Clark, Emerson bio

Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County, Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States, and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890; page 289-290; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Emerson Clark, senior partner in the firm of E. Clark & Bro., proprietors of Clark Bros. Meat Market, Farmington, is undoubtedly the most successful man in his line in this town if not in the county, and he is the oldest butcher here. He is regarded as a man of exception integrity and standing in the financial world, and he is prominent in Masonic circles and in the public life of his community.
Mr. Clark was born in Randolph, Mass., June 8, 1847. He is the son of Elisha V. Clark, a native of the same town as himself. His mother, Mehitable N. Thayer, was born in Quincy, Mass. When he was a young man the father was a shoemaker for some years, and then went to Quincy, where he was engaged as a butcher from 1844 to 1846. In the latter year he returned to Randolph, and was employed in the same trade there. In 1866 he decided to act on the suggestions and solicitation of his old-time friend, Alvin Kidder, (of whom see sketch on another page of this work) to come to Farmington and embark in the meat business here. Accordingly he removed with his entire family from his Eastern home to this State. He was then in very ordinary circumstances, but he acquired a competence from his business as proprietor of a meat market, and in 1877 sold out to his son of whom we write.
The early boyhood and manhood of our subject were passed I his native Massachusetts town, and he received his education in its public schools. He began to work at the butcher business while yet a young man, and accumulated sufficient capital to buy his father out, as before mentioned. The first three years after he purchased the business he operated it alone, but in 1880 he formed a partnership with his brother, and since that time it has been carried on under the firm name of E. Clark & Bro. In 1887 the brothers built present fine brick store, which is 20x60 feet in dimensions, is fitted with all modern improvements, having ample conveniences for the preservation of fresh meats, etc. In no business does Farmington assume such a metropolitan air as in the meat market line, and certainly the establishment of E. Clark & Bro., with its neat fixtures, would do justice to cities of far greater pretensions.
The firm entered into the poultry and egg business in 1880 in connection with their meat trade, and they operate in Chicago and various other points in this State and in Iowa, buying and dressing poultry at four different places. Mr. Clark is rapidly becoming a wealthy man, for besides his meat business, he has money invested in real estate at Sioux City, Iowa, and at various other places in the West.
Our subject is very happy in his domestic relations, having married in 1872, Miss Emma Waite, who is to him all that a loving and devoted wife can be, and to their two children, Bessie W. and Eugene V., is a tender and wife mother. Their pleasant residence is a commodious, two-story frame dwelling, finely located on the south side of Vernon Street, Farmington.
Mr. Clark is one of the most important factors in promoting the growth and prosperity of the village of Farmington, he being a progressive, liberal, public-spirited man, and in social and educational matters he is pre-eminent. He joined the Masonic fraternity in the winter of 1868-69. He took the chapter degree at Yates City in 1870-71. He took the order of Knighthood at Galesburg in 1880 and has taken nine degrees in all and is one of the State lecturers of the order. In politics he give his allegiance to the Democratic party. He has never sought office but at the solicitation of his fellow-citizens he has at three or four different times within the past twelve years taken the position of Township Clerk, of which office he is at present an incumbent; and he is also serving as City Clerk of Farmington, which position he has held six years, from 1875 to 1880, and was chosen a second time in 1889.