Bureau County IL Archives Biographies.....Clark, James T.
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Virginia Perry vperry@midwest.net January 1999

Biography of James T CLARK, Bureau County, Illinois

James T. Clark, was born in Harrison County, Ohio, in 1832. In the spring 
of 1834 his parents, Thomas and Eleanor (Barr) Clark, came to Bureau County, 
and about four years later the father died. He left two sons and two daughters; 
Sarah M., died in June 1880 (she was the wife of D. Scott, of Knox County, Ill.); 
John B., died in youth in 1846; Jane, wife of J. Y. Spangler, and James, the 
youngest of the family. After the father’s death, the widow and her children 
remained on the home farm and tried to make a living, but with little success. 
The mother survived until 1876, and died at Cheyenne, W. T. As a poor farmer boy, 
Thomas T. Clark was not much of a success, and, as he told his mother, he was not 
cut out to be a farmer. To her query as to what he was cut out for, he replied 
he did not know; but when the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was being 
built through Bureau County, the question was answered. He began by driving a 
cart while they were on the grade east of the West bureau. During the construction 
of the bridge over the main Bureau, an accident caused a vacancy  which he was 
called on to fill and he began the selecting of bridge timbers. He did various 
kinds of work till the road was completed and then was given the position of 
section boss, at Buda. In 1855 he was married near that place to Miss Mary Fry. 
From Buda he went to Galesburg as assistant roadmaster, and was afterward promoted 
to roadmaster. He resigned that position and became Assistant Superintendent of 
the Union Pacific Railroad, and removed to Cheyenne, and was afterward made 
General Superintendent of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, which 
position he still holds. Mr. Clark had been connected with the railroad business 
in some capacity ever since he began working by the day during the construction 
of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in Bureau County.

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