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Morgan L. Martin

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The section of Appleton first known as Grand Chute and later comprising the Old Third Ward was almost called Martin. From Ryan's History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin, part 7:
"In 1849 in connection with Morgan L. Martin and Abraham B. Bowen, [Theodore Conkey] secured a tract of land at Grand Chute, which included the falls, and laid out a village which they first thought to call Martin, but was finally named Grand Chute."

Martin was instrumental in the creation of St. Mary's congregation: (from Thomas Ryan's History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin, [1911?], part 8):
"On the 29th of April, 1859, Theodore Conkey, M. L. Martin and A. B. Bowen donated, for church purposes, lot 1, in block 41, Third ward, city of Appleton, to John Henni, bishop of Milwaukee, and the Catholics of Appleton forthwith erected thereon a frame church at a cost of $1,700."

A biography of Martin appears in Pioneer Life in the Fox River Valley by Annie Susan McLenegan (From Proceedings of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1905), Madison, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1906, p. 286-287:
"Morgan L. Martin, by a long and active life united the earlier with the later pioneers, but his activity was more conspicuous in connection with the latter group, so that notice of his work has been reserved until now. Martin was born in Martinsburgh, N. Y., in 1805. In 1824 he was graduated from Hamilton College, and for two years studied law. At their expiration he went to Detroit, where he was admitted to the bar, and acting on the advice of his cousin, Judge Doty, he settled in Green Bay in 1827 and lived there until his death. Martin at once became a leading figure in the political life of the little place. We have in his reminiscences an interesting account of a horseback trip with Judge Doty, Henry S. Baird, and others in 1829 through the country south of the Fox and Wisconsin, the very practical result of which was additions to the government map of that part of the territory. The framing and passage of the bill for the Fox River Improvement (1846), was largely due to the efforts of Mr. Martin while territorial delegate to congress from Wisconsin. He was president of the constitutional convention of 1848, and fathered the improvement scheme of 1853. Martin was for many years active in the political life of the state. During the War of Secession he was an army paymaster, and served as Indian agent in 1866. In this latter year he was defeated for congress by Philetus Sawyer. His political career ended as judge of Brown County where he served from 1875 until his death in 1887. Martin was a man of fine taste and presence. His home, Hazelwood, remains as one of the best examples in the valley of the classic New England style of housebuilding."

It was through Conkey, Martin and Bowen that the newly formed Outagamie County acquired a square block of land in Grand Chute on which to build a County courthouse.