MONTGOMERY COUNTY OHIO BIO: CLARK, Charles Edwin (published 1882)
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
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frog158@juno.com
July 22, 1999
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From the 
The Ohio Biographies Project
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~usbios/Ohio/mnpg.html
a part of
The U.S. Biographies Project
http://members.tripod.com/~debmurray/usbios/usbiog.html


"The History of Montgomery County, Ohio" by W.H. Beers & Co.  1882


	Charles Edwin Clark, son of David and Hannah (Halderman) Clark, was born
in the old county jail (Dayton),  July 31, 1850, during his father's second term
of Sheriff of the county.  His father was afterward County Treasurer for two
terms and for five years just previous to the war the editor and proprietor of
the Daily and Weekly Empire. The late years of David Clark's life were fraught
with many sorrows and cares.  Through misfortunes, which are familiar to the old
friends of the family, had ben reduced from comparative affluence to the position
of hard toil for the support of his family.  To save those who had trusted him
from financial  loss, David Clark and his devoted wife gave up the snug fortune
they possessed to the last dollar, and bravely began anew the struggle for 
means to educate their children.
	Charles, though at that time but a mere boy, contributed not a little
towards the family's support.  He was always ready to turn an honest penny by
work at anything.  Each year his school vacation and oftentimes his spare
evening for study were spent at the hard work of a young clerk in an ice
cream saloon and confectionery, toiling sixteen or seventeen hours a day during
the hot months of the year, whilst his schoolmates were enjoying their vacation
as only school boys can enjoy such freedom.  Young Clark never murmered-he was
only too glad to be able to case, though in a small degreee, the burdens of the
father he idolized.
	Mr. Clark received a common school education.  The death of his father
compelled him to withdraw from the high school, where he had been a student for
about one year, to aid his mother in the support of his brothers and sister.  
Mr. N. Ohmer gave him his first regular employment in his Union Depot Restaurant,
where he remained some years.  In may, 1871, he entered the employ of Maj. W.D.
Bickham, editor and proprietor of the "Daily Journal", as office-boy, where he 
soon worked his way up to book-keeper.  In the spring of 1873, he accepted the
positon of business manager of the "Daily and Weekly kentuckian", Paducah, KY., 
in which city he resided for some month.  Returning to Dayton he was maried to 
Miss Maria Dee Truesdell, a teacher in the Dayton Public Schools, and a few weeks 
later again entered the employ of Maj. Bickham, as business manager of the 
Dayton "Journal", a position he has uninterruptedly held ot this day.  Mr. Clark,
though a stanch Republican, has not meddled much in politics.  He has held but
one political office, that of City Councilman, for one term.  In April, 1879,
he was the unanimous nominee of his party for Councilman from the old Fifth
Ward.  Although the ward was something like 100 votes politically opposed to Mr.
Clark, he was elected after a short but hot contest by a majority of twenty-one
votes over his Democratic opponent, Mr. T.C. Dobbins, a prominent hardware
merchant.  He made a faithful and conscientious Councilman.  During his entire
term of two years he was absent from but one meeting of the Council, and that 
was occasioned by the death of a near and dear friend-a brother Councilman. 
	It was mainly through Mr. Clarks's plucky efforts that the "Sandusky
ordinance" became law of the city.  He also energetically labored by arguments 
and all fair means to have the "Ordinance to restrain animals from running at
large within the city limits" adopted.  These measures met with vehement 
opposition of many citizens and dire were the threats of political annihilation
to all who had a hand in making such laws.  To such threats Mr. Clark once made
answer: "I am sorry to have your ill will.  I believe you are honest in your
opposition to me, but your threats do not dismay me, nor shall they deter me 
from doing my duty as I conscientiously understand it."  Mr. Clark's term of 
Councilman expired in the spring on 1881, and he peremptorily declined to be a
candidate for re-election.  Two brothers of Mr. Clark, Lieut. R.G. Clark, 
Sixty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and William V. Clark, Eighty-third Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, died the death of soldiers in the Union army, during the war.
His mother still resides in the family residence, which has been her home for
thirty years.  He has three living brothers and two sisters, viz: George R.
Clark, proprietor of the Port Clinton (Ohio) "News"; David P. Clark, of 
Miamisburg, Ohio; Douglas Clark, of Pittsburgh, Penn; Mrs. F.M. Althoff and Miss
Lottie E. Clark, Dayton. 
 

Submitted by Tina Hursh <frog158@juno.com>