Following is one of the Biographies and Stories which where gathered by Charles Sumner McKamy in the 1950s for publication in a Crawford County History Book. Unfortunately he passed away before the book was published.
George I. Martin was born in Sullivan County, Indiana September 18, 1877 and at the age of one year my parents, Robert H. Martin and ______ Martin moved to Palestine, Ill. where I grew up attending the grade and High Schools, graduating from High School in May 1898, following my graduating I was employed by Postmaster S.G. Richards in Palestine as Assistant Postmaster.
In the year 1903 I went to St. Louis where I was employed by the "May Dry Goods Co." and in the year 1907 I joined the sales force of the "Bernard Clothing Company", where I worked until October 1, 1912, when we moved to Robinson where I was employed by the "Good Clothes Shop" owned and operated by Charles N. Olwin and Leslie G. Palmer where I worked for twenty-five years and three months.
I was united in marriage with Miss Lillian Iona Ransom of Palestine, Illinois January 21, 1900 and to this union four children were born, Lyman Eugene, Miriam Pauline, Zula Virginia and Lena Iona.
Upon coming to Robinson I looked about for some special service I could render in our new home town and having placed our memberships with one of the local churches I took a class of teen-age boys and girls which I served for several years building it up to one of the most active Sunday School classes in the city. During that period I served as Deacon and later promoted to the office of Elder of the Church; in the year 1921 I was elected Superintendant of the Bible School where I served for two years, then I took over the service as Secretary of the Men's Bible Class for four years, a very active class in the work of the church.
While working in the Bible School and Church back in 1917 during World War I, I assumed the leadership of a Troop of Boy Scouts that had been organized by Charles V. Coulter and Dr. F.B. Olwin, who both wished to retire and with this Troop of 32 boys I launched a campaign for boy scouting in a big way. Within two years I had three complete Boy Scout Troops doing an active work in the city; they assisted in the War Bond Drives by erecting four patriotic decorated booths around the public square from which they sold thousands of dollars worth of Bonds and War Savings Stamps; they gave public first aid life saving, and outdoor camping life as outlined by the National Headquarters in scouting.
They rendered service at all public meetings, also attended and assisted in the decoration of the graves of the war heroes mustered into the ranks of God's Grand Army of the Ages; during the ten years of service from 1917 to 1927 I took the boys to the Merom Chautauqua and the many families who camped on the Bluff during the ten day session. I was assisted in this camp by Mr. and Mrs. O.C. Mitchell, Dutch Collins and Mrs. Martin who prepared the meals; in the spring of 1927 I turned over the leadership of Scouting to Mr. P.K. Hodeck, a teacher at the High School at that time. During that period of time I trained more than 300 boys in the principals of good citizenship, only two of this number has ever been convicted for violation of the law; many of these boys are now Robinson's business, professional and leading citizens of today.
Having been relieved of the scouting work I took over a class of eight teen-age boys in the Bible School; I set out to work out a program that would attract boys to the Bible School and in 1934 I had a class of ninety young men when we had outgrown our church quarters and we were compelled to seek a larger class room; I rented the F of P Lodge Hall over the Index Store where we put in an active Bible School campaign of winning souls to Christ; boys having no clothes to make them presentable in class were supplied by a committee who solicited from generous givers. The Reception Committee was always present to see that nothing was lacking and that those attending were given a royal welcome to the class.
In 1936 the boys decided they wished to have their girl friends as members of the class which added more enthusiasm and a better spirit of fellowship, and the enrollment was increased to 210 teen-age youths; there was special music and a very enjoyable program rendered by the members and invited talent at each Lord's Day session. A regular monthly class party was held where members and friends could enjoy as evening of fun and amusement. For seven year from 1934 to 1942 this class conducted a very successful program in winning souls to Christ.
World War II having been declared on Japan 50 members of the class had a part in the war; six of the members never came back having given their lives in the service of their country.
While busy with this fine class in 1939 County Judge, Ray Wesner, was looking for someone to take over the job as Probation Officer in the County to look after men, women, boys and girls who had been convicted of law violations in County Court; this job paid a salary of $16.66 per month and there were no seekers for the job at such a salary. The Judge approached me about this problem that faced him to have someone take over the work at so small a salary for so important a work. I took over the work in May 1939 and my first probationers were three teen-age boys.
For the past thirteen years I have been engaged in this service of the Redemption of wayward boys, girls, men and women; during this period of time I have had 90 boys, 12 girls, 110 men and 6 women; Of this number given me for supervision only two girls have been sent to the girls training school at Geneva, Illinois.
At the beginning of this work as Probation Officer I resolved not to send any of these folks to a State Institution if it were at all possible to supervise them in their homes. This I have done very well saving the tax payers thousands of dollars since it costs $1800 a year to keep a boy or girl in a State Institution.
Lack of precepts and examples in the homes and community was the downfall of these people. I had as of June 1, 1952 27 men, 23 boys and 1 woman on probation, a total of 51 people. These folks keep a daily record of their activities showing what they do each day during their term of probation and on the last Saturday of each month they bring the Diary to the Probation Officer for a check up.
In the fall of 1949, Circuit Judge, Caswell Crebs, appointed me Probation Officer for the Circuit Court and this made me Probation Officer for both Courts of Crawford County at a salary of only $50.00, now $66.66 per month. In 1950, A. Hanby Jones, our newly elected County Judge carried out his first official act by reappointing me as Probation Officer of the County Court.
During the past thirteen years I have had the pleasure of working with three very efficient States Attorneys, J. Stanley Bradbury, O.L. Plunkett and Richard Eagleton. Back in 1945 the State Legislature passed a law giving the County Courts full power in the adoption of children and the Probation Officer was designated as investigator as to the adoption. During the past six years I have up until June 1, 1952 placed 60 children in good homes where they will be given both mental, physical and religious education; many of these children have been placed in homes in this County.
Having a few idle hours on the Lord's Day I have taken over a Young Married Peoples Sunday School Class as Teacher; I have taught more than 25 years having more than 2000 boys and girls in my classes during that time.
Having chosen the path of service I have gone on happily down life's pathway lending a hand wherever I could to those who had fallen by the wayside.