Hiram Clark

As printed in 1905

HIRAM CLARK.

Hiram Clark, a dealer in horses, of Middletown, is a native of Butler county, Ohio, born in the township of Madison on the 20th da\ of December, 1858. His parents, Martin and Elizabeth Clark, were natives of New Jei sey and Ohio respectively, the mother belonging to one of the old and well-known families of Madison township. The father came in Butler county in his boyhood, was reared to agricultural pursuits and when a young man married Miss Elizabeth Deem, by whom he had ten children, the subject of this review being the second of the family, from a moderate beginning Martin Clark gradually became one of the leading bu mers and stock raisers of this county and also achieved enviable repute as a fruit grower, his orchards being among the largest and most valuable in the southern part of the state. He was an enthusiast in the latter industry, as well as an expert, and to him belongs the credit of developing several new varieties of fruits which have since been handled quite extensively by the leading nurseries throughout the Union. In his business affairs Mr. Clark was uniformly successful and at one time he owned a beautiful farm of two hundred and forty acres of as fine land as the township of Madison could ii produce, besides other valuable property, and for a number of years he was accounted one of the representative agriculturists of Butler county, also one of its wealthy men and public-spirited citizens. In politics he wielded a strong influence for the Republican party and in all that made for material advancement and honorable citizenship of the community he was a leader, having been a liberal supporter of churches and generous in his benefactions to benevolent and charitable enterprises. His life was characterized by good works and noble deeds, his influence was ever on the side of right and all who knew him were profuse in lauding his upright conduct and many estimable qualities. The death of this excellent citizen occurred in Madison township in 1863 and was much regretted by the large circle of friends and admirers who held him in such high esteem.

Hiram Clark was reared under the beneficial influence of farm life and received a good education in the public schools. He early became a valuable helper on the home place and assisted in its cultivation until his twenty-fourth year, when he was united in marriage with Miss Ella Weikel, an accomplished young lady of Lemon township and a member of one of the prominent families of that part of the county, the union resulting in the birth of two daughters, Edna and Elsie. From his marriage until the year 1885 Mr. Clark carried on farming in Madison township, but at the latter date disposed of his agricultural interests and engaged in the livery business at Middletown, which vocation he followed until November, 1903, when he disposed of his business. He is essentially a business man, possessing first-class qualifications, enjoys in a marked degree the confidence of the people with whom he comes in contact and as a citizen keeps in touch with all public measures and enterprises calculated to promote or in any way enhance the welfare of the city of his residence. Mr. Clark is not a politician, although a zealous supporter of the Republican party, and it has never occurred to him to ask for office, or to seek public honors at the hands of his fellow citizens. He holds membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and, with his wife, belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church of Middletown, both being earnest workers in the congregation and greatly respected for their activity and efficiency in the various departments of religious endeavor under the auspices of the same.

Mr. Clark’s daughters are intelligent, well educated young women of high social standing, both being graduates of the Middletown high school. Edna is the wife of Frank Gillman, a well-known and popular citizen of this city, while Elsie is unmarried and still a member of the home circle.

As printed in Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio (1905). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.