Henry Harmon Clark
History of the State of Montana, by Joaquim Miller, 1894 

Henry Harmon Clark, one of Montana's esteemed pioneers of 1864, 
and one of the founders of the town 
of East Helena, was born in Granville, Hampden County, 
Massachusetts, Februrary 5, 1824. His father, 
Henry Clark, was born at the same place in 1794. He married 
Irene Strong, also born in the same town 
in 1796, and they had six daughters and two sons, four of whom 
still survive. The father was a man of honor 
and respectability, was a Selectman of his town for many years, 
and was a member of the State Legislature. 

The parents lived and died in their native town, the father in 
1859 and the mother in 1874. 
Henry Harmon Clark, the second child in order of birth, assisted 
his father on the farm, and attended the 
public schools. In early life he began working at the carpenter's 
trade, and followed that occupation for a 
number of years. In 1850, full of the spirit of adventure, he 
made the voyage to California by way of the 
isthmus, mined for two and one half years on the North Yuba 
River and earned about $10 a day while in that 
state, his largest day's earnings having been $112 in gold dust. 
In 1853 Mr. Clark returned to his native 
town; and the residence he built at that time still continues to 
be one of the best in the place. Soon after 
his marriage he moved to Independence, Iowa, where he was engaged 
in farming and stock raising until 1864 and 
in that year crossed the plains to Montana. After arriving in 
this state he began mining at Big Indian, but 
not meeting with the same success as in California, he abandoned 
that occupation and embaked in agricultural 
pursuits. He first took a meadow ranch of 160 acres in Prickly 
Pear valley, to which he afterward added eighty 
acres, and in 1867 he was joined by his wife and two children--
James S. and Jennie R. The latter is now the 
wife of Frank Donaldson and resides near her parents. After 
residing on his ranch eight years, Mr. Clark bought 
the Prickly Pear Hotel, now in East Helena. While engaged in 
running the hotel, he became the owner of 160 acres
of land and in 1888 joined Mr. Riggs in the platting of East 
Helena. He now resides on a farm of ninety acres,
while he is engaged in the raising of vegetables and fruits, 
and also has 480 acres adjoining this place. 
Mr. Clark rents his valley farm and is now practically retired 
from active business. 

Mr. and Mrs. Clark have had three children born in Montana. The 
eldest, Minnie L., is now Mrs. John W. Dudley, 
and resides in Bismarck, North Dakota. Nettie Irene died at the 
age of three years, and Noble Henry departed 
this life in his eleventh year. The latter died of congestion of 
the brain, having been sick only four days. 
He was a brilliant young scholar. 

In political matters, Mr. Clark has been a life-long Democrat. 
He has served his county as Commissioner four 
years, was School Trustee at East Helena a number of years, 
held the office of Register of Elections and has
the honor of being the first postmaster of Helena. Mrs. Clark 
is a member of the Presbyterian Church. 


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