Dr. J. O. Martin, deceased.—Among the citizens of Johnson County, Ind., worthy of mention in a work of this character, none, perhaps, are more so than the deceased citizen, whose name heads this brief biographical sketch. Dr. Martin was born in Fayette County, Penn., on January 15, 1821, and was the son of John and Elizabeth (Cotton) Martin, both natives of Pennsylvania. He was reared on the farm, and was given a good common school education. He remained on the farm until grown, and during the latter part of his life on the farm, taught school several years. During the forties he came to Indiana, and having found teaching was not a suitable life vocation, he entered the office of Dr. Ullery, at Rising Sun, and began the study of dentistry. He had previously read medicine with Dr. James, at Catlettsburg, Ky. In 1849 he returned to his native state, and locating at Dunbar, began practicing his profession—dentistry. He returned to Indiana, in 1852, and locating in Franklin, succeeded in building up a name and business, both professionally and otherwise, which survives him. Socially he was affable, sunny and genial, and his cheery disposition naturally attracted many friends and acquaintances, who keep fresh his name in their memory. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and also of the Masonic lodge, by which fraternity he was buried on January 9, 1878, his death having occurred the 7th of the same month, from that fatal malady, “Bright’s Disease.” On May 1, 1849, Dr. Martin was united in marriage with Charity Denton, the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Voorhess) Denton, who was born on January 18, 1829, in the State of New York. The parents were natives of New York State, and came to Indiana in 1831, locating in Switzerland County, where they lived and died. To Dr. Martin and wife three children were born, as follows: Mary Elizabeth, born on February 8, 1850, married Dr. Voorheis, of Columbus, Ind., and died December 27, 1886; Sarah C., born July 6, 1851, and died January 22, 1854, and John D., born July 25, 1853, now living in the west, thus leaving a widow and one son survivors of the family. Dr. Martin was one of the leading men in the procuring of the charter of the city of Franklin. He served as clerk of Franklin after it had a city charter, for many years; was one of the leading characters in the building of the city school building, also in buying and laying out the new cemetery.