B. F. Martin
B. F. MARTIN, son of Stephen Martin, one of the first settlers of the Smith's Mills neighborhood, was born near Smith's Mills on the twenty-sixth day of July, 1829. In his youthful days, there were no itinerant teachers. Near his father's house was Colonel Robert Smith's old sweep mill, the only one in the country around, and a part of work allotted to him, was the bolting of flour in an old fashioned hand bolter for the family use. This flour, when bolted, was, perhaps, as course as bran, yet it was so highly regarded as a luxury the little ones were only treated to cakes made of it once a week, on Sunday morning; another luxury to which he, with the other children was sometimes treated, was mush and milk for supper, supplied in a large bowl set before them, and each child permitted to dip for himself. Such a comfort or convenience as a pair of pants was not known until the boy had grown large enough to handle a plow. His usual dress consisted of a long coarse cotton garment, cool and airy--particularly in the winter time--with a button at the neck. All of the cloth, including cotton for the boys and linsey for the girls, was made at home on a hand loom. Thus the subject of this sketch grew up, and yet he lost no time in learning the ways of the world, and fitting himself for useful citizenship. At the age of twenty-seven, on the twenty-third day of December, 1856, he married Miss Margaret, daughter of Colonel Robert Smith. They have two daughters living, one the wife of Dr. L. C. Royster, a promising young physician, the other yet unmarried. Mr. Martin is the owner of a fine body of land, and is one of Henderson's most successful farmers. He is an influential man, and was the first constable of his district elected after the adoption of the new Constitution, in which office he served during the years 1851, '52, '53, '55, '56. He also served his district as Magistrate during the years 1857, '58, '59, and '60.
The History of Henderson County, Kentucky by Starling 1887 page 736;