Martin Van Buren Bates Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Martin Van Buren Bates
Bates standing in uniform
Born	(1837-11-09)November 9, 1837 Letcher County, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	January 7, 1919(1919-01-07) (aged 81) Seville, Ohio, U.S.
Height	7 ft 9 in (2.36 m)
Spouse(s)	Anna Haining Swan (m. 1871; died 1888) Annette LaVonne Weatherby (m. 1889)

Martin Van Buren Bates (born November 9, 1837, died January 19, 1919) was an American man known as the "Kentucky Giant." He became famous for his incredible height. Bates stood about 7 feet 9 inches (2.36 m) tall and weighed around 475 pounds (215 kg).

Early Life and Amazing Growth
- Serving in the Civil War
Life After the War and a Special Wedding
- Building a Home and Family Life
Later Years and Legacy
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Early Life and Amazing Growth

Martin Van Buren Bates was born in Kentucky, USA. His growth spurt began when he was about six or seven years old. By the time he was 12, he was already over 6 ft (1.83 m) tall. He also weighed more than 200 lb (90 kg) at that young age!

Serving in the Civil War

When the American Civil War started, Martin Bates was studying at a university in Virginia. He decided to join the army, becoming part of the 5th Kentucky Infantry. This group was part of the Confederate States Army, which was one side in the war.

Martin quickly rose through the ranks, first becoming a lieutenant and then a captain. During a battle near the Cumberland Gap, he was badly hurt. He was captured and held as a prisoner at Camp Chase in Ohio, but he managed to escape later.

Life After the War and a Special Wedding

After the Civil War ended, Martin Bates went back to Kentucky. Before the war, he had worked as a schoolteacher. Later, he joined a circus, where people were amazed by his height.

While the circus was visiting Halifax, Canada, another very tall person came to see the show. This was Anna Haining Swan, who was about 7 ft 11 in (2.41 m) tall. Martin and Anna quickly became friends and fell in love. They got married in 1871.

Their wedding was a huge event, held in St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, England. Thousands of people wanted to attend because it was so unusual to see two such tall people get married. Everyone admired their kind personalities. Even Queen Victoria was interested! She gave Martin a special engraved watch and gave Anna a beautiful satin dress and a diamond ring.

Building a Home and Family Life

In 1872, Martin and Anna moved to Seville, USA. They built a very large house there, specially designed to be comfortable for their tall statures.

They hoped to start a family. Anna gave birth to a daughter in May 1872, who was very large but sadly passed away shortly after birth.

Martin wrote in his autobiography about their new life. He bought a farm in Seville, Ohio, with 130 acres of land. He built a house there that was perfect for their comfort, with custom-made furniture. He also started farming, raising cattle and horses.

Even though he enjoyed farming, Martin and Anna soon returned to traveling with the circus. They were big attractions for the W. W. Cole circus in the late 1870s. During this time, they had another child, a son, born in January 1879. He was also very large, measuring 28 inches [71 cm] tall and weighing twenty-three pounds [10 kg]. Sadly, this son also passed away shortly after birth.

Later Years and Legacy

Anna Bates passed away on August 5, 1888. Martin had a statue made in Europe for her grave. He then sold their large house and moved into the town of Seville.

In 1889, Martin remarried. His second wife, Annette LaVonne Weatherby, was of average height. They lived a quiet life together. Martin Van Buren Bates lived until January 19, 1919, when he passed away from a kidney illness called nephritis. He was buried next to his first wife and their son in Seville. Martin was one of the tallest people known to have lived to be at least 80 years old.

Years after Martin's death, a family bought the house he and Anna had built, which had very high 14-foot ceilings. Sadly, the original large house later burned down. A regular-sized house was built on the same spot. This new house eventually became a museum for the Seville Historical Society, helping to remember Martin and Anna's unique story.