An interesting career is that of the Hon. Ephraim Clark, of Woodland, Yolo county, Cal., own cousin of the Hon. Champ Clark of Missouri, speaker of the national House of Representatives, Washington, D. C., now one of the most prominent men in the Democratic party and certain if he lives to go forward to still greater distinction. Ephraim Clark, who came to California in 1854, was born near Jefferson City, Mo., April 25, 1832, a son of Michael D. and Dorcas Tabitha (Fowler) Clark.  Michael, born at Hopkinsville, Ky., in 1799, was the first white child born in that town.  His father, Capt. Benjamin Clark, a soldier of the Revolutionary war, early emigrated from Tennessee to Kentucky. Michael Clark, when he was seventeen years old, went from his native state to Missouri and settled near Jefferson City, where he had success as a farmer and lived out the days of his natural life.  His wife, Dorcas Tabitha Fowler, was born in Virginia and died in Missouri.  They had six sons and a daughter, and of those [p. 696] children the Hon. Ephraim Clark is the only survivor.  He was reared on a farm in the days when farming was hard work, and attended subscription schools in log houses that had puncheon floors and slab benches and were in charge of teachers some of whom were as primitive as the surroundings.

Under his parents' roof Mr. Clark remained till 1854, when he was about twenty-two years old.  Then he came to California, accompanied by his uncle, William B. Ragsdale.  They came across plains and mountains, and young Clark drove an ox-team, walking all of the way.  After some preliminary skirmishes with Fortune he settled down to lumber manufacturing with such poor mills as the time and place afforded.  Eventually he built a mill which he operated till in 1862, then, attracted by the Florence City (Idaho) mining excitement, he precipitately packed in to Florence.  Eight months' experience there sent him less enthusiastically back to California.  In 1864 he located in Nevada, where he built the first toll road east of Virginia City, Nev., to Austin on the east.  He located at Cottonwood, where, in addition to collecting tolls he engaged in raising cattle.  In 1868 he was elected a member of the legislature, being the second Democrat sent from his county, and served with ability and credit one term.  Later he was county commissioner of Churchill county, Nev., for two terms and served one term as county assessor.  During all of this time he was extensively engaged in raising cattle, having a wide range for his cattle, which were branded with the figure 2.  In 1880 he sold out there and came to Yolo county, Cal., and bought a farm a mile and a half from Woodland, upon which he began to raise grapes and almonds.  In 1908 he sold that property and bought his residence at No. 150 Second street, Woodland.

At Northampton, Mass., August 25, 1875, Mr. Clark married Miss Lucy Severance, the ceremony having been performed by the Rev. Clark Seeley, president of Smith College.  Miss Severance was born in Heath, Mass., a daughter of Horace and Mary (Fisk) Severance.  They had one child, James Henry, who died at the age of three months.  Educated in the pay schools, Mr. Clark has always been a friend of education and of every other source of enlightenment.  He is, as has been suggested, a Democrat, and as such has frequently been chosen a delegate to state and county conventions.  Mrs. Clark is a member of the Congregational Church, helpful to all its direct and auxiliary interests.  She is a woman of exalted character, who stands high in the esteem of the best people of the county.  Mr. Clark is greatly respected by all who know him, as a man of much worth, whose integrity is never questioned.  He is always listed, too, among the honored pioneers of California and Nevada.

Family Group Sheet of Michael Dillingham CLARK & Dorcas Tabitha FOWLER

Family Group Sheet of Benjamin L. CLARK & Patience DILLINGHAM