Representative Justus Clark View All Years

JUSTUS CLARK, one of the best known citizens of southern Iowa, died at Los Angeles, California, on the 17th of February. Mr. Clark was born at Royalton, Vermont, March 22, 1819. He was brought up on a farm and never forsook his early occupation. His father bought the Governor Chittenden farm which was the largest in the State, and it is still owned by the Clark family. In his school days, Justus attended the Williston Academy where Chester A. Arthur (the future President) was a student, and Arthur’s father was principal of the Academy. Young Clark came west in May, 1839, the year after Iowa was organized into a Territory, settling at Burlington. In 1842 he purchased a farm near the city, where he took his young wife (a Miss Cartmill) who was also one of the first settlers in Des Moines county. He has held at various times most of the township and county offices. In 1852 he was elected one of the Representatives from Des Moines county to the Legislature, James W. Grimes being one of his colleagues. In 1857 he was again chosen to represent his county in the lower house of the Legislature, and was re-elected in 1859. His colleagues in the Eighth General Assembly from Des Moines county were Judge J. C. Hall and M. W. Robinson in the House and W. F. Coolbaugh in the Senate, all of whom were legislators of unusual prominence. About the year 1876 he removed to a large farm he had purchased in Montgomery county, where he eventually increased his plantation to 3,500 acres, all of which was under fence; and clear of incumbrance. He was for more than forty years one of the best and most successful of Iowa farmers, accumulating a large fortune by intelligent and judicious farm management. Mr. Clark has been President of the Iowa Fine Stock Breeders Association, and Vice President of the National Cattle and Horse Growers Association. He was an extensive traveler, having visited the principal countries of Europe, as well as Alaska, the Pacific states and Mexico at various times, always returning to Iowa with renewed love for the Hawkeye State. Mr. Clark was a life long Democrat, and one of the trusted leaders of his party. In 1883 he was nominated for Lieutenant Governor, with Judge Kinne for Governor; but the Republican majority was too large to be overcome by this unusually strong ticket. During his fifty-five years residence in Iowa, Justus Clark has won and retained the confidence and esteem of the best people of the State. His life was one of great usefulness, and his memory will be revered by thousands of his fellow-citizens.