Charles J. Martin (California politician)
Charles J. Martin | |
|---|---|
| 20th Mayor of San Jose, California | |
| In office 1882–1884 | |
| Preceded by | Bernard D. Murphy |
| Succeeded by | Campbell Thompson Settle |
| 27th Mayor of San Jose, California | |
| In office 1898–1902 | |
| Preceded by | Valentine Koch |
| Succeeded by | George D. Worswick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Charles John Martin February 11, 1839 France |
| Died | April 1, 1912 (aged 73) San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oak Hill Memorial Park, San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Party | Democrat (1880s–1900) Republican (1900–) |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Lucretia "Mollie" Delzelle (m. 1868–1881, her death) Elizabeth Hewlett (m. 1884–1905, her death) Cora H. Graham (m. 1909–1911, div.) |
| Children | 4 |
| Occupation | Politician, businessman, merchant |
Charles John "C.J." Martin (February 11, 1839 – April 1, 1912) was a French-born American politician, businessman, and merchant. He served two terms as the mayor of San Jose, California.[1]
Early life and family
Charles John Martin was born on February 11, 1839, in France.[2] He moved to San Jose, California as a child.
Martin was married three times. His first marriage was in 1868 to Mary "Mollie" Lucretia Delzell, and together they had four children. Delzell died at a young age on August 4, 1880.[3] His second marriage was in 1884 to Elizabeth Hewlett (formerly married to Hayes) of Bristol, England, who died in January 1905.[4] Martin's third marriage was to Cora H. Cody (née Graham) of Los Angeles, from 1909 until 1911 and ending in divorce.[5][6][7][8]
Career
Martin owned a dry goods business called "The Bee Hive" at the corner of First and San Fernando Streets in downtown San Jose.[9] He also owned the Bristol Hotel (also known as the Martin Building) on South Second Street in San Jose.[10]
Martin served two terms as the mayor of San Jose, California: the first was from 1882 until 1884, and the second from 1898 until 1902.[11][12]
On May 19, 1902, George D. Worswick was elected as mayor of San Jose, defeating Adolph Greeninger by a narrow margin, and the successor of Martin.[13] Martin had backed Greeninger, as did local businessman Johnny McKenzie.[13] Martin and some from his cabinet refused to leave the mayors office, claiming issues with "certification".[14][15] In June 1902, Martin was physically dragged by police from the office along with some of his staff, they were referred to as the "McKenzie gang".[15][16]
Martin was a member of the Democratic Party, however in 1900 he supported the election of Republican President William McKinley and appeared as a member of the Republican Party after McKinley won the election.[17][18] In 1906, he served as a Republican delegate to the California State Convention.[18]
Martin and local merchant O.A. Hale (1852–1907) contributed towards the 1903 establishment of the Main San José Carnegie Library.[19]
Death
Martin died on April 1, 1912, in San Jose, and was buried at Oak Hill Memorial Park.[7] At the time of his death he was wealthy, and was recently divorced from his third wife.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Wolfe, Wellington C. (1901). Men of California, 1900–1902. San Francisco: Pacific Art Co. – via Hathi Trust.
- ^ "Charles John Martin, 11 February 1839 – 1 April 1912 • GD8D-5H9". familysearch.org.
- ^ "Obituary for Mollie Martin". Oakland Tribune. August 6, 1880. p. 4. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "San Jose Loses One of Its Leading Women". San Francisco Chronicle. January 4, 1905. p. 13. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Former Mayor of San Jose is Married Here". Los Angeles Herald. July 10, 1909. p. 10. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Badly Injured in Runaway Accident". San Francisco Chronicle. July 15, 1911. p. 17. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Forces Her Way To Grave of Husband". San Francisco Examiner. April 4, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Former Mayor of San Jose Secures Divorce". San Francisco Chronicle. September 16, 1911. p. 10. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A New Departure". California Digital Newspaper Collection (CDNC). Daily Morning Times, Volume III, Number 114. November 12, 1880.
- ^ "San Jose to Have One More First-Class Hotel". San Francisco Chronicle. July 20, 1902. p. 9. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Election at San Jose". The Sacramento Union. April 12, 1882. p. 4. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "San Jose Officials Take Oath of Office". The San Francisco Call Bulletin. April 21, 1898. p. 4. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b McKay, Leonard (August 28, 2006). "Anatomy of a Street (Part 2)". San Jose Inside. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
- ^ "Worswick Wins In San Jose Election". Santa Cruz Sentinel. May 18, 1904. p. 3. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "McKenzie Gang Holds on To Office Until Thrown Out By The Police". San Francisco Chronicle. July 8, 1902. p. 1. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Utter Rout of the Gang Down in Santa Clara". The San Francisco Call Bulletin. August 13, 1902. p. 5. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Article clipped from Los Gatos Mail". Los Gatos Mail. October 25, 1900. p. 4. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Official Canvass Is Completed by Board". The Peninsula Times Tribune. August 18, 1906. p. 6. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Corner Stone of San Jose's Carnegie Library is Laid". San Francisco Chronicle. February 17, 1902. p. 3. Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.