The original Martin company was founded by John Henry Martin in 1865. Born in Dresden, Saxony 24 February 1835, the young horn maker immigrated to the United States in 1855 settling first in New York City and then in 1865 moving to Chicago where he set up the Martin company. However, Martin lost everything in a fire in 1871 and it would be decades until the company operated again.

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It was in 1876 that Martin learned of Conn's new company in Elkhart. John Henry and his seven sons walked all the way from Chicago, IL, to Elkhart, IN,  – over 100 miles. The eldest son, Henry Charles Martin, worked for Conn from about 1890 as his father had, but from about 1905 he began to produce a few band instruments at his residence. He quit working for Conn by 1910 when his father's company was fully re-established. After Conn and Buescher, Martin was the third instrument manufacturing business to be built in Elkhart, IN. While Henry was its first president, all of John Henry Martin’s sons would eventually be employed with the new Martin company either as officers or skilled workers. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to mix family and business. The Martin brothers fought over how to run the business until the only way out of the animosity amongst the family members was to sell. This happened in 1912, only two years after the company was re-established.

From 1912 onwards, the Martin company experienced a number of owners and presidents. However, they managed to create high-quality instruments, to maintain good management practices, and the positive reputation needed to get them through the World Wars when materials were scarce and it was difficult for instrument manufacturers to keep their doors open. Their professional saxophone series was known as the Handcraft Committee (although the “Handcraft” part of the name was dropped in 1945) starting in the 30s. The earliest of these models are best known as the “Martin Skyline” horns. After the second World War, Martin introduced "The Martin" line of saxophones (also known as the Committee III) which would become their primary professional line through the 1970s.

In 1964 the rights to Martin were bought by Wurlitzer. The old factory was essentially Wurlitzer's student saxophone division in Elkhart. Then in 1971 the rights of Martin were bought by Leblanc, and the old factory was closed. Leblanc then began marketing saxophones with the Martin trademark and continued to do so in collaboration with Yanagisawa in the 1990s. Things have come full-circle as Leblanc was acquired by Conn-Selmer in 2005, although they have discontinued the Martin label presently. In 2018, The Martin trademark was reacquired by the Martin family and, in collaboration with B.A.C. in Kansas City, MO, The Martin Committee trumpets are once again in production.