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From: "Elaine Rathmann" <>
Subject: [IASCOTT] Captain Warner Lewis Clark Bio.
Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 19:22:46 -0600


Captain Warner Lewis Clark Biography



>From "Vol. 2 History of Davenport and Scott County" by Harry E. Downer-S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1910 Chicago.



Surnames: Clark, Beard, Dodge, Baker, Waters, Evans, Elmes, Orrick.



Captain Warner Lewis Clark enjoys the distinction of being the oldest living settler of the state of Iowa and also of being the son of the first white man to establish a claim in Scott county. He was born on the Wabash river, near Mount Carmel, Wabash county, Illinois, November 14, 1822, a son of Benjamin Warren and Mary (Beard) Clark. The father was a native of Virginia, but the mother was born in Kentucky and did not survive the birth of her son. The earliest memories of the childhood of Captain Warner Lewis Clark are connected with the Indians, for at the time of his birth they were much more numerous than the white settlers. Indeed, in 1827, when the family removed to Rock Island, the Black Hawk, Keokuk and other tribes surrounded them and were their daily companions. As boys he and his brother, John P. Clark, played with them at ball, shooting arrows and other games which they taught them, and having learned the Indian language became conversant with many!
of the customs prevalent among the red people. On the 1st of June, 1833, with the rest of his family, Captain Clark removed to the Black Hawk purchase and they were the first to settle where is now the village of Buffalo, this county. Many are the memories of those early days, when the face of a white brother was infrequently seen. It was, indeed, a great event when the first school was taught here in 1836, and in it in the winter of 1838 Captain Clark received his last instruction in the rudiments of English education. On the 25th of October, 1839, occurred the death of his father, and a month later his stepmother also passed away, leaving eight children to struggle against the hardships that confronted them. The character of the life, far from discouraging them, taught them the invaluable lessons of industry and hopefulness, which were productive of large results if we are to judge from captain Clark's career.

For a number of years after the death of his parents, Captain Clark lived upon the old homestead in Buffalo township and then, in 1847, removed to Davenport. Seven years later he and the late Captain Leroy Dodge bought a half interest in the packet line running between Keokuk, Davenport, and Rock Island. Captain Clark received the contract for handling the United States mail. In 1857 he left Davenport to take up his residence in Buffalo, in order that he might operate the coal mines which were upon his place and thus supply his boats with coal. In the course of years he became very wealthy, although in the panic of 1859 he lost heavily, but had enough left to establish him comfortably and give him a good start again in life. During the year 1865 he opened an addition to the village of Buffalo, which still bears his name. Of coarse in late years he has taken little active part in the life that is going on about him, but he is, nevertheless, an eager spectator o!
f events and has not remitted one bit of his interest in the things that pertain to the general welfare. He is able to contrast the present with its conveniences with the hardships of the past, and while he cannot but acknowledge the great advancement that has been made, he is loath to say that better men are produced now than then. In fact those early days, while they called into play the sternest qualities of a nature, demanding courage and perseverance above all things, inculcated those principles upon which the highest success is built.

On the 9th of December, 1841, when he was but nineteen years of age, Captain Clark was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Baker, who was one year his junior. She was a daughter of Maurice and Margaret (Waters) Baker, the former a native of Maryland, the latter of Kentucky. Eight children were born to the Captain and his wife: Benjamin Warren, who wedded Miss Lizzie Evans, of St. Louis, Missouri, and passed away May 29, 1905; Emma M., who became the wife of General F. Elmes, of Chicago; Florence L., who is the wife of w. L. Orrick, of Dubuque, Iowa; Lincoln L., who died unmarried August 27, 1889; and Charles C., who is engaged in the milling business in St. Louis, Missouri. Mrs. Clark died March 30, 1891.]

Politically Captain Clark has always been in sympathy with the democratic party, and he is a member of the Episcopal church. He is a stanch defender of religion and his own life is lived in strict accord with the rules of Christian conduct. He is temperate in all his habits, with a certain justifiable pride attributing the many years of his life to that fact.



Transcribed by Elaine Rathmann


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