| JohnK. Clark |
JOHN K. CLARK, a well-to-do and prominentfarmer, living on sections 31 and 32, Township 18, Range 11, Cass county,Illinois, where he owns a fine farm, well improved and well supplied withfarm buildings, of about 400 acres, lying in the Sangamon valley, nearBluff Springs, was born in this county, in what is now Monroe precinct,in 1828. He is the oldest man in Cass county that was born here. The family later came to what is now Bluff Springs precinct in 1846, andhere the parents afterward lived. Prior to coming to Bluff Springs theyhad lived for a time in Morgan county, Illinois, and also in Schuyler county,later in Henry county, Iowa, and there the father, Thomas, struck the firststake of what is now Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Some time after this his attentionwas called to a beautiful spring located about three miles east of MountPleasant, and during his four years’ sojourn in Henry county, Iowa, whenit was all new ground, unbroken, he remained there. Later he soldand returned to Illinois, and in 1840 located in Cass county, where hebecame a prominent citizen and spent his remaining days there, dying inthe vicinity of Bluff Springs, in 1852. He was sixty-seven yearsof age at his death. He was a good, well-known citizen of this county. He was born in Kentucky, and was the son of Thomas Clark, Sr., who wasborn in London, England, and came to America when a young man, settlingin Kentucky, in Barren county, and there lived for some years as a prominentpioneer. He was married, and while yet in middle life was attackedby the Indians and murdered, and his house burned down. The mother dieda natural death in Kentucky when quite an old woman. Thomas Clark,Jr., had followed his brother, William M., to Illinois, the latter cominghere in the early ’20s and settling in Morgan county. He is now dead.Thomas Clark was married in Kentucky to a lady of that State, Julia AnnKing, of Scotch-Irish stock. She labored with her husband in buildinga home in those early days in Illinois. She died some fourteen yearsafter her husband, and was about seventy-six years old. She was aMethodist.John is the eldest son of four yet livingchildren. His sister, Mrs. Mary Loosley, is the eldest, being a widowand now lives with him. Another brother, Owen W., was a teacher formany years in the public schools and taught penmanship in twenty-sevenStates, and also in the Dominion of Canada. He is single, as is our subject. Another sister is Martha, wife of Judge D. N. Walker, of Virginia. Twobrothers and three sisters, now dead. Rev. William Clark, the older,was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Conference, and preached the gospelfor forty years. Thomas was a well-to-do farmer and owned a finefarm near Bluff Springs, where his widow, two sons and a daughter, stillreside. Cynthia, the oldest daughter, was a member of the MethodistEpiscopal Church, and lived a consistent Christian life, and died at theage of seventy-two. Rebecca and Jane were also members of the MethodistChurch. They died younger.
John Clark is one of the prominent men ofthe county and takes an active part in local matters. He is a Democrat,a live, good fellow who enjoys life as it comes. He started BluffSprings, built the first house and store, sold the first merchandise, andwas Postmaster of the place. This was about 1872. His brother Owenwas also Postmaster for some time, and both brothers were teachers.
Biographical Reviewof Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical ReviewPublishing Co., Chicago, 1892, pages 187-188.
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