This is very exciting to find a very distant cousin!! I am one of the Martins who still owns the land on Redlick Mountain. It all started with 40 acres that Solomon P. Martin had, and then John Thomas Martin (Solomon's son) added to that, and then his son, Orla Charles Martin (my father) added to that, and the farm then was 160 acres and that included Martin Springs. Many years ago Martin Springs was a gathering place of the community for picnics, fox hunters, and all kinds of activities. My father's sister and her husband needed a place to build a house to live, so my father gave his sister 7 acres which included Martin Springs. That would be their water supply. That left my father with 153 acres. After my father and mother passed away (father-1975 and mother-1977) the land was divided among my sister, brother, and me. So we each were given 51 acres of land. I grew up in the Mt. Vernon area and am very familiar with all of the Redlick Mountain area. The homeplace where I grew up is still there and that part of the land was owned by my sister. She and her husband lived there until their deaths. Now my sister's two daughters own that house and their 51 acres. They live in Arkansas, (one in Fort Smith and one in Bay) and they go the farm/house throughout the year.

My brother and family lived in Plano, Texas, for many years. He passed away in 2002. The 51 acres that he owned included the portion where the old original homeplace was. My 51 acres are in between the two locations previously mentioned.

Many Martins are buried in the Mt. Vernon Cemetery, including Solomon P. and his wife Eva Louisa.

Were you aware that Solomon P. Martin was in the Union Army? I did not know this until I did the genealogy. His tombstone was provided by the Union.

I hope you'll write again - I'm not sure of your age, but assuming you are still fairly young. I am now 68 (retired Minister's wife and retired Secretary).

When we were in Arkansas in June, my husband and I drove to the Lone Pine Cemetery and Blood Rock is said to be in that area.

Joyce Mae