Hon. Martin K. Gantz, the son of George and Caroline (Kissinger) Gantz, was born in Bethel township, Miami county, Ohio, January 28, 1862. His father was a farmer, and our subject remained on the farm, obtaining what education he could at the country schools until he was sixteen years of age, when he attended the Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, for two years.

In March, 1880, he entered the law office of Hon. E. S. Williams, of Troy, as a student, and there remained until 1882, when he entered the Cincinnati Law School, in which he was graduated in June, 1883. Mr. Gantz entered into partnership with Hon. E. S. Williams and remained with him until 1889. In 1891 he formed a partnership with A. F. Broomhall, Esq., in the practice of law, which continued until 1894. Since that date he has had no partner, but has built up a lucrative practice. As a lawyer he is careful in the selection of his cases, but when he accepts a case he is diligent in its preparation and energetic in bringing it to a conclusion, and rarely fails to win his cause.

In 1884, he was nominated for prosecuting attorney of this county by the Democratic party against Samuel C. Jones, and was only defeated by a majority of less than five hundred, when the majority for the Republican party in the county that year was nine hundred and eighty-seven. In March, 1890, he was nominated by the Democratic party for mayor of Troy and was elected by a majority of one hundred and ninety-two, over an able man, notwithstanding the Republican majority on the rest of the ticket was two hundred and fifty. On the 1st of October he was nominated by the Democracy for congress in the fourth congressional district, their then composed of the counties of Champaign, Darke, Mercer, Miami, Preble and Shelby, over a number of the strongest men in the district, after a remarkably exciting political convention that met in July and adjourned three times, the contest virtually continuing from July to October. The election was also a contest that was fought by the Republican nominee, General W. P. Orr, a popular and wealthy man, yet Mr. Gantz was elected by twenty thousand, seven hundred and five, against nineteen thousand two hundred and five votes cast for General Orr. This is a proud record for a young man who, at that time, was only twenty-eight years of age--a record such as is seldom made, even in this land of popular suffrage.

With the exception of Hon. Joseph W. Bailey, of Texas, Mr. Gantz was the youngest member of the fifty-second congress. In that congress he became known as an industrious member, who was very attentive to the interests of his constituents. He was a member of the important committee on banking and currency, and also of the committee on election of president and vice-president and United States senators. He made a speech in congress in support of a bill submitting an amendment to the constitution to elect United States senators by a direct vote of the people, instead of state legislatures, which attracted wide attention and favorable comment. In 1892 Miami county was placed in the seventh congressional district, which was Republican by such a large majority that the Democratic nominee had no hope of success. Mr. Gantz was nominated by acclamation and received the full support of his party, running ahead of the ticket by two hundred votes.

On the 1st of October, 1885, Mr. Gantz was married, in Troy, to Miss Gertrude Baird, the daughter of Davis and Martha Baird. To this union, one son, Maurice, was born, December 13, 1886. Mrs. Gertrude Baird Gantz departed this life May 25, 1888. In October, 1891, Mr. Gantz was married to Miss Mary Green, the daughter of Dr. J. H. and Mrs. Almira (Childs) Green. She is a lady of fine education, an active member of the Baptist church, and prominent in social and literary circles of this city.

In 1898 Mr. Gantz, in connection with three other gentlemen, purchased the Troy Democrat, and, in addition to his law practice, he has the duties of managing editor of the leading Democratic newspaper of Miami county. He is still, comparatively speaking, a young man with a splendid record behind him, and the promise of an honorable career in the future, but whether he remains a private citizen, or again engages in the battle for political honors, he has already made a history that is a credit to him and his friends and to the community in which he lives.