My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM W. CLARK, retired farmer, P. O. Higginsport, is a grandson of Joseph and Sarah Clark, who are mentioned in the Lewis Township history, and a son of John Clark, who was born on Gen. Washington’s birthday, February 22, 1785, and when ten years old, with his parents, came to the Northwest Territory and located in what is now Lewis Township, Brown Co., Ohio, on a stream called Bullskin Creek; here he grew to manhood and assisted his parents, as he was the eldest child, to obtain the necessaries of life in the primeval forest. He grew to be a man of five feet eleven inches high, rather spare, with a strong constitution and great energy. He gave his parents the benefit of his time until March 17, 1808, when he married Nelly Ryan, a native of Kentucky, born November 28, 1787. At the beginning of their united life, they settled in the forests that subsequently became Lewis Township, where he devoted his entire life to clearing and farming. He was a man of good habits, and with his wife for many years a member of the Presbyterian Church, in which he served as Deacon the greater part of his membership. His health was good to his death, which occurred April 19, 1853, his widow passed away December 12, 1869. Of their eleven children five are now living — William W., the fifth in number, was born September 24, 1817, in Lewis Township, Brown Co., Ohio, where he received a common school education, and devoted his time at home until fifteen years of age, when he engaged as clerk in a store in Augusta, Ky., and subsequently in a store kept by William Clark, near Clark’s Mill, in Lewis Township. His next pursuit was as trader on the Ohio River to New Orleans, in which capacity he grow from small beginnings to be a prominent boatman. His trading down the river was by means of flat-boats, after which steamers were introduced. While in the Southern city he was many times exposed to the yellow fever, from which he once suffered. He married Nancy Porter, a native of this county, and in 1847 settled on the farm which now consists of 440 acres under good cultivation and improvement. This he successfully superintends, and is one of the enterprising citizens of the township. Mr. and Mrs. Clark are the parents of two daughters, both now married.