Donated to the Morrison County Historical Society in 1971 by the J. Kenneth Martin Estate, this gray and white striped apron is believed to have belonged to Lottie Lee (Tanner) Martin, the wife of J. Kenneth Martin. Martin was a prominent banker and businessman in Little Falls, Minnesota, during the early twentieth century.
Lottie Lee Tanner was born to Alfred and Mary Jane (Simmons) Tanner on May 2, 1874, on a farm two miles south of Little Falls. Lottie attended Central School in Little Falls and by the age of 14 had taken over bookkeeping duties for her father’s various commercial ventures. At the time, Alfred Tanner was operating the Tanner Mercantile Company along with other businesses throughout the county. On January 24, 1900, Lottie Lee married Jirah Kenneth Martin at the Church of Our Saviour in Little Falls. Martin was then working as the state agent at the Northern Pacific station in Royalton, Minnesota. The Martins lived in Royalton for two years before moving to a small house on Third Street in Little Falls. In 1907 they built a more spacious home at 206 Southeast Third Street. Lottie Lee and J. Kenneth Martin had three children – Kenneth Tanner, Herbert Lee and Louis Frederick.