San Francisco County
Biographies
CHRISTIAN S. MARTIN
CHRISTIAN S. MARTIN, real-estate and insurance agent at 956
Broadway, Oakland, was born in Denmark, May 28, 1844, a son of Morten S. and Marian (Christian) Martin. The mother died at
thrity-five at childbirth, the newly-born child soon
following; another child dying at the age of eight; and Christian S., alone of
his mother’s children reaching manhood. His father learned the carpenter’s
trade, which became his chief occupation through life, and lived to the age of
seventy-nine, dying in 1877. He was of a long-lived family, one of his aunts
reaching the remarkable age of 101 years.
C.
S. Martin, the subject of this sketch, attended school to his fifteenth year,
and when about sixteen began to learn the trade of cabinet-maker, serving an
apprenticeship of three years. Working as journeyman some five years longer in
his native land, he came to America in 1869, and worked about one year at his
trade in Chicago, when he went South and followed the
same line in Louisiana and Texas, principally at Monroe, Louisiana, where he
was for a time foreman of a railroad car-shop. Returning to Illinois he went to
work at Lake Forest, in Lake county, where he was engaged in the line of his
trade, at first on wages, and then on his own account until he left for
California in 1875. Arriving in San Francisco on May 31, he worked the first
year as a journeyman carpenter, and then for over ten years as a contractor and
builder. Meanwhile he had established his home in Oakland in March, 1876. In 1887
he embarked in the real-estate and insurance business in this city,
representing in the latter line the Sun Insurance Company of San Francisco. In
1891, with other members of his family, he became interested in the Palace
Stables on Seventh street, a block east of Market
street station. Mr. Martin is a careful, shrewd, industrious and successful
man, commanding the respect and confidence of those with whom he has business
relations of any sort.
Mr.
C. S. Martin was married in Waukegan, Illinois, May 2, 1871, to Miss Mary E. Wiegandt, born in Denmark, May 13, 1850, a daughter of Theodor Julius and Julia (Foster) Wiegandt,
both of whom lived to about the age of sixty-seven, dying in Copenhagen. Mrs.
Martin arrived in Chicago in 1870, was married in 1871 as stated, and came to
California in 1875, with her husband and two children, born in Lake Forest,
Illinois. These, with the three born in Oakland, are in the order of birth as
follows: Walter, February 2, 1872, now a student in Hahnemann
College of San Francisco, preparing for the career of physician and surgeon and
already known by the sobriquet of Dr. Martin; George Elles,
November 29, 1873, now learning the profession or trade of machinist; Augustus
or "Gustave," May 7, 1876, already a clerk
in the Oakland office of the Sun Insurance Company of San Francisco; Julius,
May 17, 1877; Lenora, October 30, 1888.
Transcribed
by Elaine Sturdevant.
Source: "The
© 2006 Elaine Sturdevant.