Bedford County PA Archives Biographies.....Clark, Philip
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Judy Banja jbanja@msn.com May 2003


PHILIP CLARK, who for years has been identified with the 
highest interests of East Providence township, Pa., where he 
is an old and well-known resident, was born on July 25, 
1828, in West Providence, Bedford County, of which township 
his father, Joel Clark, was a lifelong citizen.  His 
grandfather, Thomas Clark, Jr., was a son of Thomas Clark, 
Sr., who was one of the original settlers of West 
Providence, and who attained the remarkable age of one 
hundred and five years.
  Thomas Clark, Jr., suffered all the hardships and 
privations of frontier life while engaged in the work of 
reclaiming a homestead from the wilderness, the toilsome 
labor and patient endurance required therefor being 
inconceivable to those who have not accomplished the task or 
watched its doing.  In the rude log house which he built in 
the opening first made by his hand he reared his family of 
children, one of whom was the son Joel, above named.
  Joel Clark when a young man served an apprenticeship of 
two years at the blacksmith's trade in Ohio.  Returning then 
to Bedford County, he settled on a farm in the township of 
West Providence, where he carried on blacksmithing in 
connection with farming until his death in 1864, at a 
venerable age.  Industrious, capable, and thrifty, he 
accumulated a large property, at one time having been the 
owner of a thousand acres of land in this locality.  He was 
active in township matters, and as a member of the Christian 
church was quite prominent in religious work.  He was twice 
married.  His first wife was Rebecca McDaniel, the mother of 
Philip Clark.  Six of his children still live, namely: 
Philip; Rachel, widow of the late Peter M. Barton, of Ray's 
Hill, Pa.; Alexander, of West Providence, Pa.; Wilson, of 
East Providence, Pa.; Margaret, wife of Samuel Howser, of 
West Providence, Pa.; and Amanda, of Bedford County, 
Pennsylvania.
  Philip Clark obtained the rudiments of his education in 
the old log school- house, which was furnished in the most 
primitive manner, with slab seats resting upon wooden pegs, 
and with writing-desks for the older pupils made by 
fastening a board to the log wall by means of wooden hinges, 
the entire building being of the rudest possible 
construction.  In 1848 he removed to East Providence, which 
he has since claimed as his home.  Here he has been 
prosperously employed as a tiller of the soil the greater 
part of the time.  In August, 1864, he enlisted as a private 
in Company I, Ninety-first Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 
which became a part of the Army of the Potomac.  He first 
appeared in action in various raids and skirmishes, 
including the one at Weldon Railroad, after which he 
participated in the battles of Hatcher's Run, Fort Steadman, 
Gravel Creek, the siege of Petersburg.  He was more or less 
under fire until after the surrender of Lee, April 9, 1865.  
In the morning of that eventful day at Appomattox he was in 
a post of danger, being on the skirmish line.
  On June 7, 1865, he received his honorable discharge from 
the army, and immediately returned to his home in East 
Providence.  He was subsequently employed for a while by the 
firm of Harris & Williams as manager of their business, 
which consisted of getting out material for and 
manufacturing hoops of different sizes.  These were sent to 
Cuban markets to be used in the construction of sugar casks. 
 The firm also made locust pins for use in building ships.  
Since resigning that position Mr. Clark has been 
prosperously engaged in agricultural pursuits.  He owns one 
hundred acres of land, about sixty of which he has cleared 
by cutting off the timber.
  Politically, Mr. Clark is a strong Republican, and has 
never shirked official responsibilities and duties.  He has 
served as president, as secretary, and as clerk of the east 
Providence School Board, of which he has been a member 
twelve years, as township Assessor two terms, and as Tax 
Collector two years.  Fraternally, he belongs to the J. R. 
Callahan Post, No. 559, G.A.R., at Ray's Hill, Pa., and for 
two years was Commander of the same.  In the Christian 
church, of which he is an active member, he has been Deacon 
several years.
  Mr. Clark has been twice married.  His first wife, Sarah 
E. Segil, at her death left him with a large family of 
children, namely: Isabella J., wife of Samuel Thomas, of 
Broad Top, Pa.; Isaac, of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania; 
Lewis, of Fulton County, this State; Barton N., of West 
Providence, Pa.; Laura, wife of Scott Gordon, also of West 
Providence; Boston, of Everett, Pa.; Mary A., wife of Jacob 
Ritchey, of West Providence; Harvey H., of Broad Top, Pa.; 
and Emma E., wife of James Figard, of Broad Top, Pa.  Mr. 
Clark married for his second wife Mrs. Ruhama Rohm, widow of 
John F. Rohm, late of Everett, Pa., and daughter of the late 
George Shaw, of Monroe township, Pa.  Of this union have 
been born three children - Ira A., Chester R., and Pearl 
Irene.


Source: Bedford Biographical Review, 1899, Bedford Co., Pa