Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Clement, Arthur C 1852 - 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 8, 2007, 11:08 pm

Author: Portrait & Bio Album, 1890

ARTHUR C. CLEMENT, senior member of the firm, of Clement & Oliver, is with his 
partner transacting quite an extensive business in real estate, loans and 
insurance, making a specialty of his own property. He was born in the city of 
Joliet, January 16, 1852, and is a son of one of its earliest settlers, 
Charles Clement, who at the time of his death was the oldest living resident 
of the place. With the exception of a few years spent in New Hampshire, Mr. 
Clement has passed his entire life in the city of his birth. When a small 
child his parents removed to the Granite State, and made their home in Chester 
until the spring of 1862, the father in the meantime coming to Illinois when 
necessary to attend to his business. After returning to this State, in 1862, 
for permanent settlement, Arthur C. remained with his parents and pursued his 
studies in the city schools until 1868. Then going to Ithaca, N. Y. he entered 
Cornell University where he took a four years' course and from which he was 
graduated in 1872, with the degree of B. S. After leaving the University Mr. 
Clement returned to Joliet and during the winter following occupied himself as 
a school teacher in Will Township. In the spring of 1873, he entered the 
office of Olin & Phelps, attorneys, and took up the study of law to which he 
gave his close attention for a year and then entered the law department of 
Chicago University, and was soon afterward admitted to the bar. He then 
associated himself with a partner and the firm of Phelps & Clement transacted 
a successful business until the year previous to the death of Mr. Clement's 
father, in 1878. Mr. Clement being chosen to administer upon his father's 
estate, he found his time so taken up that he was obliged to abandon his law 
practice and give his attention to that in which he is now engaged. In 1885 he 
entered into partnership with Stephen A. Oliver, and they added insurance to 
the business which is being extended steadily as they are becoming known. Mr. 
Clement has Democratic tendencies, but has never had any political 
aspirations. On the 15th of September, 1875, Mr. Clement was united in wedlock 
with Miss Georgia M. Smith, at the bride's home in Auburn, N. Y. This lady is 
the daughter of Alfred and Laura Smith, who are now residents of Auburn, N. Y. 
There have been born of this union a son and daughter, namely, Charles Alfred 
and Laura. Charles Clement, the father of our subject, was born in Windsor, 
Vt., in January, 1810, and there spent the early years of his life. After 
removing to Joliet he was married to Miss Cordelia, sister of Edmund Wilcox, 
who was a partner of Mr. Clement upon first coming to Joliet. Mr. Clement 
settled here in the spring of 1833, after which he went to Peoria and 
sojourned until the fall of that year. Miss Wilcox had come to the West on a 
visit to her brother and was married to Mr. Clement in 1844. The father of our 
subject about 1835, purchased one acre of ground situated at what is now the 
corner of Exchange and Bluff Streets, paying therefor $100 and upon it put up 
the first frame building in the town, this being the Old American House and 
which during the boom that followed two years later, he sold for the sum of 
$15,000, taking in part payment a stock of goods. Then in partnership with Mr. 
Wilcox he engaged in the mercantile business two years. He in the meantime 
become a prominent man and was one of the Village Trustees prior to leaving 
for New Hampshire. After the return from New Hampshire he again embarked in 
the dry-goods business at the corner of Jefferson and Ottawa Streets, and was 
thus occupied until 1865, while in the meantime he dealt largely in real 
estate. He finally retired from active business and died December 11, 1878, at 
his home in Joliet, Ill. After Joliet had assumed the proportions of a city, 
Charles Clement represented his ward in the Council for a number of years. 
When first coming to the place he, in company with Messrs. Wilcox & Allen 
established the Joliet Courier, the first issue of which bore the date April 
20, 1839. This was the first paper published in the county, and Mr. Clement 
still preserves with care a copy of the first issue which contains a report of 
the proceedings at the incorporation of Joliet Township. Upon that occasion 
the following officers were elected; William Scofield, President, Charles 
Clement, Treasurer, Charles Gardner, Clerk, and William Adam, Street 
Commissioner. In 1837, the father of our subject, in company with Mr. Wilcox, 
made a trip overland with a horse and wagon through Northwestern Iown, during 
which they spent only two nights at a hotel. There are still living of the 
parental family only two children—Arthur C., our subject, and Alice C. who 
remains with her mother at the old place. Mr. Clement cast his first 
Presidential vote for Andrew Jackson and was a stanch adherent of the Democrat 
party.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page 
Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens 
of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890

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