HISTORY: Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia, Chapter 7, Clark, Dauphin County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/ http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/dauphin/runk/runk-bios.htm _______________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, pages 93-94. _______________________________________________________________ CLARK, OF CLARK'S VALLEY. WILLIAM CLARK, the first of the name to settle in this country, was of Scotch-Irish descent, and came to America in 1728. He settled in then Chester county, Province of Pennsylvania, and died there. His son, William, was born in Pennsylvania, and after reaching manhood, with his family settled in what was at first called the "Narrows of Paxtang," then Upper Paxtang township, Dauphin county, in a valley about two miles from the Susquehanna river, giving to the valley and the creek the name of Clark, which they still retain. The farm on which they settled is yet known as the Clark farm, although it has passed into other hands. After residing there a number of years he rented his farm and migrated to Northumberland county, in this State, where he bought a farm, and lived there until compelled to leave on account of the hostile attitude of the Indians, which caused the "Great Runaway" of 1778-79. They buried all their farming implements, lashed two canoes together and taking some few clothes with them, sailed down the Susquehanna river, and thus escaped the savages. They then returned to Middle Paxtang, where the second William died. His children were as follows: i. Robert. ii. John. iii. James. iv. William. v. Jane. vi. Love. vii. Sarah. viii. Elizabeth. Robert, the eldest of the children, was never married. He lived the greater part of his life in Dauphin county, and finally died in Perry county. John, the second son, and Jane, the eldest of the girls, lived on a farm about one mile up Clark's Valley. Neither of them were married; they lived to a good age and died on the farm where they had lived. James, the third son, was never married, and died when a young man. Love, the second daughter, married James Hines. They at one time resided at Erie, Pa., and from there removed to Indianapolis, Ind., or in that neighborhood. Sarah, the third daughter, married Moses Gladding and lived most of her life in Clark's Valley. Elizabeth, the youngest of the sisters, married Richard Green, a son of Col. Timothy Green. They had two children, Timothy and Jane. WILLIAM CLARK, the youngest son, was born February 18, 1774. He left home after he became of age and went to the western part of the State, and settled in Crawford county, near what is now Meadville, Pa. He there married Miss Sarah Patterson in 1802. He was elected associate judge of Crawford county, and was in the war of 1812 and '14, when he was appointed brigade inspector of the Western district of Pennsylvania. He rendered service in forwarding men and supplies to Erie; was on board the flagship St. Lawrence in her first engagement with the British fleet on Lake Erie. He was appointed by Governor Findlay secretary of the Land Office, which position 94 HISTORICAL REVIEW he held from May 11, 1818, to May 11,1821. He was chosen by the Legislature to the office of State treasurer and served from 1821, to 1827. He was elected to congress from the district composed of Dauphin and Lebanon counties. Was appointed by the President, Treasurer of the United States, his commission signed by John Quincy Adams, President, and Henry Clay, Secretary of State, is dated June 4, 1828; and held the office until the election of Andrew Jackson as President. He spent the most of his time in Dauphin county and died March 28, 1851, aged 77 years. His children were: i. Pataline. ii. William. iii. John. v. Sarah. vi. Margaret. vii. Elizabeth, b. January 6, 1817. viii. Anna, b. April 29, 1819; d. December 4, 1888. ix. Jane, b. October 7, 1821; d. young. x. Ellen, b. November 15, 1823. xi. Jefferson. Pataline married David Steel, who lived near New Buffalo, in Perry county. Mr. Steel died shortly after they were married, and left one daughter, Sarah-F., who married Philip B. Greenawalt, with whom Mrs. Steel lived until her death, which occurred June 15, 1882. Her grandchildren were (surname Greenawalt): i. William-Clark. ii. Bertha-May, d. s. p. iii. Philip-Herbert. iv. Alice, d. s. p. v. Mary-Ehrman. William, Jr., was born March 3, 1805; he never married; represented Dauphin county in the State Legislature, and filled many positions of trust; died at his home in Dauphin May 19, 1870. John, born February 20, 1807, lived most of his life in Crawford county; was a major in the State militia, and engaged in the tanning business. He d. April 29, 1876. He married Sophia Atkinson, and their children were: i. Sarah, m. F. H. Bemis. ii. Anna, m. H. Sheppardson. iii. William, d. s. p. iv. Thomas, killed in the battle of the Wilderness. v. James, d. s. p. vi. Henry-Clay, living in the West. James, born October 21, 1809, graduated from West Point and was a captain in the regular army, which position he resigned to study theology; he died in 1886 at Georgetown, D. C., at the university of that name. Sarah was born December 18, 1811, and died at the age of 19 years. Margaret, born May 3, 1814, married William J. Robinson, of Dauphin. She died February 21, 1874. Their children were: i. Charles, d. s. p. ii. Elizabeth, m. Preston Miller. iii. Sarah. iv. Anna-Clark, m. Capt. J. F. Wilson. v. William, d. s. p. vi. Margaret. vii. Rev. Edwin-P. viii. Ellen, d. s. p. ix. Harry-Justice, d. s. p. x. James-Weir. Jefferson, the youngest of the family, was born August 15, 1826; was engaged in the mercantile business for years; was postmaster for a long time and one of the first elders in the Presbyterian church at Dauphin. He married, in 1855, Miss Margaret Kimmel, of Shippensburg, daughter of George Kimmel, Esq. Their children were: i. Dr. Charles-Henry, m. May Zacharias. ii. Dr. William-Patterson, m. Kate S. Bell. iii. George-Kimmel, d. s. p. iv. Edwin-Robinson, d. s. p. v. Horace-Moore. vi. Thomas-Cummin. vii. Mabel.