Capt. Stephen A. Clark Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 916-917

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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CAPTAIN STEPHEN A. CLARK, the efficient and popular station agent of 
the Great Northern Railroad Company at Willow Lakes, South Dakota, is 
one of the well known figures of his community. He has held residence 
in Dakota from the early days of its settlement and has had the 
experience of reverses in fortune, but, pursuing the even tenor of his 
way, he has held his present position for a decade of years and 
occupies a prominent place in the hearts of a large circle of friends. 
His record as a soldier of our Civil war, who braved the dangers of a 
soldier's life, is no less enviable than his record in a business and 
social world, and he has a record which when passed in review is 
fraught with bitter experiences and crowned with success. 

Our subject is a native of Washington county, Vermont, and was born 
January 6, 1843. He and his elder sister were the only children born to 
Rev. Hosea and Mrs. Hulda (Richardson) Clark. The father was a native 
of Massachusetts and was of English descent, while the mother of our 
subject, nee Worthington, was born in Vermont and was also of English 
extraction. 

As a youth our subject became apprenticed to the trade of a machinist, 
but when the Civil war broke out he enlisted in Company F, First 
Vermont Infantry, and served three months. In that service occurred the 
battle of Big Bethel. He re-enlisted in September, 1861, in Company F, 
First Vermont Cavalry, the only mounted body from Vemont and the pride 
of the state. He enlisted as a private, and upon organization of the 
company was appointed orderly sergeant. He was in the second battle of 
Bull Run, Gettysburg, and Kilpatrick's raid, when, as second 
lieutenant, he was in charge of the rear guard, and on this raid was 
for ten days and nights in the saddle without sleep. He was with 
Sheridan on two of his raids, and after the battle of Gettysburg was at 
Hagerstown and vicinity. In 1863 he became first lieutenant, and soon 
after was promoted to captain of Company M, and commanded his company 
at Culpeper Court House, Brandy Station and Lovelands Mills. He was 
also in command of a company at Appomattox, and was mustered out August 
9, 1865, his record showing thirty-eight engagements. 

After the close of the war he took a commercial course and completed 
telegraphy, from which time he held various stations on the Chicago & 
Northwestern railroad in Iowa, and worked for over twenty years in that 
capacity. He went to Blunt, Dakota, in 1882, and took land in Hyde 
county. He farmed for five years, during which time he met with 
financial reverses, and at the end of that time found his means saved 
during twenty years of labor had vanished. He accordingly left the farm 
and returned to railroad work, beginning with the Great Northern 
railroad system, and since 1889 has been stationed at Willow Lakes. His 
thorough knowledge of his duties and his strict attention to business 
are appreciated by his employers and the public alike, and he is a 
favorite with his associates. 

Captain Clark was married in 1869 to Miss Frankie Fanning. He is a 
member of the G. A. R. In political faith he is a Republican, favors 
prohibition and equal suffrage. As an old soldier, business man and 
citizen, he commands the respect of all with whom he comes in contact.