Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 541 - 543 

ORSON B. CLARK. The history of this gentleman, who is one of the leading farmers of Delano Township, is a forcible illustration of the exercise of perseverance and resolution under the pressure of financial disaster as well as amid the sunshine of prosperity. His ample possessions comprise 560 acres of land on section 14, and his homestead, with its appurtenances, forms one of the most attractive features Of the landscape. He makes a specialty of stock-raising, and his fat herds comprise some of the finest animals in Southern Kansas.

            The Empire State has furnished Sedgwick County with many enterprising men, and within its confines our subject first opened his eyes to the light, having been born in Onondaga County, July 28, 1832. His father, Alvin Clark, was born in Connecticut, and his mother, who in her girlhood was Miss Jane M. Spencer, was born in Onondaga County, N. Y. The paternal grandfather, Beamont Clark, Jr., was the son of Beamont Clark, Sr., who was the son of Nathaniel Clark, and the latter was the son of Maj. John Clark. This last-named gentleman, who was of English birth and parentage, crossed the Atlantic about 1636 in company with the colony which sailed under the patronage of three English Lords, namely: Say, Seal and Brook, who established a colony on the west bank of the Connecticut River, near its confluence with Long Island Sound. When assuming the dignity of a town the place was called Saybrook after two of the aforesaid Lords.

            The personal history of Maj. John, Nathaniel and Beamont Clark, Sr., has been lost to their posterity. Beamont Clark, Jr., the grandfather of our subject, was born in Saybrook, in November, 1762. He learned the trade of ship carpenter, and during the Revolutionary War was drafted into the army. He subsequently became a sea Captain, coasting from Boston to New Orleans, but made his home in Saybrook, where he was married and where his son Alvin, the father of our subject, was born, Nov. 13, 1798. Grandfather Clark became very wealthy, and Alvin received all the advantages which money could procure. He was highly educated, becoming familiar with the dead languages and the higher mathematics. He labored very little during his youth and early manhood, excepting during the haying season, as the grass when cut had to be rapidly removed from the field in order to escape the tide. Then all hands joined the force of haymakers, every able-bodied man who could make himself useful being pressed into the service.

            Grandfather Clark was associated in partnership with a brother-in-law in the coasting trade, and they followed the sea alternately, one remaining at home while the other made the trip. The brother-in-law on his last voyage it is supposed went down with the ship, which left Charleston, S. C., and with its cargo and crew was never afterward heard from. The vessel represented the greater part of the wealth of Beamont Clark, Jr., and thus the grandfather of our subject became bankrupt, even being obliged to give up his homestead in Saybrook.

            Alvin Clark by the misfortune of his father was thus suddenly thrown upon his own resources. He was then but nineteen years old and immediately emigrated to Syracuse, N. Y., where he engaged in teaching for a time but subsequently invested the little means he possessed in the salt business in company with a partner. Owing to the rascality of the latter he lost what little he had, and subsequently became the employe of his brother, who had also in the meantime made his way to Syracuse and engaged in the lumber trade. The salt business of Alvin necessitated the use of a great many barrels and the father also had removed to this point and started up a cooper shop. This latter proved quite profitable. Alvin after losing his property then learned the cooper's trade, at which he succeeded, and in due time found himself upon his feet again.

            The father of our subject after becoming a resident of Syracuse was united in marriage with Miss Polly Riley, on the 27th of November, 1822. This marriage resulted in the birth of three children, two of whom are still living. Mrs. Helen M. Francisco, the oldest half-sister of our subject, is a resident of Warren, Jo Daviess Co., Ill., and the mother of ten children. The other half-sister, Mrs. Mary Pifer, is a resident of Syracuse, N. Y., and has no children. The mother died at her home in Syracuse, N. Y., on the 16th of April, 1828. Alvin Clark was married the second time, June 28, 1829, to Mrs. Jane M. (Spencer) Hair, and of this marriage there were born four children, of whom our subject was the second in order of birth.

            William L. Clark, the eldest brother of our subject, was born Aug. 8, 1830, married Miss Julia Jackson, of Tabor, Iowa, and came to his death on the 13th of March, 1857, by the falling of a tree upon him at his home in Tabor, Iowa; he left one child. Lucy J., born Oct. 30, 1834, became the wife of Harvey Austin, and died at her home in Tabor, Iowa, Aug. 20, 1871, leaving six children. Chancy L., born May 17, 1838, married Miss Ellen S. Lyman, and lives at labor, Iowa; they have four children.

            In 1834 Beamont Clark, Jr., left New York State and moved to the vicinity of Grass Lake, Mich., where he engaged in farming, until by the accumulation of years lie was obliged to abandon active labor. His death occurred on the 2d of October, 1857. His son Alvin, the father of our subject, moved to Grass Lake, Mich., in 1836, when Orson B. of our sketch was between three and four years of age. They were comparatively without means, and the father, leaving his family on a farm, employed himself at whatever he could find to do to increase the income, some of the time teaching and once receiving the appointment of Inspector of the State Penitentiary at a fair salary. He also served as County Commissioner and was the means of preventing the county being swindled in the building of a jail. He served as Justice of the Peace thirteen years, and in 1850 took the census of Jackson County.

            Mrs. Jane M. Clark, the mother of our subject, departed this life at Grass Lake, Mich., on the 23d of July, 1861. Alvin Clark was the third time married, on the 7th of January, 1862. Of this latter union there were no children. The father of our subject about 1863 sold his farm and removed to the village of Grass Lake, and from there a year later to Galesburg, Mich., where he purchased an interest in a flouring-mill. This he operated about two years, then sold out and removed to Warren, Ill., where his death occurred on the 20th of January, 1875.

            Orson B. Clark made the most of his opportunities during his boyhood and early youth in Jackson County, Mich., and received a teacher's certificate upon leaving the district school. He subsequently attended an academy two terms, but not caring to follow the profession of a teacher made his way to Fremont County, Iowa, where he entered 200 acres of land, paying to the Government $1.25 per acre in money which he had himself earned. Eight months later he returned to Michigan, where he was employed for a time as a farm laborer and finally rented the old homestead. To this he brought a bride in the early part of 1859, having been married January 27, at Grass Lake, to Miss Abbie E. Judson. The young people continued in Michigan about eighteen months, then removed to their own farm in Tabor, Iowa, where our subject engaged successfully in agriculture and stock-raising, and invested his surplus capital in additional land until he became the owner of 640 acres.

            Mr. Clark eventually lost his entire property by unfortunate dealings in stock and by signing notes for friends. He came to Kansas in October, 1875, and started anew on rented land in Delano Township, upon which he operated five years with the privilege of buying, and which he now owns. This venture proved very successful. and he once more became the owner of a whole section, eighty acres of which he has since sold at the good round sum of $250 per acre. His farm ranks second to none in Delano Township, and is situated in the outskirts of Wichita, the "Wonder of the West," a city which for its age contains a greater number of inhabitants than any other west of the Mississippi. The homestead of our subject, a view of which we give, is noticeable for its neat and substantial buildings, and his live stock includes graded Short-horn cattle and Percheron horses.

            Mrs. Abbie E. Clark, the wife of our subject, was born April 30, 1841, in Oneida County, N. Y., and is the daughter of Charles and Louise (Norcott) Judson, who were natives of Westmoreland, N. Y., and Lee, Mass. Her father was the youngest of four children, and was born Dec. 2, 1810. The mother was born June 16, 1817. They were married in Westmoreland, on the 24th of June, 1835. Mr. Judson was a farmer by occupation, and removed to Michigan in 1851. He carried on farming in Jackson County a number of years, but with his excellent wife is now living retired in the city of Detroit. Their family included six children, four living, namely: Clarinda, born April 15, 1836; Henrietta, July 10, 1839; Abbie E., Mrs. Clark; Mary Kirtland, born April 7, 1843; Henry Clay, Jan. 20, 1845; Julia Gridley, Aug. 31, 1847, and Charles Kirtland, March 1, 1859. They are residents mostly of Michigan.

            The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Clark, Noadiah Judson, was born in Woodbury, Conn., Oct. 18, 1763, and served as a Captain in the War of 1812. It is also believed that he carried a musket in the Revolutionary War. He was married, on the 14th of February, 1800, in Durham, Greene Co., N. Y., to Miss Clarinda Kirtland, who was born in Saybrook, Conn., Sept. 10, 1773. Grandfather Judson departed this life in Verona, N. Y., Oct. 2, 1857. His wife Clarinda had preceded him to the silent land, her death taking place in Westmoreland, Oneida Co., N. Y., on the 3d of July, 1843.

            Mr. and Mrs. Orson B. Clark became the parents of seven children. Their eldest, a daughter, Etta M., was born in Iowa, June 19, 1862, and became the wife of Alvin Iles, who is engaged in railroading at Ft. Dodge, Kan.; they have no children. Charles A. was born Jan. 9, 1864; Albert B., Sept. 9, 1865; Sarah L., born March 29, 1867, married Judson Shreve; Orson B., Jr., was born Jan 9, 1873; Abbie J., April 7, 1875, and Cora H., July 8, 1877. The father of Mr. Clark was a stanch member of the old Whig party, and Orson B., in consonance with his early teachings, affiliates with the Republicans. He cast his first Presidential vote for John C. Fremont. He has served for the last three years as Township Treasurer, and nothing pleases him better than to note the rapid growth and development of Sedgwick County.

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