was just two years old his
father moved from Louisiana to Tex
as, locating in Liberty county in
1S47. After living there for some
time his father moved to Dewitt
p county and stayed n year, then went
to Refugio county where permanent
home was established.
Came to Southwest Texas.
When NJ. H. Martin reached man
hood he decided to strike out for
himself, little dreaming of the part
he was destined to play in the forma-
ton of the part Of Southwest Texas
in which he was to locate, nor of
the large number of descendants who
were to bear his name.
In telling of his early life and
incidents connected with the pioneer
days in which he lived, Mr.. Martin
said:
"In 1871 decided to leave my
fathers home in Refugio county
and see If l could find territory
which / would rather locate in. ]
went to that part Of the country
where McMullen county now is and
got q job with one of the ranchmen.
The country was wild and sparsely
settled. l worked there nine months,
and spent eight months of the time
working out in the brush and only
slept in a house twice in that eight
months.
II went back home and stayed
few months, but was not satisfied. /
kept wanting to 90 back to the coun-
try I had been in before, so the next
year, 1872, l went back and settled
there for good, having spent nearly
all the rest of my life there.
"In the course of time there be-
came a strong desire among the set
tiers to organize county in that
section, and the matter was agitated
and discussed until they finally or
ganized the county, which was named
McMullen county.
Organizing McMullen County.
"The county was organized in
November, 1876. There was only one
town in 1t and it was called Dog
Town. With the organization of the
new county we settlers decided that
the name Of Dog Town was too I'M
dignified name for the county seat,
which was also the only town in the
county. So, as soon as the new Off
GERS qualified and the first meeting
of the commissioners court was held,
it was decided to name the town
Tilden, after Samuel G.. Tilden, who
we thought was going to be the next
President of the United States.
"Upon the organization of McMul-
len county, G. A. Dilworth was elect
ed county judge, but never qualified:
so Pierpont Phillips was appointed
TO fill the office. l.. W. Snowden,
father of the present county clerk
of McMullen county, was elected
coanty clerk. My oldest brother,
Henry Martin, was elected county