Person Profile

Hans Henrich Martin immigrated to the American colonies at the age
of thirty with his wife Anna Oberholtzer Martin and small family. He landed at Philadelphia, PA on September 21, 1731. His brother David had arrived earlier on September 30, 1727. He
bought 153 acres of virgin land in Earl (now East Earl) Township,
Lancaster Co., PA, from Thomas and Richard Penn, sons of William Penn.
The original deed is dated January 10, 1733. The purchase price was 23
pounds, 14 shillings, and 3 pence.
This land lies south of the Long Lane Road. The buildings are
situated about a mile south of the intersection of Route 625 and the Long
Lane Road near the bridge which now carries Route 625 across the
Conestoga Creek. Hans Henrich, often called "Creek Henry Martin", erected
buildings on the north bank of the creek. The old log house he built west
of the spring was later replaced by a stone house. The site is about 200
yards to the west of Route 625, on a slight elevation overlooking the
creek. It was known for many years as the "Creek Henry Martin Farm."
Hans Henrich Martin and his wife were Mennonites. They settled in
Pennsylvania so they could have liberty to worship according to their
convictions.
According to some old records, Hans and Anna are buried in the
Lichty Cemetery which is located on a hillside near the intersection of
the Union Grove Road and the Iron Bridge Road. Across the fields, it is
about a mile east of the farm on which they lived. It is about a field's
length from the Union Grove Road, but it can be reached by means of an
unpaved right of way. Their graves are, no doubt, marked by one of the
simple limestone or slate markers there, bearing no names or dates. ("The
John Jacob Martin Family", Daniel R. Lehman, 1978)