Washington Co., AR - Biographies - Damon Clarke *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: The Goodspeed Publishing Co Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************** Damon Clarke, proprietor and editor of the Fayetteville Republican, was born at Macomb, McDonough Co., Ill., May 20, 1861. He received a fair common-school education during his youth, and in 1879 went to Topeka, Kas., where he remained one year, being employed as a clerk. He then became connected with C. C. Chapman & Co., publishers, of Chicago, and remained with them until the fall of 1881, when he joined the historical corps of J. H. Beers & Co. (subsequently Warner, Beers & Co.), for whom he worked until the fall of 1883. The following winter he was employed as secretary of the Union Publishing Company, of Springfield, Ill., after which he traveled a year as general agent for a Grand Army of the Republic history. In November, 1884, he came to Bentonville, Ark., where his parents, C. C. and Martha (Lea) Clarke, still reside. In February, 1886, he purchased the Springdale News, selling it in December of the same year to enter into a copartnership with Thomas Brooks in the purchase of the Fayetteville Republican, of which Mr. Clarke became manager and editor. In January, 1888, he assumed the sole proprietorship of that organ. Mr. Clarke is a member of the Arkansas Press Association, and belongs to the Young Men's Republican Club, of Fayetteville. He was also a charter member and the first prelate of Criterion Lodge of the K. of P., of Fayetteville. He is now secretary of the Washington County Republican Central Committee, and has been secretary of the Congressional Committee of his party. In 1888 he was an alternate delegate from the Fifth Arkansas Congressional District to the National Republican Convention.