The Clark Families of Jasper County, Missouri

One of the substantial citizens of Marion township, Jasper county, is Monroe Clark, who is also a highly respected business man. His birth occurred in Madison county, Arkansas, March 20, 1832, and he was a son of Thomas Clark, who was born in the state of Tennessee about twenty-five miles from Nashville. In 1855 he removed to Barry county, Missouri, where he died at the age of seventy-six. His ancestry was a combination of Irish. Dutch and English.

The mother of Monroe Clark was in her maidenhood Nancy Combs. She was a member of the old family of that name, well known throughout Tennessee, and she lived until she had reached her seventy-sixth year. Twelve children were born to these parents, and all grew to maturity and are living. They have scattered and founded families of their own in different parts of the Union.

Monroe Clark was the eldest son of his parents, and he was reared in Madison county, Arkansas, where he remained until he had nearly reached his twenty-first year.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ROBERT CLARK, post-office Joplin; business, farmer. The subject of this sketch is one of the very early settlers and pioneers of this part of the country. He was born in Haywood county, N. C, March 18, 1819, and is the son of James and Mary Clark, natives of North Carolina. Of seven children our subject is the third child; was reared on a farm, and at the age of nineteen left his home and went to Cherokee, same state, and lived there until 1855; was married to Miss Cjntha Watkins, daughter of David and Elizabeth Watkins, natives of Korth Carolina, in 1840, and in 1845 moved and settled in Newton county. Mo. In 1861 he moved to Mt. Downing county, Mo., and in 1866 settled on his present farm of eighty acres, which contains a good orchard. Mr. Clark has six children: Mary A., Martha J., William H., James M., Sarah E., Amanda A., and George W.; his grandchildren that live with him are named Martha E., John H., and Sam R. Mr. Clark is an honest, upright man, and respected by all who know him.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JONAS CLARK. The subject of this sketch was born in Butler county, Ohio, in the year 1811. He comes of good Revolutionary stock, being a lineal descendant of Abram Clark, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He lived with his father, a farmer, until nineteen years of age, and then engaged as a clerk in the mercantile house of Major Elston, in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He was a participant in the Black Hawk War. Subsequently he renewed mercantile pursuits at Michigan City, Indiana, with his brother M. S. Clark. He engaged extensively in real estate transactions. He spent the winter of 1836-37 in Washington City, D. C, in the interests of the people of Michigan City in securing an appropriation for the improvement of the harbor, and was rewarded with success. In 1840 he removed to Iowa and engaged for many years in mercantile pursuits at Maquoketa. Married Eliza Wright in 1816, his wife being a native of New York. Their family of seven children, five sons and two daughters, are all living. Mr. Clark has, like his ancestors, been largely identified in the welfare of the country. He was chairman of the Whig central committee for six years; he was postmaster during Filmore's and a part of Pierce's administration; he was mayor of Maquoketa one term, and declined any further honors from the cit_y; he was treasurer and one of the directors of the first railroad that secured a right of way through Iowa. From 1859 to 1861 he resumed mercantile pursuits in Lexington, Missouri. He was engaged in the secret service of the country during the late Rebellion, and was with the army at Yicksbnrg at the running of the blockade, and also the seine of Vicksburg. In 1868 he removed to Chetopa, Kansas, Labette county, being soon appointed justice of the peace, and commissioner of the United States Court, a position he held till he removed to Jasper county, Missouri, in 1877, where he was formerly engaged in mining. He came to Carthage in 1877, for the advantages of its fine location, good society, religious, and educational advantages. He is engaged in agencies and collections for eastern houses. Mr. Clark has lived a long, eventful, and useful life, and can feel that he has filled up the measure of a rounded and symmetrical existence.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

A. BENSON CLARK, M. D.

Dr. A. Benson Clark, a prominent physician of Jasper county, Missouri, was born in Pleasant City, Guernsey county, Ohio, February 9, 1865, a son of Williajii F. and Aley (Gregory) Claik. His grandfather, Benjamin Clark, was a native of Pennsylvania, and removed to Guernsey county in pioneer days. His son, William F. Clark, was born in Ohio, was a farmer by occupation and lived to the age of seventy years. He was formerly a Whig in politics, but later became a Republican. Fie was a member of the Masonic order, and was also a member and trustee of the old Bethel Methodist Episcopal church. In matters of dispute among his neighbors he was often called upon to arbitrate their differences, and he thus prevented many law-suits. He died on the 22(\ of December. 1893, and was buried in the old Bethel cemetery in Guernsey county, Ohio. The mother of our subject was a daughter of Noble

Gregory, a native of Ireland, who came to America when a young man. settling first in Pennsylvania, but later removed to Ohio to make his permanent home. A family of six daughters and two sons were born to the parents of our subject, the sons being Samuel G. and the Doctor.

A. Benson Clark was reared and educated in Ohio, attending the district schools until nineteen years of age, when he engaged in teaching, following that line for three years, the last eight months of which were spent in his home district where he had so long been a student. He later enjoyed superior educational advantages at New Concord College, at New Concord, Ohio, also in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and in Columbus Medical College, graduating in the last-named institution in 1890. The same year he located in Joplin, Missouri. In 1891 he removed to Zincite, Missouri, and in 1893 began practice at Carl Junction, in which he has been eminently successful. His preparation for medical college was gained under the instruction of Dr. John Milton Dunham, the well-known physician of Columbus, and his pupil has done him great credit.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.