History of the Restoration Movement


Benjamin Franklin Martin

1871-1925


Ligon Portraiture Picture

Gospel Preacher In Southern Kansas

B.F. Martin was a gospel preacher. He was born in Mitchell, Indiana September 2, 1871. David S. Ligon featured him in his Portraiture of Gospel Preachers in Column 24, Row 4. He moved west and preached in Winfield, Kansas for seventeen years 1900-1914. He died November 15, 1925 at 46 years of age. He is buried north of Burden, Kansas in the Grand Prairie Cemetery.

Source: Find-A-Grave Special thanks to Terry J. Gardner and Tom L. Childers for assisting in providing some of the photos on this page.


Sommer Bible Reading
Back Row (L to R): James M. Briggs, David Dodd, Alvah S. Meade, Theodore Dodd, James E. Lindsey, Ben Martin,
and unknown African-American (likely either W.S. Elliott or John S. Clark)
Front Row (L to R): Jim J. Boone, A. M. Morris, Daniel Sommer, Richard Becks & Thad S. Hutson
(Photo taken in Indianapolis, Indiana - 1894 at Daniel Sommer's first Bible Reading)
Courtesy of Terry J. Gardner, via Tom L. Childers (Find-A-Grave)

Directions To The Grave of Benjamin F. Martin

Benjamin Franklin Martin is buried near Burden, Cowley County, Kansas in the Grand Prairie Cemetery. In southern Kansas, take I-35 to Exit 19. and head east toward Winfield on Hwy. 160. Continue through Winfield, and a few miles east, Hwy 160 will turn north. Continue following Hwy. 160 toward Burden. Just as you get to where Hwy 160 turns right, and enters Burden, continue north on Co. Rd. 5/21st Rd. Then turn right on 82nd Rd (GRAVEL ROAD). Go 2 miles and the cemetery will be on the right.

GPS Location
37.358799,-96.735532

View Larger Map


Burden, Kansas
Under The "Big Sky" Of The West


Grand Prairie Cemetery 1889


Martin's plot is in the SW corner of this cemetery, at the oposite corner from where this shot was taken


Looking back at the road from the Martin Plot


Benjamin F.
1871-1925
Izora Evaline
1874-1955

Photos Taken February 27, 2012
Courtesy of Scott Harp
www.TheRestorationMovement.com

Web editor note: In February, 2012, it was my privilege to visit the grave of Benjamin F. Martin. I was invited to take part in the annual Affirming The Faith Lectureship in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Getting into the area early, I was afforded the opportunity to put about 2000 miles on a rental car in order to locate graves of gospel preachers and church leaders of yesteryear in a wide area. On my eighth and final day I was able to visit the grave of Benjamin F. Martin. In fact, Martin's grave was the last of 48 preacher's graves I visited on the trip.

History Home

History Index Page