Martin Russell Logan

Martin Russell Logan was born on May 10, 1871, in Scio, Oregon. He was the second son of Andrew Russell Logan and Eliza E. Peery Logan.

In 1874, when Martin was about three years old, his parents purchased a property in the city of Dayton from the town’s founder, Joel Palmer. Two years later, in 1876, Martin died at the age of 5 years, 7 months, and 4 days.

Very little is known about Martin’s short life. He was born between the 1870 and 1880 censuses, leaving no federal record of his presence. No official birth or death records have been located, and given the limited availability of local newspapers in 1876, an obituary has not been found.

A 1940 cemetery survey conducted by the Daughters of the American Revolution suggests that Martin once had a headstone noting his age at death. Today, only a small stone engraved with the initials “M R L” remains at his gravesite in the Odell Pioneer Cemetery. This marker resembles a footstone—typically placed at the foot of a grave, opposite the headstone—implying that his original marker was lost or removed sometime after the survey.

Although little is recorded about Martin’s life, he rests among many of his relatives.