Trails-to-the-Past-Massachusetts-Hampshire-County-Biographies-pg6

 

Trails to the Past 

Hampshire County, Massachusetts Biographies

The Leading Citizens of Hampshire County

Boston Biographical Review Publishing Co. 1896

CHARLES EDWARD CLARK

CAPTAIN EDWIN C. CLARK

EDWIN COOK CLARK, Jr.

HORACE CLARK

HORACE L. CLARK

JAIRUS E. CLARK

LEWIS  A. CLARK

RODOLPHUS C. CLARK

THOMAS F. CLARK

WALTER A. CLARK M. D.

WILLIAM S. CLARK

 
 

 

CHARLES EDWARD CLARK, a well educated and progressive citizen of Northampton, who has a fine farm in the Seventh Ward, near Leeds, was born on the farm where he resides in 1857, son of Edward L. and Artemesia (Whitney) Clark. He represents the fourth generation of his family born in Northampton, and the third born on this farm.

His great-grandfather, Calvin Clark, who was born on Elm Street, February 21, 1770, was one of the first settlers of this part of the town, taking a tract of timber land about the year 1792, when the district was sparsely inhabited and was mostly primitive forest land.  There he established a homestead, which is still in possession of the family. Deacon Enos and Deacon Luther Clark, prominent citizens in the early days of Northampton, were his brothers. On February 9, 1792, Calvin Clark was united in marriage with Lucy Parsons; and their eldest child was Justin, born June 7, 1794, the grandfather of Charles Edward Clark. The other children were as follows: Dexter, born July 15, 1795, a mason residing in Northampton, who died about 1882; Lewis and Lucy, twins, born in 1798, the former of whom died in infancy, and the latter became the wife of Arby Stacey, of Belchertown, and died in 1834; Calvin, born in 1802, who died in 1880; Fanny, born in 1804, who died at the age of sixteen; Laura, born in 1808, who died in 1879. Justin Clark, the grandfather of our subject, spent his life on the farm cleared by his father, dying May 17, 1880, in his eighty-sixth year. In 1822 he married Fanny Parsons, sister of the octogenarian, Josiah Parsons, who lives on Bridge Street, Northampton. She died in January, 1881, well advanced in her eighty-sixth year; and her husband followed her to their last home on the 19th of the next May.   Two children brightened their home: Edward L., born in October, 1823, the father of Charles Edward; and Elijah P., born in 1827, who died in his twenty-third year, unmarried.

Edward L. Clark, like his father, spent his life on the home farm, winning a good livelihood from the generous soil, and finding ample food for his mind within the limits of Northampton. He was married in October, 1852, to Artemesia Whitney, of Ohio, daughter of Josiah and Almira (Ellsworth) Whitney, who was born in 1828. Her father was a native of Connecticut, her mother of Ohio; and they were married in the latter State. They were both over eighty at the time of their death.

Mrs. Clark is the fifth of seven children, five sons and two daughters, and is the oldest of the three living, Charles M. and Mary D.  being the other two. Her family furnished its quota in defense of the Union, one brother, a soldier in the Thirty-seventh Illinois Regiment, dying of disease contracted in the army, and Charles M., who was in the One Hundred and   Seventh   Ohio  Regiment,   serving over and Seventh Ohio Regiment, serving over three years and receiving a serious wound.  He is now living in Ohio. F. J. Whitney, a leading farmer in Rock Island County, Illinois, was a prominent man in his district, serving as Justice of the Peace, Postmaster, and in other official capacities. He died in 1882, at the age of sixty-six. Mrs. Clark is living at the old home with her son, very active in mind and body, though not very strong. She reared two children: Charles Edward, the subject of this sketch; and Mary A., wife of John Phinney, of Haydenville.

Charles Edward Clark attended the district schools, acquiring there a fair amount of book knowledge, at the same time acquiring that knowledge of nature and natural laws that a country boy absorbs as a  sponge does water.  Being the only son, he became master of the homestead at his father's death, and for some years. has been engaged in general farming, making a specialty of dairying and sending milk to the creamery. He keeps from twenty to twenty-five cows, and has a large well-equipped barn, which was built in 1882. The house in which he resides was erected by his father over forty years ago, and the boards in the dining-room floor have been in use over one hundred years, having done service in the floor of the east room in the old house of the great-grandfather.

Mr. Clark was married January 1, 1890, to Nancy Belle, daughter of Albert E. and Mary A. (Parks) Wright. The latter died in 1894, leaving besides Mrs. Clark one other daughter and a son: Sarah, wife of E. B.  Gibbs, of North Blandford, Mass. ; and Lyman E., who lives in Chester on the farm with his father. Mrs. Clark is a refined and well-educated lady, a graduate of Leicester Academy, and was a teacher for some time before her marriage.    Mr. and Mrs. Clark had one son, who died in infancy. Mr. Clark is an independent voter. He served on the Board of Aldermen in 1890. He has some advanced ideas respecting city government. Mrs. Clark is a member of the Congregational church at Williamsburg. They have an ideal home, roomy and well-kept, and may be regarded as representative types of Northampton's best citizens.


CAPTAIN EDWIN C. CLARK, a much esteemed citizen of Northampton, Mass., was born here October 23, 1826, son of Allen and Sophia (Cook) Clark. The Clark family trace their lineage back to William Clark, who was born in England in the year 1609, and came to Massachusetts among the early colonists, being known to have been living in Dorchester in 1638, and to have removed to Northampton about twenty years after.

This progenitor, who, like his contemporaries, was engaged in agricultural pursuits, bore the title of Lieutenant and was a very able and public spirited man. He served as Trial Justice and was often one of the Selectmen of Northampton. Captain Clark has a souvenir of the olden times in the shape of a photographic copy of the autographs of the five Selectmen of 1666, one of whom was Lieutenant Clark. He was also a consistent church member and served as Deacon for many years.  He died in Northampton in 1691. In 1880, in place of the simple headstone that had marked his grave, a monument of Ouincy granite, costing five hundred dollars, was erected to his memory by his descendants, some ten of whom, including Captain Edwin C.  Clark, were active in tracing the genealogy of the family.

His son, John Clark, who was born in Dorchester, as appears from the history of that town, also devoted much time and attention to public affairs; and in addition to the other positions of public trust which he filled he served as a Representative in the General Court during fourteen sessions. He was the father of ten children, by whom he had over eighty grandchildren; and, like his father, he held the office of Deacon in the church of which he was a member. His son, Increase Clark, was born in Northampton in 1684; and directly after him the lineal representatives are Daniel, born in Northampton in 1712, and Daniel's son, Deacon Solomon, who was also a native of Northampton, born in 1744, and who became a well-to-do farmer. He died in 1821, leaving a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters. A brother Daniel was one of the pioneer settlers of Ohio, near Cleveland, where he reared a family of ten children.

Allen Clark, son of Deacon Solomon, was born in 1789, was reared to the vocation of a farmer, and later became the owner of the old homestead, where his life was successfully spent as an agriculturist. He died in August, 1849 His wife, Sophia Cook Clark, was a daughter of William and Annie (Gorman) Cook, both of whom were natives of Hadley, Mass. Their marriage was solemnized in Northampton in 1814; and they reared a family of seven children, four sons and three daughters, of whom Edwin C. was the sixth child and third son. The only survivors are Edwin C. and his sister Pamelia, the widow of Heman Smith, of Springfield, Mass.  Edwin C. Clark received a good common-school education, and remained on his father's farm until in his twenty-third year, when he was aroused by the reports of discovery of gold in California, and went thither by way of the Isthmus. He was engaged for a time as a placer miner on the American River, but a year later he came home; and in the fall of 1850 he secured a position in New York City as salesman and shipper for the firm of Beebe & Co., hatters, remaining with them four years. In 1854, returning to Hampshire County, he became associated with William Clark, under the firm name of E. C. Clark & Co., in the manufacture of lumber, which they carried on at Southampton, Mass., for five years, conducting a steam sawmill, and during that time sold nine thousand cords of wood. He subsequently engaged in the livery business with his brother in Northampton, and later conducted it alone and on quite an extensive scale, having two stables with thirty to fifty horses. In 1877 he became superintendent of the Northampton Street Railway; and he also served as Treasurer from that time until 1893, rendering very efficient service in both offices. He has since lived retired from active business.

In 1861 Mr. Clark enlisted as Second Lieutenant in the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and served in the Burnside expedition, taking part in the battles of Roanoke and Newbern.    In   1862 he reenlisted in the Fifty-second Massachusetts Infantry as First Lieutenant of Company C, and later received a commission as Quartermaster. He went to Louisiana under the command of General Banks, was present at the capture of Baton Rouge; he also served at Port Hudson, and was with his regiment when it ascended the Mississippi River. He was mustered out of service in the fall of 1863, at Greenfield, Mass.  On November 20, 1850, Mr. Clark was united in marriage with Miss Emily L. Hines, of Lee, Mass., a daughter of William and Hannah (Putnam) Hines. She was the eighth in a family of ten children, five sons and five daughters, of whom but three are living: Mrs.  Clark; Sarah, the wife of John Williams, of Williamsburg, Mass. ; and Marshall Hines, of Coltsville, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Clark are the parents of two sons and two daughters, namely: Ida Beebe, the wife of Joseph Carhart, President of the State Normal School at St. Cloud, Minn. ; Edwin C, who succeeded his father as superintendent of the street railway company; Mary A., the wife of E. V. Mitchell, of Hartford, Conn. ; and William Clark, a coal dealer, residing in Lansingburg, N.Y. Mr. and Mrs.  Clark began married life forty-five years ago; and the only death that has been in the family, which now numbers twenty-six, is that of a grand-daughter, Ida Clark, at eight years of age.  In political affiliation Mr. Clark is a Republican, and, though never a man who sought public office, has served acceptably as Alderman. For twenty-five years he was an active fireman and was the engineer many years. Mr.  Clark is a Master Mason of thirty-four years standing, and has a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. He and his family reside at 94 Crescent Street, in their fine dwelling which was completed in November, 1892.


EDWIN COOK CLARK, Jr., superintendent of the Northampton Street Railway Company and a highly respected citizen of Northampton, was born in Southampton in 1856, son of Captain Edwin Cook and Emily L. (Hines) Clark, the former of whom is a native of Northampton.

Allen Clark, the grandfather of Edwin Cook Clark, Jr., who was born in 1787, was likewise a native and lifelong resident of Northampton.  During the active period of his life he was successfully engaged in agriculture on his farm, which was located in the section through which Harrison Avenue now runs. He died in 1849, at the age of sixty-two years. He married Miss Sophia Cook, and their union was blessed by the birth of four sons and four daughters, all of whom grew to maturity.  Two are now living, namely: Captain Edwin Cook Clark, and his sister, Pamelia, widow of Heman Smith, who resides in Springfield, Mass. Mrs. Clark died seventy-four years of age.

Captain Edwin Cook Clark, who has now retired from active business life, is well known in Northampton and vicinity. He assisted his father in carrying on the farm. After four or five years spent in California and in New York City, he helped in establishing the firm of E. C. Clark & Co., in which for several years he successfully engaged in the manufacture of lumber.    He was also superintendent of the Street Railway Company, in which capacity he rendered most acceptable service from 1877 up to 1888, when he was succeeded by his son.    His wife, Emily L.  (Hines) Clark, a native of Becket, Mass., has borne him two sons and two daughters: Ida Beebe, wife of Joseph Carhart, President of the State Normal School of St. Cloud, Minn. ; Edwin C, Jr. ; Mary, who married E. V. Mitchell, a grain merchant of Hartford,  Conn. ; and William Clark, a coal dealer in Lansingburg,  N.Y. 

Edwin C. Clark, Jr., received his early education in the public schools of Northampton, and completed his studies at the Mount Pleasant Private School of Amherst. He then engaged in the livery business with his father until 1882, when he secured a position as conductor on the street railway. Since then he has been in the employ of that company in different capacities, from trackman up to his present position as superintendent, which he has filled since 1888. In this office he has the supervision of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred men, and the charge of seventeen miles of street tracks.

On December 5, 1877, Mr. Clark was united in marriage with Miss Mona Vogel, of Northampton, a daughter of John Vogel. They had three children, as follows: Ida Mary, who died in 1887, eight years of age; Annette Isabel, aged fourteen years, who is attending school; and Edwin Cook Clark, a lad of six years. In politics Mr. Clark is a Republican.  He is esteemed for his business ability and manly characteristics.


HORACE CLARK, one of the town fathers of Greenwich, Mass., a village resident actively engaged in general farming and cattle dealing, was born in Wells,  Me., January 29,   1820, son of Moses and Abigail (Hobbs) Clark, both natives of Wells.    Mr.   Clark's great-grandfather, Jonathan Clark, who was born in the north of Ireland, was one of the first settlers of Wells, a sturdy pioneer who died on the land which he cleared.   His son Nathan, who also was a farmer, was a well-read man for his day, and held a leading position among the citizens of Wells, both on account of his intelligence and his success in business matters.  In politics a Whig, he was elected to all the important offices of the town, serving as Town Clerk for many years and as Selectman for a number of terms.   He attended the Baptist church, though not a member, and lived an exemplary life.   He died in his native town when seventy-nine years of age.

Moses Clark, son of Nathan and the father of Horace Clark, was born in 1798. He followed the profession of teaching from early manhood up to the time of his death, spending the greater part of his life in his native town. He lived but forty-six years, being killed in a steamboat explosion on the Ohio River in 1844.   His wife, who was born in 1797, died in 1857.     In   politics Moses Clark was a Democrat.    He and his wife attended the Baptist church.   They had a family of seven children, all of whom reached maturity, but four are now dead; namely, James, Sylvia, Charles, and Erastus.   James was killed by the Indians while on his way home from California.   Erastus was Captain of Company C, Twelfth Massachusetts Regiment, and served during the whole of the late war.   The living children of Moses Clark are: Horace, above named; Jane, wife of Darius Barry, of Lynn, Mass.; and Nathan, who resides in Lynn, and is prominent in the Democratic politics of that city.

Horace Clark grew to manhood on the home farm, receiving the rudiments of his education in the schools of his native town.   But he was not satisfied with the knowledge thus acquired, and, going to work in a store in Boston at the age of sixteen, saved his earnings in order to complete his education. He worked two years: and his father allowed him fifty dollars of the money he saved, taking which he went to Hanover, and there prepared himself for college.   He attended the college one year, eking out his tuition fee by doing various things and teaching during the vacations of  1839; but  in   1841, owing to ill health, he gave up his studies, and the following year enlisted in the United States Army, and served in the Mexican War.   Mr. Clark was not at the time aware that he was enlisting, thinking, when he signed his papers, that he was securing a position as surveyor for the government; but, finding himself entrapped, he made the best of the situation, and served five years with credit.    He was promoted to the rank of Corporal, and was at the Carlile Barracks thirteen months, being then assigned to Company C, attached to the Second Regiment of   Dragoons.     Subsequently he was made First Sergeant of Company C.   At the end of his term of enlistment he went to Lynn to learn the morocco dresser's trade, which he followed for some time, acting as foreman in a morocco factory for over three years. He then established a factory of his own, and for twenty-eight years was successfully engaged in the morocco business in Lynn, part of the time associated with his brother under the firm name of H. & N. Clark, part of the time alone.   Mr. Clark eventually disposed of his manufacturing interests, and  in September, 1878, moved to Greenwich,   purchasing the estate on which he now resides.   This farm, which covers two hundred acres, is one of the best in the  town.   He carries on general farming,, and makes a specialty of fattening veal for the Boston market, keeping from ten to twelve milk cows to aid in feeding the calves which he buys.   The dwelling-house which Mr. Clark occupies is one of the oldest in the town, having been erected in 1766, and is widely known as the old Hines Tavern. It is in a fine state of preservation, and is a monument to the good workmanship of the builders of the last century. On this farm, too, is a grand old elm tree, supposed to be the oldest tree in the county.

Mr. Clark's first wife, Sarah L. Newcomb, to whom he was united in 1848, died in 1855; and his second wife, Rachel Stimson, whom ; he married two years later, died in 1858. In 1888 he married his third wife, Naomi E.  Dutton, a native of Sackville,  N.B. Mr.  Clark   has   two  children   living.   His son Charles K. died at the age of forty-two; William H. resides in Lynn; and Lillian B. is the wife of Frank Galloup, also a resident of that city.

In politics Mr. Clark is independent. He has held nearly all the public offices of the town of Greenwich, serving as Selectman, Overseer of the Poor, and in other capacities; and in educational matters he is a moving spirit, his great desire now being to see a high school established in Greenwich. On religious matters he holds liberal views. He is a man who believes in doing everything well, and his farm to-day is one of the best kept farms in Greenwich.


HORACE L. CLARK, secretary of the Williston & Knight Company of Easthampton, was born in West Springfield, October 2, 1837, and is the son of Anson Kingsley and Laura (Brown) Clark.  He is a son of one of the oldest and most honored families in New England, tracing his lineage to Lieutenant William Clark, who came from England in 1630 with the first settlers of Dorchester.

Lieutenant Clark lived in Dorchester until 1659, when he removed to Northampton, and there established a homestead on a site that is now included in the grounds of Smith College. He was a man of sterling parts, and held among other public offices that of Judge of the District Court. His son John, who was occupied much as his father had been, first married in 1677 Sarah Cooper, who bore him a daughter, Sarah, afterward wife of Zachariah Field. He married again March 20, 1679, Mary Strong, daughter of Elder John Strong. His son, John Clark, Jr., married October 31, 1704, Elizabeth Cook, daughter of Noah Cook and grand-daughter of Major Aaron Cook, and reared five sons and six daughters, nearly all of whom had families. The youngest son, Josiah, lived to be ninety-two; and at the time of his death there were living nine hundred and twenty-eight descendants of his grandfather, of whom at one time there were eleven hundred and fifty-eight. Eliakim, son of John Clark, Jr., was the great-great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch. He removed from Northampton to what is now Easthampton, where he was one of the early settlers and a large land-holder, and gave the land for the East Street Cemetery. He married December 10, 1730, Esther Wright, daughter of Ebenezer Wright and grand-daughter of Samuel Wright, Jr., who was killed by Indians at Northfield, September 22, 1675. His son Asahel, our subject's great-grandfather, was a soldier in the French and Indian wars, in active service at Lake George in 1755, and at Ticonderoga in 1758. He also served in the Revolutionary army, being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He married October 31, 1761, Submit Clapp, daughter of Major Jonathan Clapp.  His son Eliakim, Horace L. Clark's grand-father, enlisted as a minuteman in 1777, and fought in the ranks of the Revolutionary army when a youth of eighteen.   He first went to the war, on alarm to Ticonderoga, at the age of fifteen, with his grandfather, Major Jonathan Clapp, a member of one of the most distinguished families of Northampton, of whom an extended account is given on another page.  Eliakim Clark died in 1828, at the age of sixty-one. He was three times married, and had several children by each wife. He was the father of the twin brothers, Willis Gaylord Clark, editor of the Philadelphia Gazette and a poet of some note, and Lewis Gaylord Clark, of the Knickerbocker Magazine. The mother of Horace L. Clark's father was Lydia, daughter of Jonathan and Lydia (Lyman) Kingsley.  Anson Kingsley Clark was born in 1790, and was the oldest of his father's children.  He also was a soldier, served in the War of 1812, and died in 1864. In 1815 he was united in marriage with Laura, daughter of Eli and Sarah (Lyman) Brown, of Easthampton, who also was of Revolutionary stock, both of her grandfathers, Captain Silas Brown and Captain David Lyman, having a record of service as Lieutenants in the Second Hampshire County Regiment. She died in 1879, and her remains rest with those of her husband in the West Springfield Cemetery. Of their children the following reached adult life: Harriet, wife of Harrison Bennett, now deceased; Mary Ann, deceased, wife of Oliver F. Pinney, of Springfield; Edson and Julia W. Clark, in West Springfield; and Horace Lyman, whose name heads this article.

Horace L. Clark finished his education at the Chicopee High School in 1853. He first worked as a salesman in a store of South Hadley, and from 1856 to 1860 was in Darien and Savannah, Ga. In 1862 he entered the employ of the Williston & Knight Company, and for the past twelve years has been secretary and superintendent of these large mills - a responsible position,  which only a man of business ability and mental acumen could fill successfully. He is a Director of Easthampton Public Library Association and of the Easthampton Gas Company, as well as of the Williston & Knight Company.

On May 18, 1869, he was married to Sarah Webster, of Owego, N.Y., daughter of Moses L. Webster, of Vermont, and they have an interesting family of three daughters: Mary Webster Clark, a graduate of Smith College in the class of 1895; ; and Alice and Edith, young ladies in the class of 1898 in the same college. Mr. Clark votes in the ranks of the Republican party, and is interested in public matters, although not an active politician.

He is a Knight Templar, being Past Master of Ionic Lodge. For some years he has been Deacon and Treasurer of the Payson Congregational Church, of which his wife and family are also members. He has a pleasant home on Park Street, which he erected in 1870.


JAIRUS E. CLARK, Sheriff of Hampshire County, was born at Southampton, May 8, 1835. His father, Strong Clark, was born in the same town in 1801 ; and his grandfather, Noah Clark, a native of either Southampton or Northampton, was born December 1, 1762. He was an extensive and successful farmer, owning a farm of over four hundred acres of land situated at the foot of Montgomery Mountain. On February 5, 1786, he married Eunice Strong, whose birth occurred in 1764. They reared a family of nine children, one daughter having died young. Those who grew to maturity became heads of families, most of them settling in New England. Noah Clark died in 1844, at the age of eighty-two, and his wife in 1853, aged eighty-nine years.

Sheriff Clark's father was also a very prosperous farmer and a prominent man in public affairs, being a Selectman for several years and a Representative to the General Court during the sessions of 1846 and 1847. He was known as an industrious and prudent man, but exceedingly benevolent, bestowing generously the fruits of his labor upon the needy and unfortunate. A sincere Christian, gifted in prayer, he was a consistent member of the Congregational church. His wife, Roena Searle, of Chester, whom he married in the month of December, 1823, became the mother of two sons, Joseph S. and Jairus E. The former was a merchant of Westfield, where he died at the age of seventy-one years, leaving a widow and one son. Mr. Clark's mother still survives at the age of ninety-two years, bright and active mentally, though suffering from lameness which is the result of an accident.  She resides at Southampton, where her sister, Mrs. Rachel Edwards, died at the advanced age of ninety-six. Mrs. Roena Searle Clark is the youngest of eight children born to her parents, Zenas and Rachel (Bates) Searle, four of whom died in the short space of four days, of scarlet fever. Two sons and two daughters lived to reach maturity, and Mrs. Clark is now the only survivor.

Jairus E. Clark received a good education in the public schools of his native town and at the Sheldon Academy. He continued to reside at home, assisting his father upon the farm and also conducting a profitable lumber business until 1868, when he engaged in the meat business at Easthampton, which he carried on with satisfactory results for a period of seven years. He next became station agent of the New Haven Railroad, a position which he held for twelve years; and during that time he was elected High Sheriff of Hampshire County, having previously served as a Deputy.  He is now (November, 1895) serving his twelfth year in office, and has recently been re-elected by the vote of both the Republican and Democratic parties, to serve a fifth term of three years, a fact showing the public appreciation of the ability and faithfulness with which he has discharged his trusts.

On October 1, 1856, Mr. Clark was united in marriage with Miss Almanza M. Hubbard, of Southampton, who had been a school-teacher. Mrs. Clark's father, David C. Hubbard, died early in life; and her mother became the wife of Seth Bartlett. Mr. and Mrs.  Clark became the parents of three children, but have been called to part with two of them Myron W., who died at the age of twenty-one months; and Eugene B., at the age of five years.   Their only surviving child, Gertrude A. Clark, is a bright and promising student at Lasell Seminary, Auburndale, Mass. Mr. Clark is well advanced in Masonry, being a member of the Mystic Shrine, and, although a Republican in politics, owes his election, as before mentioned, to both the great parties, which united in his support.    He has also served as a   Selectman at Southampton, as Chief of the fire department, and chairman of the Town Hall  Committee at Easthampton, and is a Director of the Hampshire County National Bank of Northampton and a Trustee of the old savings bank at Easthampton.


LEWIS A. CLARK, a widely known farmer of Huntington, was born in Southampton, Mass., January 8, 1839, son of Elisha and Minerva (Stearns) Clark. Mr. Clark's father was a native of Massachusetts, and followed at different times the occupations of farmer and cooper. He moved to Huntington in 1865, where he was engaged in agriculture until his death, which occurred February 10, 1869. He was a Whig in politics, but beyond casting his vote he took no active interest in public affairs. Elisha Clark's wife, who was born in Hinesburg, Vt., became the mother of six children, as follows: Mary, wife of Dexter Lyman, a resident of Huntington; Martha, deceased, who married for her first husband Thomas Wright and for her second Joshua Bemis; Sophronia, deceased, who married W. Graves; John E., who married Julia Freeman, and is now a farmer in Easthampton, Mass. ; Ellen E., widow of Isaac Avery; and Lewis A. the subject of this sketch.    The mother died April 6, 1891. 

Lewis A. Clark resided at home until his fourteenth year, when he began to support himself. At the age of seventeen he commenced to learn the trade of a mason, and after working at that calling in Southampton and the West for five years he went to Easthampton, where he labored as a journeyman for another five years. From Easthampton he went to Springfield, Mass., where he was employed at his trade for one year; and in 1869, when his father died, he went to Huntington to take charge of the home farm. He has since successfully carried on the farm, while continuing to work at his trade. He is independent in politics, and has served as a Selectman for eight consecutive years.

On December 20, 1866, Mr. Clark was united in marriage to Hattie R. Howes, daughter of Charles and Mary Howes. Mrs. Clark is a member of the Congregational church.  They have one adopted son.


RODOLPHUS C CLARK, a well-known farmer of Prescott, was born Rutland, Vt., December 18, 1832, son of Elijah and Zeviah (Weston) Clark.  Mr. Clark's grandfather, Asahel Clark, was one of the first settlers in Belchertown. He owned a large tract of land, upon which he followed agriculture successfully, and was a prominent man. He died in Belchertown at the age of ninety years. His family consisted of twelve children, eleven of whom, five sons and six daughters, reached maturity. Of these, Elijah, Mr. Clark's father, was the youngest.

Elijah Clark was born in Belchertown and reared to an agricultural life, in which he continued for the active period of his life. He owned several farms. The greater portion of his life was passed in Belchertown, and he died at the age of eighty years. In religion he was a Baptist, while he was a Democrat in politics.    His wife, Zeviah (Weston) Clark, who was born in Willington, Tolland County, Conn., became the mother of ten children.  Five of these are living, namely: Rodolphus C., the subject of this sketch; John, a resident of Springfield; Elmina, wife of Rodolphus Cooley, of Springfield; Maria, widow of Rodolphus Converse, of Springfield; and Sophia King, widow of Captain King, now residing in  San Francisco, Cal.   Those deceased were: Weston E. and Orlando M., both of whom died in the Civil War; Elbridge, who died in Boston; Zeviah; and Mary Ann. The mother died comparatively young.

Rodolphus C. Clark passed his boyhood and youth in Ludlow and neighboring towns. At the age of eight years he went to live with Dr.  W. Alden in Ludlow, with whom he remained eight years. He then engaged in peddling tin ware and stoves, an occupation which he followed for ten years. He next busied himself in various pursuits, and during the Civil War became a government contractor, in which capacity he furnished the War Department with twenty-five hundred horses. He then turned his attention to lumbering, and while in that business contracted to furnish the Boston & Albany Railroad Company with a large amount of material. He has been an exceedingly active and busy man, and his various enterprises have all terminated successfully. In 1882 he purchased the farm where he now resides, which consists of one hundred and twenty acres, on which he is engaged in general farming, making a specialty of raising hay, grain, and fruits.    His substantial residence, which is pleasantly situated, was erected by him ; and he also owns real estate in other towns. He is a Democrat in politics and liberal in his views of religious differences.

On June 28, 1860, Mr. Clark was united in marriage to Lorinda P. Hubbard, who was born in Ludlow, December 11, 1837, daughter of John P. and Harriet M. (Parsons) Hubbard, neither of whom is now living. Mr. and Mrs.  Clark have three children, as follows: Minnie L., who resides at home; Mattie Howry, a resident of Prescott; and Mabel H., wife of Fred B. Purdy, of Belchertown.


THOMAS F.  CLARK,  senior member of the firm of Thomas F. Clark & Sons, and a highly esteemed business man of Ware, was born in County Cavan, Ireland, in April, 1832, son of Michael and Mary (Farley) Clark.

His father was a weaver by trade and for many years was successfully engaged in that business for himself, using hand looms and employing four or five men in the work. He manufactured coarse and fine Irish linens, blankets, frieze jacket cloths, and similar fabrics. He died in Ireland in 1840, when about sixty years of age. His wife, Mary Farley, reared him four sons and two daughters. Of these, Ann became the wife of James Reilly, by whom   she   had   two children. During a fever epidemic in Dublin she, her husband, and children all died in a hospital there. The rest are:   Margaret, who came to America when a young woman, and died in Globe Village, Mass., thirty-five years of age; Patrick, who came to this country about 1850; James, residing in Ware, where he is employed by the Otis Company, is married, and has a family of children;  Thomas F.; and  Thaddeus, a weaver, who is also married and has a family.  Their mother died in Ireland in 1878, nearly one hundred years of age.    She was a woman of more than ordinary ability, and retained a good degree of bodily health until her last days.    Her aunt,  whose  maiden   name was Dunn, lived to the remarkable age of one hundred and twenty years.

Thomas P. Clark began as a mere child to have some part in his father's weaving establishment. He was able to weave at an early age. When eighteen he came with his elder brother Patrick to America, making the voyage in thirty-four days.    On his arrival the first work he secured was on a farm in Southbridge, Mass.    After a few weeks spent there he obtained a position in the print works in Ware, which has since been his home. He began in one of the mills of the Otis Company.    Here he soon proved himself a skilled weaver; but, though he operated three looms, he received only eighteen dollars per month.  Board, however, was proportionately cheap at this time, it costing but six dollars per month.  Within two years he was able to earn one dollar per day;   and gradually advancing he became in turn overseer of the different departments  from   beaming   to   weaving, and finally of the finishing-room, where for some time he made as  high as two dollars and seventy-five cents per day.    He gave complete satisfaction during the thirty-five years that he was connected  with the company. The company now employs two of his sons in positions of importance. The firm of Thomas K. Clark & Sons was organized in 1882, and is composed of Thomas F., and his sons, James and Henry M. They have stores in Ware, Warren, and, until it was destroyed by fire July 4, 1895, in Hudson, Mass. They do an extensive and profitable business.

Mr. Clark was married when about twenty-one years of age to Miss Ann Dailey, whose birth occurred in Ireland in the town where he was also born, and where they played together as children.    Their union has been blessed by the birth of six children, four sons and two daughters, all of whom are living.    They are as follows: John  Clark, superintendent of finishing in the cloth-room of the Otis Company, who is married and has five sons and two daughters; James Clark, also a superintendent in one of the departments of the Otis Company, who is married and has two sons and three daughters; Thomas F.   Clark,  Jr., in charge of the store at Warren, who is married and has one son; Henry M. Clark, manager of the stores in Ware and West Warren; Mary Clark, residing at home, a saleslady in Ware; and Katie Clark, who has been her father's housekeeper since her mother's death. The mother died in October, 1882, when she was fifty years of age. The family are members of All Saints Catholic Church. Mr. Clark has occupied his present residence on North Street, nearly opposite the church, for the past twenty-five years.


WALTER A. CLARK, M.D., a successful physician of Prescott, was born in Petersham, Mass., May 8, 1857, son of Almond and Mary (Pattee) Clark. Dr. Clark's great-grandparents were Edward and Anna (Jenerson) Clark, the former of whom was born June 25, 1738, and the latter July 4, 1739. His grandfather, Samuel Clark, was born March 30, 1765; and his grandmother, whose maiden name was Mehitable Ingersoll, was born March 20, 1769. 

Almond Clark, Dr. Clark's father, was born in Hardwick, Mass., February 10, 1809. He settled in Petersham, where he passed the greater part of his life. He engaged in farming, an occupation which he followed for a time; and later he entered into trade. He finally returned to agriculture, and cultivated a farm with success for the remainder of his life. He was an industrious man, possessed a high order of intelligence, and was especially well informed upon legal subjects. In politics he was a stanch Republican, and he entertained broad and liberal views upon religious matters. Mr. Clark, Sr., died at the old homestead in Petersham in July, 1869.  His wife became the mother of six children, as follows: John W., who enlisted in the Twenty-first Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, and was killed in the Civil War at the age of twenty-one; Asa Wilbur, who died at the age of thirty; Philena, who is the wife of William Tolman, and resides in Barre, Mass.; Harriet, wife of Horace Hager, of Athol, Mass.; Lura, who married Charles H.  Burroughs, and resides in Chicago, 111.; and Walter A., the subject of this sketch, who is the youngest. The mother, who still survives, is residing with her daughter in Barre. 

Walter A. Clark commenced his education in the district schools of his native town, and completed his studies at the grammar schools in Barre.   He went to Chicago in 1874, arriving in that city on October 14 of that year, and entered the shops of the F. C. Wells Engine Works for the purpose of learning the trade of a machinist and engineer.    He served an apprenticeship of three years, during which time he acted as an engineer in the machinery department of the Chicago International Exhibition in 1875.  

On August 16, 1877, having acquired his trade, he was united in marriage to Verena Gloor, a native of Switzerland, and returned with her to Massachusetts, making his home in Athol until 1880. He again went to Chicago; and on December 31, 1880, he secured a position in Delts Pharmacy as prescription clerk. On March 12, 1882, he started East on a visit, remaining until the autumn of that year. Upon his return to the Western metropolis he entered the Rush Medical College (September 4, 1882), pursued a thorough course of medical study, and graduated February 17, 1885. On April 1 of that year he located on Madison Street, Chicago, where he conducted a good practice for two years, at the expiration of which time he returned to his native State. Settling in Prescott, February 27, 1888, he has since practiced his profession in this and adjoining towns.

As a medical practitioner he is energetic and skilful, and is a pleasant gentleman to meet.   He possesses a disposition and character well calculated to inspire confidence. As an illustration of the esteem he has won it may be mentioned that, while yet a student, he was summoned East for the purpose of examining a patient and rendering an opinion in regard to the case.   Since coming to Prescott he has purchased the property formerly known as the Atkinson Tavern, where he now resides.    It is an old landmark in the town, and was built by John Atkinson in 1820. It was for many years used as a public house, and is still in a good state of preservation, its huge  chimneys  and   broad, open fireplaces giving the interior a cheerful and comfortable   appearance.    Dr.  Clark is liberal in his religious and political views and a lover of the fine arts.


WILLIAM  S. CLARK, one of the foremost citizens of Granby, active in his profession, in business, and in social circles, is a worthy representative of the native residents of the town. Less than thirty years of age, the date of his birth being April 25, 1867, he is one of the younger generation of men in public office. His father, the late Spencer Clark, was for many years one of the leading farmers of this locality.  serving as Selectman in 1879 and 1880, besides holding other offices. He married Arvilla Davis, a native of Royalston, Worcester County, Mass. Mrs. Davis is now living with her son, of whom we write, her husband having passed from earth in 1883. 

William S. Clark was the only child born to his parents. He acquired his elementary education in the public schools, this being supplemented by a two years' attendance at Williston Seminary, from which he received his diploma in 1884. Subsequently entering Yale College, he was graduated from there in 1888, and the following year was engaged in agriculture. In 18S9 Mr. Clark began reading law in the office of William H. Brooks, of Holyoke, remaining with him a few months after his admission to the bar, which was on December 21, 1891. Returning then to Granby, he has since been conspicuously identified with the best interests of the town, and,   while   attending   to   his professional duties, has also carried on farming to a considerable extent. He is the owner of a valuable farm of three hundred acres that he rents, in addition to the one on which he lives. In him the Democratic party finds one of its strongest supporters, and his towns-people one of their most valued officials. Mr.  Clark has been a member of the School Committee here ever since his first election, in 1889; and since 1893 he has been a member of the Board of Selectmen.

Mr. Clark has always been an active worker in Masonic circles, and has done much to promote the prosperity of the order in this State. He belongs to Vernon Lodge of Belchertown, and was Master of it in 1891, 1892, and 1893. He has also a membership in the Mount Holyoke Council, Royal and Select Masons, in the Springfield Commandery, Knights Templars, and in 1895 was appointed District Deputy Grand Master of the Seventeenth Masonic District. He joined the Evening Star Lodge of Perfection in Springfield, and is likewise a member of the Massasoit Council, Princes of Jerusalem, of Springfield, of the Rose Croix Chapter, and of the Massachusetts Consistory, of Boston, having taken the thirty-second degree in that Lodge. Mr. Clark is also connected with the Granby Grange, which he joined in 1889, and was Master of it in 1893 and 1894. He takes a deep interest in the advancement of the cause of temperance, and is an active member of the Lodge of Good Templars.

On the 1st of October, 1891, Mr. Clark was united in marriage with Miss Maude I. Davis, who was born September 27, 1871, in Somers, Conn., daughter of O. L. and Ellen S. (Washburn) Davis. Two children have been born of this union: Ruth, on May 29, 1893; and Donald Spencer, July 22, 1895.

The Granby Co-operative Creamery Association was chartered in January, 1889, and commenced the business of manufacturing butter on the 1st of March. William S.  Clark was elected its first clerk and treasurer; and its first Board of Directors consisted of Clinton W. Stebbins, Monroe Keith, C. W.  Ferry, S. A. Taylor, and J. H. Barton. It was due chiefly to the enterprise and energy of these six men that the corporation was formed. They believed that it would be not only a boon to the tired housewife, but a financial success also; and the history of the association shows that they were right. Many of the farmers were slow to appreciate its advantages; but they have gradually joined the association until, from a beginning with only fifteen patrons, the factory now receives cream from fifty-eight farmers.  During the six years ending March 1, 1895, the association has received three million, three hundred and eighty-five thousand, nine hundred and three spaces of cream, for which it has paid to its patrons one hundred and twenty thousand, seven hundred and sixty-seven dollars and seventy-six cents. From this cream there have been sold directly five hundred and fifty-six gallons of cream; and there have been made and sold five hundred and twenty-nine thousand, nine hundred and one pounds of butter and two hundred and twenty thousand, two hundred and sixty-eight gallons of buttermilk, for which the association has received one hundred and forty-five thousand, six hundred and three dollars and seventy-two cents.   The expenses of the association for the six years, including dividends on its capital stock   of thirty-five hundred dollars and a reserve for depreciation, have been twenty-four thousand, eight hundred and thirty-five dollars and ninety-six cents. Mr.  Clark is still the clerk and treasurer, and the present Board of Directors consists of George L. Witt, president; Monroe   Keith,  H. S.  Taylor, Charles E. Preston, of South Hadley, and A. L. Bennett, of Ludlow.

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