Albert Gallatin Clarke
Montana Archvies 
History of the State of Montana, by Joaquim Miller, 1894 
  
Albert Gallatin Clarke, of Helena was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, April 7, 1822. His ancestors emigrated 
from Scotland to this country and were among the early settlers of Connecticut. His father, Thomas H. Clarke 
was born in New York in 1793 and was for many years engaged in business at Batavia. He was drafted for service 
in the War of 1812 but hired the after well-known Thurlow Weed of New York to be his substitute. Thomas H. Clarke 
married in Terre Haute, Mary Dickson, who was born in Ohio in 1800 and was of German and Irish ancestry. Here they 
reared their family of six children, two of whom are now living. The mother died in 1858 and the father passed on 
in 1873. Both were people of high respectability and the mother was a devoted member of the Methodist Church. 

When Albert G. Clarke arrived at his nineteenth year he started out to make his own way in the world. First he went
to Andrew County, Missouri where he secured employment as a farm hand at $13.00 per month. Saving his wages until 1849
he at that time opened up a small mercantile business at Savannah where he continued until 1858 meeting with fair
success. That year he sold out and went to St. Joseph Missouri where he conducted business until 1862. In 1862 he 
hauled his goods with ox teams across the plains to Denver Colorado, then a little town and there he soon disposed 
of his stock at a fair profit. The following year he returned to St. Joseph and in 1864 purchased a stock of hardware
and crockery, loaded the same on ox wagons and again made the trip across the plains, this time to Virginia City, 
Montana, where he opened up a store and remained about one year. In the meantime Helena began to grow and as it was 
nearer the head of navigation than Virginia City, he thought best to change the location of his store and in 1865
removed his stock to Helena. For a number of years he was in partnership with Thomas Conrad, the firm name being 
Conrad & Curtin. Later J.C. Curtin was taken into the firm and the name became Clarke, Conrad and Curtin. After 
the death of Mr. Conrad the partners purchased his interest and Mr. Curtin and Mr. Clarke continued together. 
The latter has retired for some years and the former now has sole charge of the establishment. Their whole business 
career has been characterized by honorable and upright dealings. 
Believing there was a great profit to be made in stock raising in Montana, Mr. Clarke in 1864 brought across the 
plains about 300 head of cattle, a part of them being thoroughbred Durhams. Since then he has been almost constantly 
interested in this industry and has owned as high as 6,000 head of cattle at one time. He has also invested largely 
in real estate, both in city and country and has been interested in the development of several mines. In 1889 he built
a costly and beautiful residence on the corner of Rodney and State Street, Helena, which commands a magnificent view 
of the city, the valley and mountains and here he resides in the enjoyment of his well-earned prosperity. He was one 
of the organizers of the Montana National Bank in which he has since been a stockholder and in which at one time he 
served as director and vice-president. 

Mr. Clarke was married in 1850 on the 15th of October to Eliza Ann Burns, a native of Clay County Missouri, whose birth 
occurred in 1825, she being a daughter of Jeremiah Burns. They became the parents of five children of whom we record 
that Madora is now the wife of William B. Raleigh, of the firm of Raleigh and Clarke of Helena; Charles A. is a
member of the above firm; Albert G. Jr. is an attorney of Helena and William H. is in Chicago. In 1865 while 

Mrs. Clarke was enroute to Montana to join her husband she died at Nebraska City Nebraska. Two years later he 
married Sarah Meek whose death occurred three years later; and in 1879 he wedded Sarah C. Morgan, his present companion. 

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