In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1908) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1838, Moorefield Township
From 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908), The History of Clark County Ohio, (1881)
JAMES CLARK, capitalist, New Moorefield. A descendant of two old pioneer families of Clark Co.; was born in this county Nov. 21, 1838, a son of John D. and Susannah (Foley) Clark, he a native of Virginia, and she of Ohio, and a grandson of James Clark, also bora in Virginia, but who became an early settler of Clark Co., ana afterward of Champaign Co., where he resided until death. The maternal grandfather, James Foley, also a native of Virginia, became one of the early pioneers of Clark Co., locating here about 1803 or 1805, while the Indians were still the principal occupants of the then almost unbroken forest, when there was but one store in Springfield, and four or five houses constituted the town. In this county he spent the remainder of his life. Although possessed of only a limited education, from the meager advantages of schools in those days, yet he possessed great natural talent, and was a very active and powerful man, both physically and intellectually. He became thoroughly known and held the respect and confidence of the people; was chosen a represen ative to the State Legislature two terms, and served his constituents faithfully. We may safely believe that had he in his early life possessed the advantages of our present generation, he would have arisen to distinction. John D. Clark came to this county with his parents when but a child; was raised to farm labor, grew to manhood, was married and located upon the farm where he still lives and has resided during his entire business life. He has been a man of great activity, and has not confined himself to the mere routine of farm labor, but his mind carried him into a more active field, that of an extensive stock dealer. For thirty years he did a large trade, buying through this country and the west as far as Illinois, driving large droves of cattle to Philadelphia and the Eastern markets, often throwing into market from two to three thousand head of cattle in a single year; has also dealt extensively in wool and pork, in all of which he was generally successful, as known by the fact that, in 1870, when he retired from business, he was worth over $200,000, which was mostly made by his own labor, skill and good management, which is perhaps a record of success surpassed by but very few in that day, or even since. In 1872, he had a stroke of paralysis, from which he has never fully recovered, although, physically, he still enjoys good health for one of his advanced age. His wife died May 8, 1876. Of an issue of four children, there were three daughters and one son—Mary C. (now Mrs. Pratt), Martha J. (now Mrs. R. A. Calvert, of Portsmouth, Ohio, whose husband now is Judge of the Court of that county), James, and Anna E. (now Mrs. W. M. Yeazell, of Springfield). Our subject, being an only son, has always remained with his father and assisted him in his business, and grew up with the advantages and observations of his father's plans and successes in business, and as his father advanced in years James gradually took the care and charge of his business affairs, till 1870, when his father retired from active life, since which he has taken the entire control and management. Mr. Clark is engaged in raising and dealing in a moderate yet profitable degree in trotting horses; has raised some of the finest horses in Clark Co.; has raised and trained horses which he has sold at prices as high as $20,000, and is justly recognized as one of the leading men in this line of business in this portion of Ohio. The Clark farm consists of 657 acres of most excellent land in a high state of cultivation, with fine and substantial buildings, with every arrangement for convenience and comfort, and is one of the best grain and stock farms in Clark Co. Mr. Clark is well known not only in his county, but his reputation extends far and wide throughout the country among all the prominent men who are interested devotees in fine horses; has been an active member of the Clark County Board of Agriculture for six years; has held various township offices, and is now Township Treasurer, which office he has held for eight years. He was married, Jan. 20, 1870, to Miss Emma S., only child of Charles and Mary (Taylor) Morgan, he.a native of England and she of Ohio, but of English descent. Two children have been the fruits of this union, one of whom is living—Emerson Eugene Clark. Mr. Clark is one of the most pleasant and affable gentlemen it has been our good fortune to have met with in the county. He is an educated, well-read man, who keeps apace with the progress and development of the age; a man imbued with a proper spirit of liberality, taking an active interest in everything tending to the general welfare of his native county, of which he is a worthy and highly respected citizen.
As printed in The History of Clark County Ohio, (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
JAMES CLARK, who was one of the leading citizens of Moorefield Township, and for over a quarter of a century filled uninterruptedly the office of township treasui'er, was born November 20, 1838, in Moorefield Township, Clark yCounty, Ohio, under the same roof that sheltered him through the whole of his long and busy life. He was a son of John David and Susan M. Clark.
John David Clark was an early settler in Moorefield Township and was one of the wealthy agriculturists of his day. He erected the fine brick residence which is occupied by the widow and younger son of the late James Clark, one of the most pretentious of this section. James Clark continued his father's activities and developed still greater business qualities. He gained almost a national reputation as a breeder of fine trotting horses, and was able to secure very large sums for these valuable animals, the price occasionally being as much as $20,000. He bred what was known as the fastest yearUng trotter in the world, which was purchased by Frank Rockefeller, who then was a member of the Standard Oil Company. James Clark was also engaged extensively in farming and stock-raising and became one of the capitalists of Clark County. He was also one of her most useful and respected citizens. For ten years he was a prominent member of the Clark County Agricultural Society and in his own township he was held in such esteem that he could have filled any office in the gift of his fellow-citizens. When his death occurred on March 16, 1906, not only Moorefield Township but Clark County felt the loss of a man of unusual worth.
James Clark married Emma S. Morgan and they had two children: Lester, who died aged four years; and Emerson E.
Emerson E. Clark was born October 24, 1879, and was educated in the schools of Moorefield Township and the Nelson Business College. For a number of years prior to his father's death he had been the practical manager of the farm. On February 26, 1903, he was married to Ethel McConkey, who is a daughter of Ohver Y. McConkey. They have one little daughter, Mary Katherine. She is very fortunate in having a large number of devoted relatives, for not only her immediate ones but both of her great-grandmothers still sui-vive, Mrs. Mary Morgan and Mrs. Catherine Nicklin. The maternal grandfather of Emerson E. Clark was the late Charles Morgan, who is remembered as the proprietor of the old Taylor mill. His widow still survives, at the age of eighty-two years. A picture of the residents of Ml*. Clark's home would show four generations, from the aged great-grandmother to the little babe just upon the threshold of life.
As printed in 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
The printed record stops around 1908. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.