Clark family correspondence, 1852-1895

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Summary

Creators:
Clark family.
Abstract:
This collection contains correspondence of Sarah Clark (active 1852-1895) and the Clark family of Rising Sun, Indiana; California; and Austin, Nevada. The letters cover a wide range of subjects including the citrus industry in California and Nevada; economic conditions in California, Indiana, and Nevada; agriculture in Northern California; hunting; sickness; courtship; children; and business.
Extent:
2.4 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Clark family correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains 21 letters from Sarah Clark to her husband and children. The remaining correspondence is between Clark family members. There are a few additional pieces written by friends, relatives, and one business associate. The correspondence covers a wide range of subjects including: the citrus industry in California and Nevada; economic conditions in California, Indiana, and Nevada; agriculture in Northern California; hunting; sickness; courtship; children; and business. There are also two letters containing love poetry, and the collection contains an express receipt from Wells Fargo and Company.

Sarah Clark (fl. 1852-1895) is the most prolific figure in this collection, as she wrote twenty-one letters and was the addressee of eight. There are, however, eighteen other authors of these letters, including her sons, Charles 3 Scope and content note (continued) Francis Clark (7 letters), Joshua Clark (6 letters), William G. Clark (3 letters), and Robert V. Clark, Jr. (3 letters). There are 5 letters from her husband, Robert V. Clark, a combined six from Sarah's three sisters, and an assortment of letters from friends, acquaintances, and one business associate.

The letters describe day-to-day activities of the family members as well as their hopes, dreams, and longings. Sarah Clark, left to care for six children while her husband tried to establish a new life in California, attempted to survive with little money and with the hope that she would once again be reunited with her husband. Her early letters relate a longing for his companionship and her need to support and take care of him. Her later letters focus primarily on her ill health and occasional discomfort.

The letters in the collection also make reference to diseases such as smallpox, home remedies such as a bread and milk poultice for aches and pains, and the death of a child in town where no one attended her funeral. There are upbeat moments as family members participate in various functions such as picnics, parties, and one outdoor event where Joshua Clark recalls that women participated in a football game. Joshua Clark also received two letters containing love poetry from a woman named Reta. There is ample discussion of the citrus industry with at least two family members, C. F. (Charles Francis) Clark and William G. Clark, involved in the distribution and sale of an assortment of fruit. There are passing references to the opera coming to town, singer Jenny Lind (spelled "Lynn" in the letter), and winter sports such as sledding. There is occasional talk of road surveying and road taxes and one family member runs into several "Chinamen" while surveying his property. Some of the correspondence discusses courtship and marriage. In one letter, a woman named Emma requests a photograph of a prospective suitor with very little requirements as to appearance, height, or weight. Her only stipulation is that he be able to support her and be an Israelite.

Biographical / historical:

Sarah Clark (active 1852-1895), the most prominent figure in this group of letters, lived in Rising Sun, Indiana with her husband Robert V. Clark. In early 1852, he moved to either Coloma or El Dorado, California. Her correspondence to him from Rising Sun ended in 1854, and although she may have met up with him in California, they eventually moved west to Austin, Nevada. They later returned to California and moved to El Dorado, (1872?), Oakland (1883?) and then possibly back to El Dorado (1889?).

They had six children: Anna Matilda Clark, C. F. (Charles Francis) Clark, b. 1852, Eliza Jane Clark (b. 1842), Joshua Clark, Robert V. Clark, Jr., and William G. Clark (fl. 1853-1869). Sarah Clark mentions "Nat" or "Vat" briefly in early letters while Robert V. Clark was in California without her, but it is unclear whether or not he was in fact their son.

One of their sons, William G. Clark, married a woman named Hattie. They had a son, William G., Jr., and lived in El Dorado, California. Another son, Joshua Clark, moved to Austin, Nevada and then to El Dorado. While in Austin, he thought about opening up a saloon. He worked at a slaughterhouse in Simpsons Park, Nevada, six miles from Austin.

Little is known about Robert V. Clark, Jr. who was referred to as "Rob" once or twice in letters by his mother. He lived in Austin, Nevada in the late 1860s, but by 1890, he was living in El Dorado, California. C. F. (Charles Francis) Clark was born on February 14, 1852 a few weeks after his father had left for California. Later in his life, he lived in El Dorado, Oakland, and at one point, Sacramento, California and may have sold fruit. He ran an establishment with his friend George who got married on April 9, 1883.

Sarah Clark had three sisters: Amelia Buck, from Fort Madison, Iowa; Mary Best from Rising Sun who had two sons, Joshua B. (Joshua Beeson) and Nathaniel C. Crouch; and E. C. (Elizabeth) Burns, also from Rising Sun who had at least one child, Hollie.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Pacific Book Auction Galleries, Sale 143, Lot 47 September 9, 1997.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff, circa mid-20th century. In August 2024, Mari Khasmanyan updated the finding aid's linear feet and container information.

C. F. (Charles Francis) Clark's middle name is spelled "Fransis" in one letter by his mother. For standardization purposes, the traditional spelling of Francis has been used in cataloging this collection. Throughout the collection, he is referred to in several ways: Charles Francis, Charles Frank, Frank, C. F., and once or twice as "Charley" by his mother.

Arrangement:

Correspondence arranged chronologically in two boxes, followed by an 1870 Wells Fargo and Company Express note and 1886 envelope at the end of Box 2.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Clark family correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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