Souvenir Edition, The Williamstown Courier, Williamstown, Ky, May 30, 
1901, reprinted September 19, 1981 by the Grant County KY Historical 
Society.

RODGER H. MARTIN.  For those who love beautiful things, and who do not,
whether it be birds or flowers, fine stock or fine chickens, the farm
and poultry yards of R. H. Martin, west of Dry Ridge, are a revelation. 
Mr. Martin is a very practical and progressive citizen and deserves the
encouragement he is receiving from the people of Grant County and other
parts of the country.  Rodger H. Martin was born in Harrison County,
Kentucky, July 1st, 1860, on a farm, and there he remained as a farmer
boy until he was fully grown.  His opportunities for education were
limited, but he made the best of limited facilities and secured a fairly
good education. In the early life he moved to Grant County, but did not
remain here long.  The Western fever was then raging in all of its
virulence, and Mr. Martin, with many another Grant County boy folded his
tent and "went west".  He located in Kansas and took up a claim, but his
wife died and he did not like the country and came back to Kentucky and
located where he now lives in this county.  His first wife was Martha
Scott Davis, of Carroll County, and to that union two children were
born, one, a charming young lady, is now living.  Soon after returning 
to Kentucky Mr. Martin contracted a marriage with Miss Dealtha Renaker,
daughter of Uncle William Renaker, of near Dry Ridge.  This was on the
7th day of March, 1889.  Three children have been born to this union,
only two of whom are now living.  Mrs. Martin is a splendid good woman,
the typical farmer's wife, and the Martin home is as beautiful and as
happily surrounded as any in the county.  In politics Mr. Martin is a
Democrat of the "Regular" or free silver variety, and is a staunch
supporter of his party nominees.  He is an active member of the
Christian Church, and it was very largely through his efforts that the 
new church of that denomination at Dry Ridge was constructed, and it 
has just been completed and is one of the neatest and most commodious 
church buildings in the county.  During recent years in addition to his 
farming interest Mr. Martin has been giving much time to the breeding 
of fine poultry.  He has more than a dozen different breeds of chickens,
turkeys and ducks, all bred in the royal purple of chickendom.  His 
chicken yards are known all over Kentucky and the South as the home of 
the best bred strains of fancy breeders to be found anywhere.  Those 
desiring eggs from any of the breeds that he keeps, or pairs or trios, 
can get them by writing to him at Dry Ridge.  His strains are S.C. 
white, buff and brown leghorns, white and barred Plymouth Rocks, black 
Langshangs and C.I. games, also Pekin ducks.  Recently Mr. Martin has 
added fine Poland China hogs to his list of fine stock, and now has 
some of the finest and best bred in the world.  The sire of the head of 
his herd, Big Chief, sold recently for $3,000.00.

Martin Davis Renaker
=
Carroll-KY Harrison-KY KS

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/grant/martin.rh.txt