Yolo County CA Archives Biographies.....Clark, Ephraim 1832 - 
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Author: Tom Gregory (1913)

HON. EPHRAIM CLARK

   An interesting career is that of the Hon. Ephraim Clark, of Woodland, Yolo
county, Cal., own cousin of the Hon. Champ Clark of Missouri, speaker of the
national House of Representatives, Washington, D. C., now one of the most
prominent men in the Democratic party and certain if he lives to go forward to
still greater distinction. Ephraim Clark, who came to California in 1854, was
born near Jefferson City, Mo., April 25, 1832, a son of Michael D. and Dorcas
Tabitha (Fowler) Clark. Michael, born at Hopkinsville, Ky., in 1799, was the
first white child born in that town. His father, Capt. Benjamin Clark, a soldier
of the Revolutionary war, early emigrated from Tennessee to Kentucky. Michael
Clark, when he was seventeen years old, went from his native state to Missouri
and settled near Jefferson City, where he had success as a farmer and lived out
the days of his natural life. His wife, Dorcas Tabitha Fowler, was born in
Virginia and died in Missouri. They had six sons and a daughter, and of those
children the Hon. Ephraim Clark is the only survivor. He was reared on a farm in
the days when farming was hard work, and attended subscription schools in log
houses that had puncheon floors and slab benches and were in charge of teachers
some of whom were as primitive as the surroundings.

    Under his parents' roof Mr. Clark remained till 1854, when he was about
twenty-two years old. Then he came to California, accompanied by his uncle,
William B. Ragsdale. They came across plains and mountains, and young Clark
drove an ox-team, walking all of the way. After some preliminary skirmishes with
Fortune he settled down to lumber manufacturing with such poor mills as the time
and place afforded. Eventually he built a mill which he operated till in 1862,
then, attracted by the Florence City (Idaho) mining excitement, he precipitately
packed in to Florence. Eight months' experience there sent him less
enthusiastically back to California. In 1864 he located in Nevada, where he
built the first toll road east of Virginia City, Nev., to Austin on the east. He
located at Cottonwood, where, in addition to collecting tolls he engaged in
raising cattle. In 1868 he was elected a member of the legislature, being the
second Democrat sent from his county, and served with ability and credit one
term. Later he was county commissioner of Churchill county, Nev., for two terms
and served one term as county assessor. During all of this time he was
extensively engaged in raising cattle, having a wide range for his cattle, which
were branded with the figure 2. In 1880 he sold out there and came to Yolo
county, Cal., and bought a farm a mile and a half from Woodland, upon which he
began to raise grapes and almonds. In 1908 he sold that property and bought his
residence at No. 150 Second street, Woodland.

    At Northampton, Mass., August 25, 1875, Mr. Clark married Miss Lucy
Severance, the ceremony having been performed by the Rev. Clark Seeley,
president of Smith College. Miss Severance was born in Heath, Mass., a daughter
of Horace and Mary (Fisk) Severance. They had one child, James Henry, who died
at the age of three months. Educated in the pay schools, Mr. Clark has always
been a friend of education and of every other source of enlightenment. He is, as
has been suggested, a Democrat, and as such has frequently been chosen a
delegate to state and county conventions. Mrs. Clark is a member of the
Congregational Church, helpful to. all its direct and auxiliary interests. She
is a woman of exalted character, who stands high in the esteem of the best
people of the county. Mr. Clark is greatly respected by all who know him, as a
man of much worth, whose integrity is never questioned. He is always listed,
too, among the honored pioneers of California and Nevada.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

HISTORY OF YOLO COUNTY CALIFORNIA
WITH
Biographical Sketches
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified With Its Growth
and Development From the Early Days to the Present

HISTORY BY
TOM GREGORY
AND OTHER WELL KNOWN WRITERS
ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME

HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA [1913]


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