Polk County, Missouri Biographies - David S. CLARK

History Of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade And Barton Counties, 
Missouri 1889, published by Goodspeed, Pgs. 633, 634
Polk County Biographies Section

    David S. Clark. Prominent among the enterprising citizens
of the county, and among those deserving special recognition 
for their long residence in the county, stands the name of the
above mentioned gentleman, who was born in Washington County, 
Tenn., December 26, 1824, being the son of William C. and Margaret
(Moore) Clark. The father was born in Washington County, Tenn., 
in 1776, and is said to have been the first white child this side
of the Alleghany Mountains. The mother was born in South Carolina
in 1785. After marriage they settled in Washington County, Tenn.
where they remained until 1833, and then came to Polk County, Mo.,
settling four miles southwest of Bolivar. Here the father died in
1845, and the mother in 1853. Both were members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. The father was quite fond of hunting, both in
Tennessee and after coming to Missouri, where he and his sons 
killed the last bear seen in that section. He was one of the most
extensive farmers of his day, and was the owner of extensive 
tracts of land. In politics he was a Whig until that party went 
down, and he then became a Democrat. He was the father of fourteen
children, eight sons and six daughters, and the twelfth child was
David S. Clark. He spent his boyhood days in assisting on the farm,
and received the ordinary education to be had in the common 
country school; however it might be said that his education was
rather above the average country boy. At the age of twenty he 
began for himself by farming, which has been his principal 
occupation during life, although he also ran a sawmill for about
four years in Douglas County. September 10, 1846, he married 
Miss Ophelia C. Campbell, a native of Maury County, Tenn., born
July 27, 1828, and the daughter of Ezekiel M. Campbell. Six 
children were born to this union. William M., Rebecca P., 
Annie O., John P., David S., Jr., and Katie. After marriage, 
Mr. Clark settled in Cedar County, but in 1850 went to the State
of California, where he remained two and a half years, mining 
most of the time, and meeting with fair success. He rode a mule 
back, and was sixty-seven days making the trip. He located on 
the place where he now lives, and there remained until the 
breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in Company E, of 
Shelby's brigade, and was about three years in the Confederate 
service. He was never wounded nor taken prisoner. While he was 
in the army his house was burned, and his wife and children 
left homeless. Mrs. Clark and the children moved to Cooper 
County, then to Howard County, where they were joined by Mr. 
Clark at the close of the war. They then moved to Morgan County,
made their home there until 1873, when they returned to their 
old home, in Polk County, and there they have since resided. 
Mr. Clark owns 360 acres of land, and his wife owns 320 acres, 
besides town property. Mrs. Clark is a member of the Missionary
Baptist Church. Mr. Clark is a member of the Missionary Baptist
Church. Mr. Clark is accounted one of the most successful farmers
of his community, and one highly respected by all who know him. 
He is a Democrat in politics. 

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