Will County IL Archives Biographies.....CLARK, ROBERT 
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Paula Winke-Martisek wranglerjack@comcast.net September 19, 2007, 9:11 pm

Author: GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

ROBERT B. CLARK, of Joliet, was born in Paisley, Scotland, May 23, 1840, a son 

of John and Catherine (McNab) Clark.  He was one of fourteen children, four of 

whom survive, namely: Jane B., wife of Hiram Shingler, of Amity, Mo.; Allen, a 

farmer of Clay County, Tex.; Robert B.; and Catherine, who married James W. 

Shingler and lives in Joliet.  His father was born in Renfrewshire, in the 

lowlands of Scotland, in 1804.  In boyhood he learned to weave Paisley shawls.  

Immigrating to America in 1842, he settled in Wellington County, Ontario, where 

he purchased land and engaged in farming.  He won the esteem of his neighbors 

and the regard of his associates, and was a leading member of the Presbyterian 

Church.  For several terms he served as school trustee.  His wife was a native 

of Invernesshire, in the highlands of Scotland.  She died in 1862.  Educational 

facilities were meager in the country regions of Canada when our subject was a 

boy; hence he had little education besides that which he obtained by self-

culture.  In the fall of 1865 he came to the States.  During the winter he 

worked in the lumber regions of Wisconsin and Minnesota.  In the spring of 1866 

he came to Joliet and secured employment in the Illinois state penitentiary, 

where he remained for ten years as a guard and for one year was foreman in the 

cigar factory of Fuller & Fuller, at the prison.  His next work was in the 

transfer and trucking business, which he conducted for seven years, meantime 

doing much hauling for contractors at the penitentiary.  In 1890 he purchased 

four hundred acres of land near Spirit Lake, Iowa.  He has also been identified 

with the property interests of Joliet.  In 1882 he built a residence at No. 118 

Second avenue, and seven years later he erected his present home at No. 112 

Sherman street, which is one of the handsome residences of the city.  

Politically he is a stanch Republican, always supporting the men and measures 

of the party.  In religion he is connected with Central Presbyterian Church.  

The first marriage of Mr. Clark took place in 1872 and united him with Mary j. 

Baker,  who was born in the County of Peel, Ontario, Canada, and died in Joliet 

in 1884.  Three of the four children born of this marriage are living:  Robert 

Ezra, Mary, Agnes and William Garfield.  Mrs. Mary Clark was a daughter of 

William Baker, who was born in Canada, a son of Michael Baker.  In early life 

he engaged at the trades of carpenter and wheelwright, but later turned his 

attention to farming.  He was a skilled mechanic, and always did considerable 

work in that line.  In 1886 Mr. Clark was united in marriage with Miss Sadie 

Beardsworth, who was born in England, a daughter of William and Elizabeth 

(Hill) Beardsworth.  She was only eighteen months old when her mother died.  

Leaving the child with the maternal grandparents, George and Ann Hill, the 

father came to America. Ten years later he returned to England, and this time 

brought his daughter back with him to America.  For a short time he was 

employed in a rolling-mill in New York City.  Next he went to Reading, Pa., 

where he rose to the important position of assistant superintendent of the 

Reading mills.  After twelve years in that city he removed to Topeka, Kans., 

where he became superintendent of the rolling-mills, continuing in the position 

until they were destroyed by fire one year later.  He then came to Illinois and 

settled in Joliet, where he was foreman of the B mill for two years. When the 

mills were closed down, although he was importuned to remain by his employers, 

he left the city and went to Portland, Me., where he was foreman of the 

Portland rolling-mills. Later he was made superintendent of the mills, which 

position he held up to the time of his death.  He was one of the ill-fated 

passengers of the steamer "Portland," which sank with all on board, November 

28, 1898. In religion he was connected with the Church of England.


Additional comments:
Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing 
Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical 
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900


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