Colonel Henry Adam Marting was born in Greenup County, Kentucky, on December 17, 1850. His parents were Henry Marting and Mary E. Knapper. His wife was a native of Germany. He was the fifth of nine children, moved to Jackson Furnace when he was an infant, and remained there for five years.
They moved to a farm near Wheeler’s Mills on the Little Scioto and attended schools there. When he was nineteen, he started working on the railroad as a section hand for two and half years.
He then started a store there for two years, sold out, and moved to Ironton, Ohio. In 1873 he opened a dry goods business in Ironton until January 1, 1902. His brother, John C. Marting, was a partner for three years, from 1875, then began his study for the ministry.
In 1882, with J.D. Foster, he organized the Foster Stove Company in Ironton, Ohio. He then became the treasurer until 1892, when he resigned.
He organized the Eagle Iron & Steel Company rolling mill, which manufactured bar and sheet iron. In 1899, the company sole to the Republic Iron & Steel Company.
Dr. John Conrad Marting, brother and business partner of Col. H. A. Marting
1850 he was born in Greenup Co., KY
1855 moved to Wheeler’s Mills
1869 started working on the railroad
1872 started a store business with brother John C. at Gephart’s Station
1872 March 7, 1872, Married Margaret C. Duis and had one child, Nellie M., the wife of Doctor Clark Lowry of Ironton, Ohio.
1873 opened dry goods store in Ironton, Ohio
1882 with J.D. Foster, he organized Foster Stove Co. Ironton
1888-1894 Member of City Council of Ironton Member of the German M.E. Church
1892 resigned Foster Stove Co. and organized Eagle Iron & Steel Co. rolling mill
1892 Portsmouth Daily Times, June 11, 1896 – Personal Col. H. A. Marting, of Ironton, was in the city yesterday visiting his brother, F. A. Marting.
1897 joined Spencer M.E. Church Ironton Knight of Pythias
189? organized Wellston Iron & Steel with Joseph Clutts and Lewis Vogelson.
1898 sold his interest to Clutts and Vogelson
1898 St Louis Globe, January 8, 1888 – Col. H. A. Marting, an aid-de-camp on Gov. Bushnell’s staff, today mailed his resignation of the position to the chief executive of the state. The action of Col. Marting is due to the Governor’s activity in the senatorial matter. He explains, “My ideas of Republicanism are so foreign to yours and some of the members of your staff that I can not consistently remain a member of the same cause.”
1899 purchased Aetna Furnace and created Marting Iron & Steel Co.
1899 organized Columbus Iron and Steel Com.
1899 Eagle Iron sold to Republic Iron & Steel Co.
1901 organized Ironton Lumber Co. and Ketter Clothing Co. of Ironton
1901 Director of Citizens National Bank
1901 Ironton Corrugated Roofing Co.
1901 Chillicothe Gazette, January 3, 1901 – Ironton, Ohio, January 3. – Copyrighted by Associated Press – The Camden Interstate Railroad Company organized yesterday at Huntington, WV, succeeding the Ohio Valley Electric Railway Company. J. M. Camden, Jr., is president; Sprigg Camden, secretary; D. X. Caldwell,…Col. H.A. Marting, Directors. The capital stock is one million, and the road will operate electric lines from Hanging Rock to Guyandotte, [W]VA. The Camden Interstate Railway Co. has given a mortgage for a million and a half to secure its bonds to Senator Camden. The money thus will be spent for improvements and extension to Portsmouth.
1903 News-Journal, Mansfield, Ohio November 14, 1903 – …H. A. Marting of Ironton, Ohio, was appointed trustee of the Ohio Epileptic Hospital at Gallipolis, Ohio, to succeed defaulting bank cashier Harry J. Hoover.
1904 Indianapolis Journal, Indianapolis, Indiana April 1, 1904 – …Lawrence County, Ohio, withdrew the name of A. R. Johnson in nominated Henry T. Bannon’s favor. Col. H. A. Marting, of Ironton, Ohio, was selected national delegate for the presidential elector.
1906 Chillicothe Gazette September 10, 1906 – Col. H. A. Marting, the well-known iron master and Republican leader of Ironton, Ohio, was a visitor in the city Sunday.
1908 Perrysburg Journal September 18, 1908 – … Businessmen of the state have formed the Ohio Representative Government League, the officers of which are: …president: Col. H. A. Martin, Ironton, Ohio…
1911 Weekly Tribune, Tampa, Florida May 4, 1911 – Legislators Held for Taking Bribes – …Those indicted today will be arraigned Friday. The two Lawrence County Legislators, Andrews and Lowry, are Republicans and the other four indicted are Democrats. Lowry and Nye are physicians. The former is a son-in-law of Col. H. A. Marting of Ironton, Ohio, a manufacturer who has taken an active part in politics for years.
The Monroe News-Star, Monroe, La May 31, 1911 – ….The complete surprise of the scandal was the charge against Dr. Lowrey. He married the daughter of Col. H. A. Marting, who was many times a millionaire and had plenty of money in his own right. In his town, they say, “Well, what do you know about Doc Lowry and the grafting? And we all thought he was too good!”
1912 Port Clinton Herald and Republican, August 2, 1912 – Big Merger at Ironton, Ohio – …Marting Iron and Steel Co., the Ironton Iron Co., and the Lawrence Iron Co., the three companies will be compiled under the name of the Marting Iron and Steel Co., whose capital stock will be increased to $2,000,000. Col. H. A. Marting is heavily interested in all three companies and will be president and general manager of the new company. Lawrence Furnace will, at an early date, be enlarged to a 200-ton daily capacity. The new company will open a large ore deposit in Michigan and expects to build a large coke oven there eventually. Unless the demand is required, the furnaces will not simultaneously make the same kind of iron.
1915 Akron Beacon Journal, July 24, 1915 – ..Col. H. A. Marting was appointed delegate to the fifth annual session of the National Drainage Congress and the International Drainage and Flood Control Congress at San Francisco, Sept. 15-21…
1916 Portsmouth Daily Times June 11, 1916 – Albert Marting has returned from Ironton, Ohio, where he visited his uncle, Col. H. A. Marting, a very sick man in his home city. He has been ill for three weeks.
1916 Portsmouth Daily Times September 27, 1916 – Col. H. A. Marting, one of the leading citizens of Ironton, Ohio, has been ill for several months.
1917 – Portsmouth Daily Times January 11, 1917, Col. H. A. Marting is much better than he expects to arrive here this week to visit relatives and attend the Korn Karnival. Col. H. A. Marting Retires As Active Head of Steel Company – …Col. H. A. Martin declined re-election, and O.E. Marting was chosen as General Manager. Co. Marting retains the company’s presidency and is still chairman of the executive committee of the directorate. O. E. Marting is vice president and member of the executive committee. The condition of Col. Marting’s health was responsible for the change…Albert Marting of this city attended the meeting, taking the place of his father, F. L. Marting, who was on his way to Florida.
1923 Logansport Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Indiana March 6, 1923 – Story about Hotel Marting manager resigning after three years of service to the hotel. Mr. Carl H. McClung came to Ironton to take charge of the Marting Hotel before the building was complete. He spent several weeks with the late Col.H. A. Marting, who built the handsome hotel that ears his name shortly before his death.
1924 Portsmouth Daily Times January 17, 1924 – Rev. J. C. Marting, D. D., of Berea, is here to visit his sons, Otto and W. W. Marting, and their families for a few days. He will also visit relatives in Portsmouth. Rev. J.C. Marting is a brother of the late Col. H. A. Marting. Since his last visit to Ironton, Rev. Mr. Marting has received the honorary degree of D. D., Doctor of Divinity.- Ironton Register
1937 Newark Advocate – May 28, 1937 – Ironton, Ohio, May 28 – The will of the late Nellie M. Lowry, widow of Dr. Clark Lowry, former state representative, and daughter of Col. H. A. Marting, pioneer iron furnace and nail mill operator, on probate files today, named Margaret M. Reif, a cousin, sole heir of the $500,000 estate. Other relatives indicated they would contest the such disposition of the estate.
Col. H. A. Marting Obituary
Columbus Dispatch, October 5, 1919 – Col. H.A. Marting Summoned Recently – Colonel Marting would have been guessed older than the obituary notes in his case put him – 69. His is a case in which his accomplishments judge the age of the man. He had already accumulated a fortune and established a great business when he was yet under the 50-year line. It was almost 20 years ago that he branched out from his original plant at Ironton and established the Columbus Iron and Steel Company plant here in connection with Colonel J. G. Battelle, who preceded him in death a few years ago.
Colonel Marting was an ardent Republican, though he preferred to give his substance to the party rather than to his time; hence he never became a candidate for office. He was, however, a member of its state committee several times and always responded liberally to calls for contributions to the state campaign funds.
Lately, he had become imbued with the Carnegie idea that it was not credited to a man to die rich in the sense of having far more than those dependent on him could wisely use. He began some time ago to use his wealth for the public good, and naturally, the scenes of his early struggles – his hometown, appealed to him.
He had recently built a hotel at Ironton, Ohio, that probably passed the limits of business wisdom to give the city a hotel that would be a great credit to it. He had also contributed in other ways to his hometown. His family consisted of himself, his wife, and one daughter.
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