Lewis Baldwin Clark was born on February 22, 1826 in Orange county, New York to Isaac and Polly (Denn) Clark. He was one of several children but

Lewis B. Clark

the names of all of them are not known. The siblings of which are known include: Sarah Maria “Sally” Clark (married Peter Valentine Osborn, Sr.) of Garnerville, New York; Bersheba Ann Clark (married William J. Hitt) of

Sarah Carrie (Orr) Clark

Bridgeport, Connecticut; Ellen C. Clark (married Henry F. Loveless) of Crandon, Wisconsin.

Lewis knew of the hardships brought on by death early in his life. He was a child when his father passed away, leaving his mother without means to care for a family of children. Lewis toiled to help support his mother and siblings. During his childhood he was only able to attend a total of three months at school. In 1850, he married Miss Ann Amelia Ray in the home state of New York. They lived happily together in New York state until she suddenly passed away in 1853. Lewis and Ann were the parents of two children, both died when small. In 1855, Lewis left New York state and moved west to Wisconsin where he settled in Ripon, Fond du Lac county.

It appears he journeyed to Wisconsin about the same time his sister, Ellen and her husband, Henry Loveless and their family moved from Sullivan county, New York to Wisconsin. Lewis worked as a stone mason in Ripon and

Edwin Lewis Clark

it is reported that he helped build Ripon College. He worked at this trade for twelve years and contracting jobs and hiring hands mostly in the city of Ripon.

Lewis B. Clark was joined in marriage to Miss Carrie Sarah Orr at her parent’s home in Metomin, Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin on January 17,

Nellie (Clark), Ernest Ray Carter, and George A. Carter

1861. They had met in Ripon where Carrie was working as a servant for a Presbyterian minister and his family.

Carrie was born on January 18, 1839 in Scotland to William and Mary Ann (Linn) Orr. Her birth name was Sarah Carrie Orr, but she preferred to be called Carrie. She was the oldest of seven children of which the first four were born in Scotland, the next two were born in New York state and the last was born in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin. Her siblings were namely – Thomas (married Martha Wilson), James, Mary (married Elisha Horel), Elizabeth (married James Lynn), William and Alice. Carrie immigrated to America with her parents and siblings on the ship called – Speed. The family – William Orr, age 34, Mary Orr, age 30, Sarah Orr, age 10, Thomas

Daisy Belle and Alice May Clark

Orr, age 7, James Orr, 5, and Mary Orr, listed as born at sea departed Liverpool, England and arrived at New York on July 5, 1848. Family accounts claim the Orr family belongs to the family of the Counts of Kenmore (Kenmuir) who belong to the Highland Clan Gordon. The 1841 census shows the family living in Weaver Street in Newton on Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland (Wm Orr, 25, Mary Orr, 25, Sarah Orr, 2, Thos Orr, 4 mos).

Her father was listed as a weaver, of which there is evidence that her

Daisy Belle Clark at Cedar Valley Seminary (1895)

father’s and mother’s ancestors were weavers also. Her mother’s family was one of many families who moved back and forth from Scotland to Ireland. Carrie settled in New York state with her family where, according to the 1850 census, lived in China township, Wyoming county, New York. Sometime between 1853 and 1855, the family moved to Metomin township, Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin since the 1855 census shows Wm Orr living in that location. By 1870, Carrie’s parents and siblings had moved to Page county, Iowa. Carrie’s youngest brother, William Orr, attended State University of Iowa in Iowa City and graduated in 1879 with a degree in law. He became a prominent lawyer in Clarinda, Iowa.

Lewis and Carrie began their married life together in Ripon, Wisconsin

Daisy Belle Clark

where Lewis continued his stone mason trade as a contractor and builder. Their first three children – Edwin Lewis, Nellie, and Alice May were born in Ripon. In 1868, Lewis decided to move to Iowa because his health could no longer allow him to work as a stone mason. The family settled in Ulster township, Floyd county, Iowa. Lewis purchased a 131 acre farm located a couple of miles north of Rockford. They continued to prosper and had several more children – George, an unnamed son, Daisy Belle, Charles Vernoy,

Ida Bird Clark at Cedar Valley Seminary

Ida Bird, and Ernest William. Two of these children - George and a son whom was listed in the 1870 census not yet named, died at a very young age.

While living in Ripon, Wisconsin, Lewis and Carrie joined the Presbyterian church from which they left and decided to join the Baptist church in Rockford. Lewis served as deacon and bible school superintendent for the church for a number of years.

Carrie passed away on May 1, 1881 at her home near Rockford from

Cheryl Carter, Ida Bird Tibbitts and Diane Carter

consumption at the age of 42 years. She is buried at the Rockford cemetery. This left Lewis with yet another huge loss in his life but he is remembered as a man to which great credit is due since he managed to keep his family of seven children together. In 1883, Lewis moved his family to Mitchell county, Iowa where he purchased a 195 acre farm located 2 ˝ miles west of Osage on the west side of the Cedar River, section 28 of Cedar township. Lewis, with the help of his two eldest daughters, Nellie and Alice May, raised his

Cheryl Carter, Alice May Clark, Dianne Carter

young children in a warm and loving home, ensuring all were educated in the rural schools – several attended the Cedar Valley Seminary in Osage. Lewis and his children were devout members of the Osage Baptist church.

In 1895, Lewis traded farms with his daughter, Nellie, and son-in-law, George A. Carter. Lewis sold the 80 acre farm which he traded and built a house in Osage at 904 Mechanic Street. He lived in this house with his two

Nellie (Clark) and George A. Carter

daughters, Alice May and Daisy Belle, and at one time helped take care of his grandsons, Lester and Merle Clark, after their mother passed away in Seattle, Washington.

Lewis passed away on Thanksgiving evening, November 24, 1904 at his home at 78 years of age.

The Clark children all became successful in their own right. Edwin Lewis Clark became a building contractor and real estate agent, living in Seattle, Washington; Boise, Idaho; New York city; and in Delaware. Nellie married George A. Carter and they were prosperous farmers in Cedar township. Alice May and Daisy Belle remained single, lived in Chicago and worked as seamstresses. Ida Bird became a nurse in Chicago and married Charles B. Tibbitts. Charles Vernoy and Ernest William became lawyers and worked in Chicago.

 

Additional Photographs

Alice May Clark and Ida Bird (Clark) Tibbitts

George A. Carter holding Kennard Tibbitts and Ida Bird (Clark) Tibbitts holding Roy Tibbitts

 

Nellie (Clark) Carter and her daughter, Millie Carter

Nellie (Clark) Carter and her son Charles Vernoy Carter

 

Charles Vernoy Clark at Cedar Valley Seminary

Charles B. and Ida Bird (Clark) Tibbitts

 

Roy, Ida Bird, Bertie and Kennard Tibbits

Betty, Charles V., and Bea Clark