Imperial-Tulare-Mono County CA Archives Biographies.....Clark, Harry H. 1858 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 18, 2006, 6:53 pm Author: F. C. Farr (editor, 1918) HARRY H. CLARK.— In this age of colossal enterprise is demanded constructive power, and this demand has been such as to develop and mature many veritable captains of industry. Such title is eminently worthy of ascription to Harry H. Clark, who has been an influential factor in connection with the greatest of enterprises, especially in the development of mining properties, in which connection he has gained a national reputation. He is now general manager of the Imperial Valley Farm Land Association, and makes his home at Calipatria, California. Mr. Clark came to Imperial County in October, 1913. He was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana, May 22, 1858, a son of Allen and Martha (Massen) Clark. The family is of old English origin. His great grandfather died at the age of 108 years. His birth occurred in the United States and he was buried at Bluffton, Indiana. In every sense of the word, Mr. Clark is a self-made man. He had no educational advantages. This handicap he effectually overcome in later years; for he profited much from self-discipline and through the lessons he gained in the school of political experience. At the age of fifteen he left his native state and for some time previous to this, he worked as a bootblack and sold papers in Indianapolis. Going to Texas, he worked as a cowboy for four years. Leaving Texas, he went to Kansas, where he found work on the farms for two years. In 1879 Mr. Clark came to California and found employment in the vineyards. He soon became general manager for the Egger's Wine and Raisin Vineyards and later became general manager of the Kimball Prune Orchard at Hanford, then the largest French prune orchard in the world. The two latter positions he held for five years. The following five years Mr. Clark was western manager for the P. P. Mast interests which included mines, orchards and vineyards. Going to Arizona, he became manager of one of the largest mining interests in the state for eighteen months. Mr. Clark then looked after his own mining interests in California, which he carried on successfully. Disposing of his interests he went to Alaska and there was interested in the mines for some years, and in 1902 he returned to the states. Mr. Clark, on his return from Alaska, went to Tonopah, Nevada, and was offered a salary of $6,000.00 per year to manage one of the big mines, but preferred to direct his own operations, he was one of the organizers of Goldfield, and soon had holdings in the leading camps in Nevada. Mr. Clark was the owner of the town of Bullfrog, Nevada, and controlled the mines. It was his ceaseless efforts and untiring energy that made Bullfrog. He was one of the pioneers and when others turned back, he pushed on with every confidence. But for Mr. Clark the town of Bullfrog would have been miles west of its present location; but for him there would have been no such marvelous water supply. He was instrumental in building the railroad through that mineralized section. He built his own telephone line from Bullfrog to Goldfield, a distance of sixty-seven miles. Mr. Clark was the prime mover in what was reputed to be the most gigantic power scheme ever launched up to that period. He organized a five million dollar company for the purpose of supplying Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities in California and Nevada with power. He and his associates acquired practically all the water rights on King River and had a total of 400,000 horsepower. Mr. Clark was the chief promoter of this immense project. He spent one year in the leading mining camps of South America. Mr. Clark still has large mining interests in Mono, California, and Nevada. He was requested to make a report on 47,000 acres of land in Calipatria, on which California capitalists held an option, and on his report the company purchased this large tract, and Mr. Clark became general manager. He has one of the show places of the north end comprising 160 acres. Politically, he is a Republican. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic lodge of Brawley and is a life member of the Elks lodge of Reno, Nevada. He also holds membership in the Foresters of America. Mr. Clark was married in Fresno County, California, in 1882, to Miss Mary N. Reed, daughter of Hon. Judge Reed, deceased, of Mariposa County, formerly superior judge of that district. Mrs. Clark's mother still resides in Mariposa County and is in her ninety-first year. To Mr. and Mrs. Clark have been born one daughter, Alice, wife of Luther G. Brown, a prominent attorney of Los Angeles. Mrs. Brown is past secretary of the Friday Morning Club of that city. Additional Comments: From: THE HISTORY OF IMPERIAL COUNTY CALIFORNIA EDITED BY F. C. FARR IN ONE VOLUME ILLUSTRATED Published by ELMS AND FRANKS BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918 Printed by Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/imperial/bios/clark524bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb