History of Fulton County, Illinois; together with
Sketches of its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious,
Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons
and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Chas. C. Chapman & Co.,
Peoria, Illinois, 1879, page 754, Kerton Township
Vandoras Martin, farmer and stock-raiser, sec. 7; P. O.,
Marbletown; is a native of Zanesville, O., where he was born in 1820.
His father, Thomas Martin, was born in Maryland, and was united in
marriage there with Miss Anna Blaine, of Penn. They had a family of 11
children, of whom Vandoras was the eldest. He was only 3 years of age
when his parents came to Ohio. In 1837 they made the usual overland
trip to Illinois; crossed the Illinois at Beardstown and followed the
wagon tracks and landed in Woodland tp., this county. The usual cabin
was erected in a short time, and the pioneer family began Western life
in earnest. The long trips to mills, raising of cabins, corn-huskings,
bee-huntings, being the diversion from the monotony of clearing and
grubbing. In 1851 Mr. M. was married to Miss Diana Beamen, by whom he
has 4 children: Hortense, Manning, Sylvester and Melinda. In 1853 Mr.
M. purchased his first property, consisting of 180 acres. After a life
of unusual activity and success, he rests in affluence, owning the best
residences in the township and 428 acres of land.
