Martin Allen Hart was born to Martin M. & Martha (Emerson) Hart 3 Nov 1879, Gallatin Co, IL. He was the fourth child & the second son of this marriage, his brother was Henry Ezra and had four sisters; Amy, Maggie Lue Dica, Elsia A. and Mollie
Dawson. The family lived in Gallatin and White Counties until 1885 when they moved to New Madrid Co., MO near Portage Bay. Sometime in 1888 or 1889 they moved to Stoddard County as they are listed on the Tax Records of New Lisbon Township in 1889. They lived at Ardelo, Pike Township in 1890 when his father Martin M. Hart applied for a Civil War Pension. Martin Allen, age 10 & his older brother Henry Ezra, age 12 would ride a horse from Ardelo to Toga in the northeast part of Stoddard Co., to the Grist Mill and have corn grounded into meal for the family. It would take them two days to make the round trip. They lived between the Sadler Chapel Church & the Sadler Chapel Cemetery in 1891 as
Martin Allen, age 11, his brother Henry Ezra, age 15, his sisters, Magey L., age 17 and Elsia A., age 8 were enrolled at the
Lost School located northwest of Dexter, on Section #9, in Castor Township. In 1891 or 1892 the family returned to White County, IL in an Ox Cart, pulled by a team of Oxen. Martin Allen attended grade school in White Co., learned the trade of making Sorghum Molasses & farming. He had a portable Sorghum Mill & would go from farm to farm & make Sorghum Molasses for the farmer’s who raised a small patch of Sorghum Cane.
He married Hannah Iona Melton, 27 Jan 1901 Gallatin County, IL. Hannah was born 13 July 1882, White Co., IL She was the daughter of Warren Alexander & Laura Juiliana (Hendrix) Melton. Ten children were born while Martin and Hannah lived in Illinois: Twins, stillborn 1901, Starlus, born 9 Aug 1902, Rosevelt, born 13 Jan 1904, Grayson (Joe), born 18 Feb 1906,
Martin, born 17 Dec 1907, Merda (Merdith), born 27 Oct 1910 and died about Jan 1913, Clara, 25 Dec 1912, Charles Henry, 27 Nov 1915, died at age one month, Amos, 27 Jan 1917.
In the later part of 1918 Martin Allen & his family moved from White Co., IL to Como, MO in New Madrid Co., MO in two
covered wagons & pulled by one team of horses & one team of mules.
On 6 Sept. 1919 Milas Hart was born in New Madrid Co.. Sometime between then & 29 August 1921 the family had moved into Stoddard Co., just below LaValle as Ezra Hart was born there on that date. The oldest boys learned the trade of farming & help their Dad in the fields & with the Sorghum making as they were growing up. Starlus Hart married Elizabeth Grampp on 6 March 1925 in New Madrid Co., Rosevelt Hart married Sylvia E. Ramsey on 28 Nov 1925 in New Madrid Co., Martin Hart married Captola (Tola) Smith on 31 Oct 1926 in New Madrid Co., Grayson (Joe) Hart
married Anna Marie Bruce on 13 July 1927 in Madison Co., IL.
In 1927 Martin Allen Hart and family moved to a farm on Section #5 in Castor
Township, Stoddard Co., about 1 & 1/2 miles
west of Dexter & then 2 & 1/2 miles north,
(today 2003, go north on AD Highway 2 and
1/2 miles) which they bought from William
(Bill) Lee & Nannie Smith for $950.00.
There was 83.5 acres, (approximately)
according to the Warranty Deed, dated
3rd day of August A. D. One Thousand Nine
Hundred and Twenty Seven (1927), &
recorded in the "Deed Record Book #99," at
Bloomfield, Stoddard Co., MO. Martin and
Hannah lived on this little hill farm
for the next twenty-five (25) years, during
which time they saw their only daughter
Clara Hart marry Ray Aslin on 24 Dec 1932,
Amos Hart marry Ora Perrigan on 24 Dec1935,
Milas Hart marry Mamie Grissom on Sept
1937 & Ezra Hart marry Geneva Hankins on 25
Oct 1941, all in Stoddard Co. There was
thirty-nine grandchildren born to the
children of Martin Allen and Hannah Iona
Hart. There were times when most of
those thirty-nine grandchildren would be
there at the home for a visit or reunion
with their grandparents.
They continued to live on the little farm
where Martin Allen farmed, did some
blacksmith work and made some of the best
Sorghum Molasses that was made
during that time. Thirty years after he
quit making the Sorghum Mollasses,
people in and around Dexter still
remembered how well they tasted.
In 1952 Martin and Hannah traded the Home
Place to Bernard Pixley for a small home in
Dexter at 525 North Sassafrass Street &
lived there for the remainder of their
lives. Martin died 16 Jan 1959 and Hannah
died 27 Dec 1959 and both are buried in the
Hagy Cemetery, just north of Dexter, MO.
