Santa
Clara County
Biographies
HENRY
MARTENS
An enterprising and successful ranchman, Henry Martens is established upon his ranch of thirty-five acres five miles west of Santa Clara, devoting the land to the cultivation of cherries. He occupies a position of prominence among the citizens of the county which has been won by his own efforts. He is not a native of the state, nor yet of the country in which he has made his home for so many years, having been born near Paris, France, the date of his birth being October 3, 1862. His parents, Benedict and Gertrude (Gaillrad) Martens, both natives of the same locality in France, made that country their home throughout their entire lives, and there the father engaged extensively in general farming and fruit growing. They were the parents of two children, a son and daughter, of whom Henry was the younger. His sister, Henrietta, is a sister in a convent in France.
Reared in his native land and educated in the common schools, Mr. Martens was trained in the work which occupied the attention of his father, until after the death of that parent in 1877. With sufficient money to insure a successful start in any business which he might care to take up, Mr. Martens then crossed the ocean to the United States, locating first, however, in Havana, where he remained six months. He then came on to New Orleans, La., and later to Mexico, and in the year 1879 he located in San Jose, Cal. After a period of four years he bought a piece of land in Centerville, which, however, he disposed of before ever working it, engaging then in the fruit farming industry near Alviso, Santa Clara county. He rented land for this purpose for several years, when, in 1896, he purchased his present ranch of thirty-five acres, upon which he has since made his home. He has erected a modern and comfortable cottage and other fine buildings, which add to the value of his property. In addition to his ranching interests he is a partner in a packing concern in Alviso, and is meeting with gratifying success in all his business ventures.
In San Jose Mr. Martens was married to Miss Dominga Olecha, a Spanish lady, born in Mexico, and of this union were born the following children: Victoria, Emerance and Henrietta, all of whom are at home with their parents. Religiously the family are members of the Roman Catholic Church, and politically Mr. Martens adheres to the principles advocated in the platform of the Republican party. In addition to his many other interests Mr. Martens owns an interest in a large banana plantation in Mexico.
Transcribed
By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: History of the State of California &
Biographical Record of Coast Counties, California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A.
M., Pages 711-712. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2015 Cecelia M. Setty.