A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans, Volume 5
By Will Thomas Hale, Dixon Lanier Merritt
The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago and New York; 1913

Pages 1299-1300

Martin V. Bruce. Fortune oft-times seems a capricious goddess, smiling at one time and frowning at another, but in the end she seldom refuses her favors to those who have proved worthy of them, who with grit and determination refuse to succumb to adverse circumstances or to countenance failure but with undaunted courage overcome the difficulties that beset them and steadily but firmly press forward toward the goal of success. In taking account of the men who have been contributors to the progress of Tennessee we take pleasure in presenting a brief review of the career of Martin V. Bruce, of Bruces Switch, Obion county, who by what he has accomplished has demonstrated that success is largely a matter of character; that while education, influence and capital are invaluable aids to him who knows how to use them, the young man who has not been favored by these aids but who possesses native ability, pluck and resolution may be an equally forceful factor in society.

Martin V. Bruce began life in Perry county, Tennessee, on September 24, 1848. He had no educational advantages, no financial aid from parent or friends, and had but his own native resources on which to rely in getting a start in life and for waging his contest for success in life. Today he is the owner of eight hundred acres of land in Obion county, seven hundred acres of which is under cultivation and produce large crops of cotton, corn and wheat, being also the owner of other valuable business interests. His eight hundred acre tract lies in a body, with nine tenant houses and from sixty-five to seventy people. He rents it to tenants. He also has a store at Bruces Switch which he manages in connection with his farm and saw mill. He began as a farmer, in a very modest way at first, experiencing the varying successes and failures incident to that vocation but steadily gaining the while until he had accumulated the capital which warranted more independent and larger agricultural operations. In 1900 he also entered into the manufacture of lumber at Bruce’s Crossing, Obion county, and is yet identified with that business. His mill is run by steam and is lighted by electricity generated at the mill and his force averages sixteen workmen. All of this represents years of untiring industry on the part of Mr. Bruce and native business genius well applied.

In 1867 he was joined in marriage to Miss Sarah A. Taylor, born in Obion county, Tennessee. To their union were born twelve children, eight of whom grew to maturity and six of whom are now living. Three died young, James J. died at the age of sixteen and of those who grew to maturity, Laura is the wife of C. T. Arnold, of Kenton, Tennessee; Ella married Ed Prunington and died at about twentyseven years of age; George W. is a farmer of this county; Nevada is the wife of A. J. McNeely, of this county; Elbert R., of St. Louis, Missouri, is connected with a loan and trust company; Martin V., Jr., is a farmer at Amson, Texas; John A., is a farmer in this county; and Lexie married E. L. Peoples, and died January 6, 1913. Mr. Bruce is a son of James and Pearly (Hooper) Bruce, who came to Tennessee from South Carolina and of whose eight children he is third in birth. Both he and his wife are members of the Baptist church, and he is a Democrat in his political views, but would never accept office.