Alexander Clark, b. 9 Sep 1842

DANIEL, YOUNGCLAUSE, DODDS

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 2/20/2004 at 12:13:41

Alexander Clark, proprietor of the Canton Mills, came to Jackson County about five years since, and purchased this mill property, since which time he has carried on the business successfully and made hosts of friends in Brandon Township and vicinity. He is of Scotch birth and parentage, and native of Aberdeenshire, and was born Sept. 9, 1842. He is consequently in the prime of life, and as the result of temperate habits, enjoys excellent health and retains all his faculties unimpaired. He possesses the typical honesty of his countryment, is industrious and enterprising, and lives comfortably in a neat home in the north of town.

Our subject is the son of William and Isabel (Daniel) Clark, who were also natives of Scotland. In 1847, when their son Alexander was a lad of five years, they emigrated to America, and coming West, settled in the vicinity of Janesville, Rock Co., Wis. The father purchased a large tract of land, and was greatly prospered in his labors as an agriculturist, sometimes harvesting grain from 300 acres in a year. He lived to a good old age, and departed hence in March, 1883. The mother still survives, and remains at the old homestead in Wisconsin.

To the parents of our subject there were born twelve children - all in Scotland - and all but one, who died on the journey hither, came to the United States with their parents. Another child died soon after the family settled in Wisconsin. Ten children grew to mature years. The eldest of those living is James, a miller of Rushville, Neb.; Frank and John (twins) died at Janesville, Wis; the latter became the owner of a mill and a valuable block in Janesville, and Frank also occupied himself as a miller; William is a tobacco grower and dealer, also a miller by trade, and lives in Janesville; David and Thomas are farming in Rock County, Wis.; Isabel (Mrs. James Youngclause) resides in the same county; Robert is farming there; and George occupies the old homestead.

The subject of this sketch was the seventh child of the parental household, and spent his boyhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, assisting in building up the homestead and making himself useful during the seasons of sowing and reaping. He attended the common schools, and at the age of twenty years repaired to Janesville, and commenced learning the miller's trade. Janesville continued to be his home until 1869, but he in the meantime worked at his trade in the cities of Chicago, Green Bay, and other places. In February of that year he emigrated to Council Grove, Kan., and purchased an interest in a mill, with which he remained connected something over three years.

At the expiration of this time Mr. Clark, going into Rice County, Kan., purchased a large tract of land and engaged in stock-raising. In June, 1885, however, he traded 600 acres of Kansas land for his present mill property in Brandon. He effected many improvements in and about the mill, built a new dam, renovated the machinery, and was soon the the enjoyment of a prosperous business. He owns forty acres of land, which at one time was platted as East Canton. During his residence in Kansas he engaged considerably in buying and selling wheat, and also dealt in agricultural implements at Newton.

In the above mentioned place Mr. Clark was married, March 10, 1874, to Miss Nancy A. Dodds. Mrs. Clark was born in Jackson County, Ohio, Dec. 12, 1845, and is the daughter of James and Elizabeth Dodds, who were natives of Ohio, and are now deceased. Of this union there are three children - May, John and George. Mr. Clark, politically votes the straight Republican ticket, and while a resident of Kansas held the various minor offices of his township, and was also Commissioner of Rice County. During his ten years residence in that State there were three grasshopper raids, two hail storms, and a cyclone, all of which proved very destructive.

("Portrait and Biographical Album of Jackson County, Iowa", originally published in 1889, by the Chapman Brothers, of Chicago, Illinois)