Obit: Clark, Albert Webster (1830 - 1896)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 
 

Surnames: Clark, Vineyard, Sawyer, Polley, Darling
 

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) July 3, 1996 
 

Clark, Albert Webster (1830 - 29 June 1896)  
 

July 2, 1896  

An old Settler Passes Away - A. W. Clark was stricken with paralysis Saturday last, at his home in Pine Valley and died at 1 a.m. Monday, the 29^th.  The funeral took place Tuesday, conducted by Rev. T. C. Hill, who gave an eloquent and philosophic address.  The large gathering of friends testified to the esteem in which he was held.  He was a man of high Character, genial in his dealings with is fellow men, honest himself, and exact in his insistence upon honesty in others.  He was a prosperous, careful farmer, a good husband and father, a model citizen.  

He leaves a wife, daughter, Mrs. Edith Sawyer of Menominee, Mich., and three sons, Gid and Perry of Rhinelander, and Will, who lives at home.  These and Gid’s wife and daughter were present. 

Mr. Clark’s brother, Moses Clark, came here about the year 1850, built the saw mill on Cunningham Creek and shipped lumber to Platteville.  Along late in the 50’s Moses Clark, after whom the county was named, was shot by one Polley, in an encounter at a store located about where Frank Darling’s store is, and after some delay was taken to Platteville, where he died.  A. W. Clark then came from Platteville to run the mill for the father, who had inherited the property, and finally became the owner himself.  At one time the Clarks owned vast tracks of pine, but did not hold it long enough to realize the princely fortunes which others secured later.  

Albert Webster Clark was born thirty miles from Boston at Milford, Mass., in 1830.  At the age of ten years he came to Platteville, Wis. where he received his education and learned the hardware business.  

In 1848, he came to this county remaining two years.  In 1852, he married Miss Mary Vineyard.  They crossed the plains to California in ’54 returning by water in ’57, and settled in Clark County, lumbering in the early days.  The last twelve years, his attention was given entirely to farming.  (Moses Clark built a dam and saw mill that was located about 400 feet east of the present site of the Highway 73/95 Bridge that crosses Cunningham Creek).