Clark, Lewis

CLARK, ANDERSON, HATCHER, SHAFFER, WORLEY, RERICK, STYPE, STEWART, MEANS, GELBOROUGH, MILLER, LEEPER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 11/23/2008 at 13:04:42

CLARK, Lewis; Farmer; Sec. 11; P. O. Prairie City; was born in North Carolina Oct. 16, 1820; came to this county in 1852; has 120 acres of land, valued at $6,000. Married Malinda SHAFFER; she was born in Indiana May 15, 1824; mother of ten children, nine living-Samantha, Nancy E., Marsali, Mary E., John A., George W., Charles, Rosie E. and Henry.; Winfield Scott died when he was 2 years old. Emigrated with his parents, when he was 2 years old, to Owen Co., Ind.; lived there thirty years; thence to Jasper Co., and stopped near Vandalia; was in Polk and Boone Co., a short time; came in here in 1852; had to go twelve miles to get their milling; has been to Oskaloosa, forty miles; Prairie City or Monroe was not known at the time he arrived here; Monroe was called Tool's Point at that time; did his trading at Des Moines; came here a very poor man with a family of small children, no money, nothing to battle against the hardships of a new country, but a good constitution and muscle. ~ "The History of Jasper County" (Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878), 637
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Lewis Clark

A glance at the lives of the representative men whose names appear in this volume will reveal many sketches of honorable and influential citizens who have resided many years in this county, but among them none are more worthy or more deserving of mention than Lewis Clark, who is a type of a successful Iowa farmer. His fine farm is kept in the best condition, and Mr. Clark thoroughly understands every thing connected with agricultural pursuits. He was born in Guilford County, NC, on the 16th of October 1820, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Anderson) Clark, natives of Maryland. The father was born in 1782. In 1822 the latter went to the Hoosier State and settled in Owen County. He and his family started on this journey in a cart, but this gave out and they were obliged to make the remainder of the distance on horseback and on foot. The mother died in Indiana in 1854, and the father in 1874.

Our subject was one of eight children, four sons and tour daughters, three of whom besides our subject are now living. Peter D. went to Missouri in 1844, and resides there now and is well to do; Irene married R. H. Hatcher, who died in 1883, and she is now living with our subject; and Emily, who married twice, is now living on a part of the old homestead in Indiana. Our subject grew to manhood amid the rude surroundings of pioneer life, assisting in clearing the farm, and his education was received in the common schools. After reaching mature years he worked out, receiving as compensation $8 per month, and then began working on a canal where he received better pay.

In the year 1852 be came to Iowa and settled in Polk County, near the Jasper County line. He made the journey by team from Indiana, and remained on that farm until 1865, when be sold out and located on his present property, south of Prairie City. He was married in Indiana October 18, 1840, to Miss Malinda Shaffer, a native of Indiana, and the daughter of Joseph Shaffer, who was born July 10, 1791, and who lived to be ninety-one years of age. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. Her grandfather, Frederick Shaffer, was a Virginian, and died at the advanced age of ninety-six. Mrs. Clark had two brothers and four sisters, Frederick died in Iowa October 23, 1855, and was a prosperous farmer; George, who was born April 5, 1828, went to Missouri at an early date; Lucinda, who was born June 7, 1818, makes her home with our subject; Mahala, who was born July 29, 1820, was twice married, but is now a widow and resides in Cincinnati, Ohio; Julia, who was born June 28, 1826, is now the wife of Henry Worley and lives in O'Brien County, Iowa; and Sarah, who was born May 6, 1830, is a widow and resides in Wisconsin.

To Mr. and Mrs. Clark have been born ten children, nine of whom are living. Samantha, born July 6, 1841, married Isaac L. Rerick and makes her home in O'Brien County, Iowa; Nancy E., born January 10, 1843, married James W. Stype, and lives in South Dakota; Marsaile, born February 17,1845, married William J. Stewart, and they now live in O'Brien County; Mary Ann, born December 20, 1846, married Adam Means, and they make their home in Guthrie Center, Iowa; John A., born February 8, 1849, is a farmer in Adams County, Iowa; he married Miss Martha J. Gelborough; George W., born March 20, 1851, married Miss Ellen Miller, and makes his home in Prairie City; Charles, born November 20, 1853, married Miss E. Miller and lives in Prairie City; Rosa Ellen, born February 8, 1856, has been twice married, the last time to William Donely, and resides in Prairie City; Lewis H., born April 6, 1859, married Belle Leeper and lives on his father's farm, and Winfield Scott, born March 2,1861, died June 21, 1863.

Mr. Clark has been one of the foremost citizens of his township and has accumulated a comfortable fortune. He has held a number of local offices, is one of the present Board of Trustees, and has been President of the Old Settlers' Association. During the days of slavery he was a noted Abolitionist and was a station agent on the Underground Railway. Many a poor Negro found in him a true friend. He was one of the first to join the Republican Party upon its organization, and he has been true to this party ever since. Mr. and Mrs. Clark are members of the Christian Church. He has been a Mason since 1857, and was one of the charter members of the lodge at Prairie City. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA Page 161.