Clark, John Frederick; 1905 Bio, Routt County, Colorado http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/routt/bios/clarkjf.txt --------------------------------------- Donated April 2001 Transcribed by Judy Crook from the book: Progressive Men of Western Colorado Published 1905, A.W. Bowen & Co., Chicago, Ill. --------------------------------------- John Frederick Clark Although the son of American parents, John Frederick Clark, of Routt county, living on a well improved and productive ranch of three hundred and twenty acres twelve miles west of Yampa, was born in Munich or Munchen, Germany, on August 16, 1860, and is the son of John E. and Caroline C. (Doty) Clark, the former a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and the latter of Rochester, New York. They dwelt for years at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and when the Civil war began the father raised a company in the Fifth Michigan Cavalry, and from then to the close of the war, except for a period of nine months during which he was confined in Libby prison, he was in active service in defense of the Union. He was promoted rapidly and at the close of the war was a colonel of cavalry. After the return of peace he took up his residence at Ann Arbor, and took a government contract for surveying the Sioux country, in Dakota, and then became a professor of mathematics for a number of years in Ann Arbor. He then was employed in the same capacity at Yale University, in the Sheffield School, for thirty years. He is now living retired on Long Meadow, near Springfield, Massachusetts, but his public spirit and ardent interest in all public affairs make him still a useful citizen, active in all undertakings for the general welfare. Of his five children four are living, John F., William, Mrs. Helen Miles and Alice. The first named received only a common-school education, and at the age of fourteen shipped as a cabin boy on a merchant vessel. He was so employed for more than a year, and in 1876, when he was but sixteen, he came to Colorado and located at Pueblo. From there as a base of operations, he passed four years as a range rider for P.T. Barnum and D.W. Sherwood, who were at the head of the Colorado Cattle Company. In 1880 he became associated with Prior Brothers, who had large cattle interests in southern Colorado and northern Texas, serving them faithfully until 1886 in driving cattle between their several ranches and ranges. During all this service in both companies his hardships and dangers were many, but nothing daunted him and the very hazard of his occupation gave it an added zest in his enjoyment. In 1886 he took up a part of his present ranch as a desert claim, and he has since added one hundred and sixty acres by purchase, making the ranch three hundred and twenty acres in all. It was covered with wild sage when he took possession of it, and from that unbroken condition he has transformed it into its present state of high cultivation and productiveness and enriched it with all the improvements required for his industry. His energy and diligence here have been wisely applied and fruitful of the best results. He has a fine ranch and a profitable business on it, raising immense crops of hay and numbers of first class cattle and other stock. In political relations he adheres to the Republican party with fidelity and ardor, and in the campaigns of that organization he is always an earnest and active worker. On April 22, 1883, he was married to Miss Georgia D. Smith, a native of Georgia. They have had ten children, one of whom, a son named John F., died on October 5, 1885. Those living are Emory E., Alice, Helen, Louisa A., Clay A., James E., Thomas S., Caroline and Frank R. Through toil and trial Mr. Clark has steadily made his way, losing no foothold he once gained, and moving slowly at times but continuously forward toward the goal of his desires in the state of prosperity and consequence he now enjoys. =================================================== Contributed for use by the USGenWeb Archive Project (http://www.usgenweb.org) and by the COGenWeb Archive Project USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.