WILLIAM ANTHONY CLARK, the subject of this brief sketch, was born in Logan county, Kentucky, February 16, 1811. His ancestors were residents of North and South Carolina, his father having been born in Orange county, North Carolina, August, 1770, his early home being not far from Guilford Court House, and he could hear the cannon during the battle at that place. He often referred to that incident in later life. After the battle a division of the British army encamped near his mother's house, for several days. His mother was unprotected as her husband had died when Thomas, the father of our subject, was five years old. Thomas was reared in North Carolina, and, braving the dangers of the wilderness, he crossed to Kentucky, settling in Logan county, about 1795. Here he married Mary Anthony, daughter of Philip Anthony, pioneer of Kentucky. Here Thomas Clark lived until the fall of 1839, when he came to Illinois, and settled in Missouri township, where he died in 1847.

W. A. Clark was one of a family of thirteen children, being the third. His boyhood was passed in Logan county, Kentucky, where he attended the schools of seventy years ago, which were only provided with benches of split logs, heated by a fireplace, and lighted by windows of greased paper. This gentleman was married, April, 1832, to Mehala Roberts, daughter of John Roberts. She was born in Maryland, but reared in Washington county, Virginia.

Mr. and Mrs. Clark resided in Logan county, Kentucky, until 1837, and three children were born to them there. They then came to Illinois, and rented land for one year, then entered eighty acres in Pea Ridge township, but five years later settled in Missouri township, on section 17, and with his two sons became the owner of 600 acres of fine land in the aforesaid section. Mr. Clark was a member of the Presbyterian Church, having joined it in 1833. He voted for Henry Clay, but afterward became a Democrat in politics. Mr. Clark was a poor man when he came to Illinois, but by his earnest endeavors and hard work he managed to accumulate a large fortune.