Clark, Bio: Clark, Sidney & Elizabeth H. (Albion, Jackson County)

Sidney Clark was born January 22, 1813, in Ramapo, Rockland County, New York and died March 7, 1903 in Black River Falls at the age of ninety. He was married to Hannah Elizabeth Vanderwerker (1825-1915) about 1841 in New York. They moved to Wisconsin in 1857. Their son Jacob H. Clark was born July 15, 1845 in Troy, Rensselaer Co., New York and married Mary A. Vanderbough, Septemeber 1, 1869, in Black River Falls, Jackson County, Wisconsin.

1880 Federal Census-Albion, Jackson Co., Wisconsin
Name	Relation	Marital Status	Sex	Race	Age	Nativity	Occupation	Father's Nativity	Mother's Nativity
Sydney Clark	Self	M	Male	W	67	NY	Machinist	NY	NJ
Eliza H. Clark	Wife	M	Female	W	54	NY	Keeping House	NY	NY
Eugenie Clark	Daughter	S	Female	W	27	NY	School Teacher	NY	NY
Lillie Clark	Daughter	S	Female	W	11	WI	At School	NY	NY
Milton Clark	Son		Male	W	24	IA		NY	NY
Betsy Olson	Other	S	Female	W	35	NOR	Keeping House	NOR	NOR
Myrta Thompson	Other	S	Female	W	44	NOR	Servant	NOR	NOR

Previous Household: Sarah E. Heath and her children, Agnes, Fannie, Albert and Willie and an unrelated female, Phoebe Post.
Next Household: Ole & Anna Peterson and their 2 year old daughter, Mary.

1900--Black River Falls, Jackson, Wisconsin

Sidney Clark in Household 110, family 118, b. Jan 1813 in New York, both parents b. CT. Wife, Eliza H., age 75 b. Mar. 1825 in New York as were both parents. Mother of 8 children, 6 living, Married 59 years.

Daughter Lillian was living in the previous Household with Amos and Ereppa Elliot as a boarder.

Black River Falls, Wis., Aug. 24—[Special] – In a small shop, 8 x 10, in this city, Sidney Clark, aged 89 years, hopes to immortalize his name as the inventor of something new in the automobile line; something that gives hope of success to the aged inventor, who has earned fortunes for others and, as usual among inventive geniuses, has ‘in most instances received the hot end of the poker for the reward of his labor.’

The subject of this sketch was born in Rockland County, N. Y., in 1813. Always of an inventive turn of mind, the early’50s found him in New York City, the owner of the patent right of the paper collar, then for the first time introduced.

(Inventor of the Paper Collar Who Lives at Black River Falls and is Working on a Patent Automobile.)

He improved upon his patent right by the amalgamation of paper and cloth, but was compelled to part with his valuable patent for a nominal consideration. His next important move was the “re saw,” which he thought out, and as usual with him, the honors went to others. Dozens of instances like the above could be enumerated when this singular man has been cheated out of the reward which mankind owed to his genius. His greatest and last effort is his present work, the “spring automobile,” which he has perfected in a neat little model, 8 x 10 inches. The old inventor is skeptical of all who call upon him, and it was after considerable persuasion that the old gentleman would consent to show the Wisconsin representative the model, after exacting a promise that no description should be given. The small machine works like a charm and carried twelve pounds of iron around the room. The eyes of the aged inventor danced with delight as the miniature automobile demonstrated, beyond a doubt, that the old inventor was not indulging in pipe dreams at the closing days of a long and checkered life.

He is working out another model on a bigger scale and the entire day finds him busily at work on his cherished ideal.

© Every submission is protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

Show your appreciation of this freely provided information by not copying it to any other site without our permission.

Become a Clark County History Buff

Report Broken Links

A site created and maintained by the Clark County History Buffs
and supported by your generous donations.

Webmasters: Leon Konieczny, Tanya Paschke,

Janet & Stan Schwarze, James W. Sternitzky,

Crystal Wendt & Al Wessel

CLARK CO. WI HISTORY HOME PAGE

1860 State Census--Black River Falls, Jackson Co., Wisconsin
Name	Age	Sex	Color	Occupation	Estate	Birthplace
Sidney Clark	44	M		Machinist	$250/$50	New York
Eliza H. Clark	34	F				New York
Maryetta Clark	17	F		School Teacher		New York
Jacob H. Clark	14	M				New York
Antonette Clark	12	F				New York
Eugenia Clark	6	F				New York
Milton Clark	4	M				Iowa
Grace A. Clark	1	F				Wisconsin