WILLIAM B. MARTINE, county and district clerk at Plainview, is one of the high-class, public-spirited and efficient public officials of Western Texas, and the fact that he has been retained by repeated elections in his present office for over twelve years indicates the esteem and confidence which his fellow citizens cherish for him.
Mr. Martine was born at the old fort where Jacksboro now stands, in Jack county, Texas, in 1870, thus having begun his life in what was then a pioneer part of the state and having since remained and pursued his career principally in the newer country of the state. He was a son of R. W. and Julia E. (Box) Martine. His father, a native of Italy, came to the United States with his parents when he was nine years old, living first in New York and later in Chicago, and thence came to Texas. After spending a few years in Jack county he took his family, in 1873, to Montague county. The father is now deceased, but the mother, a native of Alabama, and who married R. W. Martine in Texas, is now living in Hale county.
Reared during his early years principally in Montague county, Mr. Martine, in 1886, being then sixteen years old, came out to the plains country and began “punching cows” in Lamb county. He continued as a cowboy in the employ of different cattlemen on the range until 1890, when he located in Hale county, which has been his home ever since. In 1892 he was elected county and district clerk, and has served as such continuously to the present, and in the fall of 1904 he was the candidate for and was re-elected to the office without any opposition whatever, showing to what extent he has the confidence of the citizens of Hale county. He owns a nice ranch in the county, northwest of Plainview, and has been uniformly successful and prosperous since staring out in life on his own account. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow.
Mr. Martine was married at Plainview to Miss Mary E. Bryan, a sister of Polk Bryan, and a member of one of the old-time families of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Martine have one son, Fred Martine.
Source: B. B. Paddock, History and Biographical Record of North and West Texas (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1906), Vol. II, p. 420.