Biographies from Lane County Oregon Genealogy

Hon. A.G. Hovey
Eugene, Oregon

     A.G. Hovey, son of Captain John and Abigail (Dusten) Hovey, was born at Londonderry, New Hampshire, on the 11th of July, 1830. On his father's side he is connected with a family long known and honored in the New England history, and his mother was a descendant of Mrs. Hannah Dusten, who having seen her husband and child murdered by their Indian captors, made her escape after slaying several of the Indians with their own tomahawks. The mother of the subject of this sketch was a well educated and refined woman, justly celebrated for her kindness of heart and wide charity. The son was one of eight children, and received his education in the historic town of Marietta, Ohio, to which place his father moved when our subject was but a lad.
     In 1849 he joined a company of twenty men to cross the plains, and work the gold mines of California. They reached St. Joseph, Mo., safely, but while there four of their number succumbed to the cholera which raged so fiercely among the emigrants at that time. They left St. Joseph in April, and arrived in Sacramento city, Cal., in the following October. They fitted themselves for the mines, and located at Rhodis' Bar on the Cossumnie river during the fall, and later went to the diggings at Longs' Hollow in the Weaver district, where they spent the winter. Young Hovey was not particularly lucky in his mining ventures, and not being attracted by the class of men who made up the community, he embarked for Oregon by steamer from San Francisco, and landed at Portland in October, 1850. He went up the Willamette valley, and after visiting the various towns, located at Corvallis, where he taught the first school, the term commencing in December. He worked for a time for Hon. Wayman St. Clair, the pioneer merchant of the town, and early in 1851 was appointed clerk of the United States District Court for Benton county, by Judge O.C. Pratt, and later was elected county clerk. During his service in the courts Mr. Hovey studies law, and was admitted to the bar in 1853, and later to practice before the Supreme court of the State.
     He never entered into the active practice of his profession, however, but moved to his claim near Corvallis, where, from 1853 to 1862, he engaged in farming with considerable success. in 1862 he was elected to the State Senate from Benton county, and served in that capacity until 1867. In 1866 to moved to Portland, Ore., but remained there only one year, and then went to Springfield, in Lane county, where he engaged in milling and mercantile business until 1879. He then removed to Eugene, in the same State, where, two years later, he, with two associates, organized and established the Lane County Bank, the firm being known as Hovey, Humphrey & Co. Mr. Hovey was elected president of the bank at the time of organization, and has held the office up to the present time. He has always taken a deep interest in all enterprises pertaining to the material welfare of the section in which he resides, and has spent considerable time and money in aiding public works, and is now taking a leading part in the construction of a railroad between Eugene and Suislan Coast.
     Mr. Hovey was united in marriage in 1853 to Miss Mary Ellen Mulkey, who died in 1861, and three years later he married Miss Emily Humphery. They have three children, two sons and one daughter.
     An ardent Republican, Mr. Hovey has always taken a leading part in politics, and has held many offices of honor and trust, among which may be mentioned that of State Senator and mayor of Eugene. He has been selected as a delegate of the National Republican Convention a number of times, and was appointed by President Harrison a member of the board of visitors to the annual examinations at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1892. He has taken a great interest in educational institutions, and was recently appointed a member of the board of regents of the Oregon State University, of which he has been treasurer for many years. A man of strong convictions, he is positive in his character and incorruptible integrity. He is an intelligent, useful citizen, and justly takes rank as one of Oregon's leading and representative men.

A Biographical History with Portraits of Prominent Men of the Great West
Manhattan Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1894

Nathaniel Martin, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits at Royal, Lane County, Oregon, was born in Martin County, Indiana, May 2, 1828. His father, Jesse Martin, a Virginian by birth, removed to Indiana in his boyhood, and there grew to mature years. He married Miss Catherine Harris, and they continued to reside there until 1832, then moved to Illinois, during which time he followed farming. In the year 1843 they moved to Missouri, then a wild country, with few settlers, but many Indians. Nathaniel Martin remained with his parents until 1847, when he was united in marriage with Miss Nellie Allen. After this event he settled on a farm of 160 acres in Gentry county, Missouri. In 1857, with his wife and four children, he crossed the plains to California; they experienced many difficulties on the way, and much sickness prevailed among the company. It was, however, their good fortune to be just ahead of the terrible Mountain Meadow massacre. They landed in Red Bluff, Tehama county, on the 15th day of November; in the fall of 1857 they pushed on to the Rogue river valley, where Mr. martin resumed work at his old trade of blacksmithing. In 1860 he went to Eugene, which was then a small village, and followed his trade there for four years; at the end of this period he moved to his homestead north of Cottage Grove; in the spring of the following year, he abandoned this claim and went to Cottage Grove, where he went to work at his trade.
     The name Cottage Grove originated with the post office first established at Fern Ridge, twelve miles distant; as it was moved from one ranch to another, the name always went with it. Mr. Martin became Postmaster upon his homestead; in the spring of 1865, with his private effects, he moved the office to the present site of Cottage Grove, where he kept the office in his blacksmith shop. He built the first business house in the place, and was the first Justice of the Peace, retaining the office ten years. In 1868 he bought 160 acres of land, five miles west of Cottage Grove, and divided his time between his ranch and shop. In 1874 he located permanently upon the ranch, which he was since increased to 215 acres.
     Mr. Martin was elected to the State Legislature by the Republican party in 1872, and served on term, discharging his duties with marked ability. The summer of 1873 was spent on a Government survey in Lake county. In 1884 he was instrumental in having a post office located at his ranch, called Royal, and he continued his charge as postmaster.
     Mr. and Mrs. Martin are the parents of seven children: Willard H., Jesse, Eleanor C., wife of A.J. Barlow; John S., Joel R., Ulysses S., Nathaniel H., all of whom are married and settled in life. These worthy parents were born the same year, in the same county, cared for by the same nurse, and lived in the same community to the date of their marriage. They are still in the enjoyment of excellent health, and are surrounded by all the comforts of the Nineteenth century civilization.

An illustrated history of the state of Oregon, 1893