THOMAS CHARLES MARTELL
Portrait, Genealogical and Biographical Record of the
State of Utah
National historical Record Co., Chicago
1902
Thomas C. Martell, a native of
Wales and the only member of his family to come to America, has been a resident
of Utah since 1854 and much of the present prosperity of Spanish Fork has come
through his able and efficient services in upbuilding
and developing the resources of that portion of the State. He went through all
the hardships incident to settling and subduing a wild and uncultivated region,
and contending against a savage foe, participating in all the Indian battles
that occurred after he came to Utah, and giving of his time and means in
promoting the prosperity of his city.
Thomas C. Martell was born in
New Castle, Emlyn, South Wales, April 4, 1823, and is
the son of John and Lucy (Charles) Martell, natives of Wales. The father died
in Wales at the age of ninety-six years, and the
mother died in that country November 21, 1862. Our subject was the oldest son in
a family of ten children, and his two sisters, Margaret and Ann, both living in
Wales, are the only other members of the family now alive. Thomas grew up in
his native land and received his education from the schools of that country. He
learned the drapers’ trade, and for four years was a clerk in one of the
largest drapery establishments in the world, located in London. He later became
Manager of a large drapery establishment in Llanelly,
South Wales, where he remained six years.
He sailed from Liverpool on the
Golconda in 1854, landing at New Orleans, and from there went by boat to Saint
Louis, and from there overland to Kansas City, from which place he went to the
headquarters of the Church, where he joined a company a emigrants under Captain
Job Smith, with whom he crossed the plains by ox team to Salt Lake city that
Fall and remained there two years, engaged in hauling salt from the lake and
selling it in Utah County. In 1856 Mr. Martell came to Spanish Fork and engaged
in farming, which he has followed most of the time since, although he has been
intimately associated with the number of other enterprises in this place. He
established the first Co-operative store in the late sixties, of which he took
the management for one year, and this is now the largest establishment of the
kind in the Southern part of Utah County. Mr. Martell also assisted in
established a co-operative saw mill, which produced a large part of the lumber
used in erecting houses and buildings in Spanish Fork. His farm of one hundred
and sixty acres, is situated near this place, and he
has one of the most comfortable homes in Spanish Fork, where the family
resides.
Our subject was married in
Spanish Fork January 15, 1858, to Eliza Jenkins, daughter of Maurice and
Margaret (Rees) Jenkins, natives of South Wales, where Mrs. Martell was born
August 9, 1842, and came to Utah with her parents in 1856. Of the ten children
born of this marriage seven are now living. They are: Elizabeth M., Thomas C.,
deceased; Maurice J., William C., Lucy A., deceased; Margaret, Catherine,
deceased; Eve, now the wife of B. F. Hodson; James
A., Mary E.. Mrs. Martell died October 2, 1880.
In politics, Mr. Martell is a
believer in the principles of the Democratic party,
and has taken an active interest in its work. He has for a number of years been
a member of the City Council, and in the early days served for some time as
Alderman. He was also on the School Board for more than twelve years, and also
Justice of the Peace. He assisted in
building the first school house in Spanish Fork, and also the first City Hall,
known as Social Hall, which for many years was used for all meetings of a
public character.
During the Black Hawk War Mr.
Martell acted as home guard and assisted in fitting out the men that went to the
front. He also took an active part in establishing the East Bench Canal
Company, of which he was Secretary for a number of years, and was also
Secretary of the West Field Irrigation Company and Secretary of the Building
Society of Spanish fork. Mr. Martell was also one of the organizers of the
first theatrical company and took part in their first performance.
He was baptized into the Mormon
Church in his native country, December 31, 1849, by Elder Walter Roach, and
served on a mission in his own country before coming to America, establishing
several branch Churches and presiding over the Carmarthen Conference, which
position he resigned upon coming to Utah. He also served on another mission to
Wales in 1875, laboring in Carmarthen and Cardigan Counties for (nearly) two
years. At home Mr. Martell has been active in Ward and Sunday School work.
