Presley Neville Martin

Presley Neville “Pres” Martin BIRTH 4 Jul 1778 Monongalia County, West Virginia, USA DEATH 1855 (aged 76–77) New Martinsville, Wetzel County, West Virginia, USA BURIAL Williams Cemetery New Martinsville, Wetzel County, West Virginia

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Either the son of Elizabeth Burris and Charles Martin. Also found birth date listed as 1777 and location of Sussex Co, NJ; Ft. Martin, Monongolia, WV; and Harrison Co, WV. Married to wife Margaret "Peggy" Clinton in 1802. New Martinsville, Wetzel Co, WV, was originally chartered as Martinsville in 1838, and name changed to New Martinsville about 1846. Named for Presley Martin, one of the first settlers, owner of the land upon which the city is located.

From RootsWeb:

The village of "Martinsville" was incorporated on March 28, 1838 but that was not the beginning. According to old diaries and minute books kept by explorers, trappers and surveyors, the French discovered the Allegheny River and descended it and the Ohio as far as the Falls of the Ohio in 1669. In 1749, the French made another expedition into our area to bury leaden plates marking their claim. The first English exploration was made by Christopher Gist who surveyed and mapped the area in 1752. The George Washington Land Company supposedly slept in the Steelton area on September 12, 1770. Lewis Wetzel, Levi Morgan, Matthew Kerr and Joseph Dorsey were here in the early 1770's too.

Traditionally Edward Dulin was the first white settler on the site of New Martinsville. A survey dated 1785 states his settlement was made in 1773. He owned three tracts of land totaling 1400 acres. Dulin was not permitted to enjoy his settlement for long. A band of Indians killed him but spared Mrs. Dulin and their daughter, Sarah. They were rescued by Edmund Martin and taken up the river to Captina. He and a group of men returned to bury Dulin. The site of his grave is located near Third and Leap streets in front of the Iams Funeral Home. The daughter, Sarah, sold her father's property to Andrew Beall (400 acres), Joseph and John Witten (400 acres), Robert McEldowney (300 acres), Samuel McEldowney (100 acres), William Springer (100 acres) and Presley Martin (100 acres). The Beall acreage was conveyed to Obediah Jennings and then to Presley Neville Martin in 1823. It was on this tract of land that the original town of New Martinsville was laid out in 1838. The name Dulin has been perpetuated by the name of a small stream emptying into Fishing Creek at New Martinsville but the spelling was changed to Doolin at some point in time.

The original plat of 'Martinsville", "not to exceed 50 acres", contained 72 lots. More lots were sold and additions to the city were made. The first town officials consisted of a Board of Trustees appointed by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia. They were Henry McCabe, Samuel McEldowney, Lewis Williams, John Buchanan and Benjamin F. Martin. It was their duty to plat the town and record it in the office of the Clerk of Tyler County. Water Street, running along the river front, was the principle street. It was 80 feet wide, and between the street and the top of the river bank, there was a grass plot with large trees, a park for the citizens. This area was washed away many years ago by the Ohio River.

Also: Wetzel County was formed by an act of the Assembly of Virginia, Martinsville, now New Martinsvil1e, was designated as the county seat, The first session of court was held in April 1846 in a house owned by Sampson Thistle, located at the corner of Main and Jefferson Streets. In 1848, the ground now occupied by the Wetzel County Courthouse was deeded to the county for $1.00 by Presley and Margaret Martin for the purpose of building a court house. The building was completed in 1852 and was used as a courthouse for 48 years when, in the early 1900's it was torn down and the lumber moved to Paden City. In 1902, the present courthouse was completed at a cost of less than $175,000.

Other early settlers were Jeremiah Williams, Abraham Hanes, Friend Cox and Sampson Thistle.

Wetzel County was formed in 1846 and New Martinsville was made the county seat. The "New" was added to the city name when it was learned a town in Virginia was named Martinsville. It had been called New Martinsville for several years but was not officially changed by statute until 1871. In 1871, the municipal authorities of the town were changed from a board of trustees to a mayor, councilmen, recorder and constable. Brooklyn, sometimes called Coxtown, had been incorporated in 1889 and made a part of New Martinsville in 1934.

From History of Wetzel County by John C. McEldowney: PRESSLEY MARTIN.

Pressley Martin was born in Martin's Fort, in Monongalia county, in which his father at that time was commander. He came to what is now New Martinsville in the year of 1808, and boarded at the house on the south of the forks of the creek and the Ohio river, which was then owned by Abraham Hanes. In 1810 he purchased the land on which is now situated the town of New Martinsville from Mrs. Dulin, the widow of Edward Dulin, -and erected a house on the north forks of Big Fishing creek and the Ohio river, which was commonly known as the Point House, on which is now situated the Grand Opera House, and the place of business of Handron & Dulin. He carried the nails that he put in the house from Morgantown to New Martinsville in pack saddles, they having been made at that place by a blacksmith. A short time after purchasing the land, he married Miss Margaret Clinton. While living at that place he farmed the land on which is now situated the prosperous town of New Martinsville, and often made trips to the Kanawha river for salt. In 183G he laid out the town of New Martinsville and named it Martiusville, and in the incorporating of the town the Assembly of Virginia prefixed the word New before the Martinsville, making it New Martinsville, from the fact htat there was a town in Henry county, Va., by that name. He died in the year of His name will always be remembered as the originator of the town of New Martinsville.

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