John Peter Clarke

History of John P. Clark
Written by Lu None Clark Heilesen,

Grand-daughter

John Peter Clark

John Peter Clark was born on the 27th January 1862, in a dugout home in Logan, Utah a son of Michael Joseph and Susannah Thompson Clark.

John Peter Clark was a man to be remembered. He had an outstanding character and personality. He was of an easy going, quiet disposition and always avoided quarrels and arguments, but was set in his ideals and determined in his way.

Keeping out of debt and facing the world with a good honest name, was always a part of his life. Although he was never a church man, he did much for the church in ways of donating and tithing, etc. His ideals were high and his intellect was keen, and although he had little opportunity of going to school he had a wonderful practical educational He was well read on all subjects one could choose to discuss. He was a wonderful Geologist and few people understood rocks and minerals as he did.

When John Peter was a small boy the family moved to Virginia City, Montana, with the gold rush. His brother Jimmy was the first boy born in Virginia City.

Several incidents stood out in the memory of John Peter through out his life. There was a creek called Aldergulch that ran down the middle of the town, and the houses and tents were built on each side of the creek. One time a drunken bully by the name of Slade came galloping down the road shooting and throwing gold nuggets; J.P. and his brother Alfred hid under the bank of the creek. The bully drove his horse right into the Saloon and ordered the bartender to give it (the horse) plenty of whisky. Sometime after this J.P. witnessed the hanging of this man by the Vigilantes.

At this time the family lived in a two room log house with a high covered wagon bed by the side of it, close to the creek. One day a sick man crawled into the wagon bed. He was burning up with Mountain Fever. J.P. a small boy of five, kept this man alive three or four days on cold water. He told no one about the man, but one day his mother saw him carrying water into the wagon in a cup. She investigated and found the man. She called a Dr. who worked with him some, but the man died. They found beside him a satchel of the finest Dr,’s tools. He was a Dr. who had come out from the east. They got in touch with his folks and let them know. John Peter’s mother always figured that the Dr. she called in didn’t do his best because he wanted those fine tools.

John Peter always remembered his first boy’s suit that he ever had. It was of blue woolen material, with brass buttons.

When he was four years old he and his older brother started to school, but the teacher sent J.P. home and let Alfred go. The school house was made of logs with a porch around it, and it was situated on a side hill.

During these years, law and order were kept by a secret organization called the Vigilantes. There were many gold thieves and horse thieves among whom the sheriff was a ring leader, until he was caught by the Vigilantes.

The next big incident was when they moved to Helena. New gold had been discovered and placer digging was good. The family traveled by wagon and ox cart, with the exceptions of his mother who was ill and went by stage coach. She did not want to move again and she broke down and cried. It was in 1863 when they moved . J.P.’s father made two trips a year to Utah for flour. He also freighted cattle. During their trip from Virginia City to Helena, a man brought in some fish and some sand cherries. Also during this trip, J.P. fell out of the wagon and the wheel passed over his wrist.

Helena was built in Grizzly Gulch. There where no house for a long time, only tents, prospect holes and timber. People were afraid to go out at night for fear of falling in one of the prospectors holes which were situated along the creek and side hills.

J.P. took a five dollar bill to the store and got 1 piece of candy.

J.P.’s father built a one room log cabin and kept adding on until it had six rooms and a porch.

The first school that J.P. attended was a Catholic Church, and his teacher was Sister Tereca, a Catholic Nun. Sister Benedict came once a week and went over their work. The second year he went to a public school and his teacher’s name was Mc Knight. At recess they played ball, marbles and in the mines.

In was extremely cold in Montana, Forty degrees below was very common. One day during a cold spell in the winter, the family went visiting and it was too intensely cold to go home so they were put to bed in Buffalo robes. They always slept in buffalo robes. They wrapped in blankets first and then laid on a robe and had two robes over them. It was so cold this night that the robes froze above their heads and they had to crawl out the bottom.

When eleven years of age, J.P. followed the race tracks and hired out as a jockey. He followed the fair to Phillipsberg, and here he saw a Chinaman and a Negro hung. He also saw another Chinaman brought in from the mountains where he had been found hung on a tree and had probably been there all winter.

When J.P. was thirteen, the family moved back to Utah, but found conditions very bad, so J.P.’s father and grandfather went back to Montana. They left J.P. in charge of affairs at home.

John Peter & Alfred Clarke

 The grasshoppers and crickets were bad and the seagulls came and carried them away. The crops were all eaten off, but J.P. watered them and they came up again. That fall he harvested 140 bushels of wheat out of 17 acres, and 50 bushels of potatoes. He got a mower and with his yoke, of oxen he mowed other peoples hay and took hay for pay. In this way he got enough hay to last over the winter and when his father returned in the fall he was well pleased. His father’s summer had turned out a failure. He came home with only $30.00.

When J.P. was 17 he went to work on the railroad, the Utah and Oregon Shortline. He followed it from Portneuf Canyon to Deer-lodge, Montana. He worked one summer in a saw mill in Butte and returned to Clarkston when 20 years of age.

An interesting incident was when he first met Sarah Homer. Some girls were over on the square playing around and some fellows dared each other to go over and take the girls home. They all ran over and picked a girl, J.P. Clark grabbed Sarah Homer by the arm. But she was bashful and tried to get away from him. The story goes that she slapped him, but I have never heard her acknowledge this. He did however take her home. And again as a result of a dare he stepped out beside her as she walked along and their romance began. They were married in the Logan Temple by Apostle M. W. Merrill, on September 17th 1884.

John Peter Clark & Family

They began farming with one big horse and one little horse. The harness had rope lines.

The early part of their lives together was spent in most humble circumstances, but they went forward with willing hearts and high ideals. The lived in a log cabin with a dirt roof until they moved out onto Newton Bench where they took up a homestead. They lived there five years, until they proved up on the land and it was theirs. During this time two more children were born (one on the ranch and one in town). The other six children were born after they moved back into Clarkston. They built a new home in Clarkston. On the lawn they planted some apple seeds brought across the plains by his father. These seeds grew into two large apple trees which are standing today.

At this time J.P. became postmaster, and he held the position for 25 years. He had the post-office in his home for a few years and then he built a little building out on the corner of his lawn. It was the gathering place for all the men of the town. For years there were always horses hitched to the hitching posts there. A lot of times people would come very late at night and J.P. would get up and go out to the post-office so they could get their mail.

J.P. Clark had his code of ethics. He was of a generous disposition and helped out on all donations. He had given his children fairly good educations. He kept one son on a mission and one son went to the war.

September 17th 1934 J.P. and his wife celebrated their golden wedding together, with another couple who were married the same day. It is a peculiar coincidence that each couple had eleven children all of whom were present at the celebration. Each couple had lost one grandchild. The celebration was a grand event. Invitations were issued to nearly every one in Clarkston and many people outside. It was held in the Clarkston Church and Amusement Hall where a banquet was served and interesting program presented. In the evening there was a dance. A picture was taken of the two couple and a write-up made and sent to the Salt Lake paper.

Much could be written about the “hobby” of Geology in which J.P. was interested and active. He probably got his first interest when he was in the mines. He found and recognized many good gold samples. He has spent much time roaming the Clarkston hills in search of mineral or meteors. He always felt that there was something valuable in the hills above his home. The nearest he came to having this dream realized was in an Aragonite vein which he found. He had a road made up to the mine. But he didn’t have the money to back up the operations. Through some business maneuver or lack of money he lost the mine.

John P. liked to read and had a love for books, from them he learned many interesting things. If he sat down to read a novel he would always read the ending first if he didn’t like how it ended, he refused to read the book.

John P. had a great love for birds, he would put food out on the window seal each day and watch as they came to eat the seed.

John Peter Clark

John Peter Clark was a quiet unassuming man. He was a dependable and devoted husband and father. He and his pipe were never separated.

After a lingering illness caused by stomach cancer, he died on November 30, 1937 at his home in Clarkston, Utah. His entire family was present and many relatives from near and far. He had a large and beautiful funeral. Before he died he requested that a certain rock up in the Clarkston hills be brought and placed at the head of his grave. He had always loved that certain stone.

My Story of the

John P. Clark and

Sarah Homer Clark Family

By Sarah Eliza Clark Antrim born 6 February 1901 8^th child and 4^th daughter.

My stories come, mostly from older members as well as the last 3 Children and Grandchildren.

My memories 1^st started one beautiful starlet night on the old front porch after my Father had been playing his guitar, which he did beautifully coming from a musical family at the old home in Clarkston, Mother had been taken to the hospital at Logan from a diabatic coma, we were lonely but we were together.

Beginning with his "Grandpa Patrick he said came from Athboy, Ireland as a Stoway coming to Boston as young man, he married a lovely lady, her name was Mary Ward he had two son's Michael Joseph, a son Peter who they lost track of during the war, Grandfather said he never heard from him again. They also had a little girl named Mary Kathleen she died when very young. Grandfather Patrick was a material designer for a yardage factory. While a very young boy Great Grandfather knew his son Michael was a very talented boy, so he started him taking lesson at the New England Conservatory School of Music, when he finished, he was a conductor of Boston Brass Band, and a Concert Pianist. One evening while playing for a Concert, he look up on stage and saw a beautiful little dark haired girl dancing in a pined dress, he fell in love with her, and married her against her father's wishes. Susannah's Father had joined the Mormon Church, and Grandfather was a Catholic.

The Joseph Lewis Thompson's family came on to Utah with the pioneers, and Michael and Susannah stayed on in Boston, Maine and Rhode Island.

Grandfather had his oldest son, Uncle Alfred trained to be a very fine trumpet player, and he played several instruments.

Susannah became very homesick to see her family so Grandfather Michael packed his beautiful piano and harp left them both and came to Utah. The night they landed in Logan, Utah John Peter was born in a dugout.

Great Grandfather Joseph Lewis Thompson settled in Clarkston, Utah 18 miles from Logan, so Michael and Susannah moved out to Clarkston and lived with her parents. Grandpa Michael expressed freight from Cornin, Utah to Montana. When the gold rush stared, he decided to move to Montana and he signed up to give Concerts while in Montana. There Uncle Jim and Aunt Dolly were born. Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncle Al, my Father John and Jim were great entertainers, Grandmother was a Ballerina and Grandfather a pianist, Uncle Al played the trumpet, Uncle Jim and John P. played Banjo and Guitar, they tapped danced and were beautiful Western type singers.

Grandfather sent to Boston for his piano and harp, also for Grandmother's beautiful costumes made of fur and silk and 2 jade vases from England.

When Jim and John P. were small Grandpa Patrick came to Montana and took care of them, he took them to a Catholic Church they were Choir boys he John P. said Grandpa Pat would spend four hours on Saturday polishing their pretty black boots, and cooking for Sunday Dinners.

John P. and Jim sold newspapers to the pool halls. John P. said they did not like it because the people playing cards and drinking acting so silly. They never wanted to live that way. So when John P. my Father was eighteen years old he found a job on the railroad and came to Utah. While working on the railroad he started to smoke a pipe they thought nothing of it being bad.

Then tragedy happened Grandfather Michael J' s opera house burned down destroying his Grand Piano, harp and some of Grandmas clothes, also the two Jade vases. The Thompson family went to Montana and brought Grandmother and the things they saved back to Clarkston. Grandpa stayed on for awhile then he and

Grandfather Pat came down. Grandpa Pat acquired the lot Maynard's home is located on today (1981). Michael had a home and garden there so Grandpa and Grandma and the family stayed there for awhile. The folks from all around came to see Patrick's beautiful flower and vegetable garden. And out to the old Homestead north of Clarkston Grandpa Michael also had a beautiful garden, he made a ditch from the creek so he could water it. It was planted in rows with walkways in between and also he put benched where you could set and rest for awhile, many friends and family came to see his garden.

One evening a knock came at the Clark family’s door. John P. answered it and to his surprise there stood a tramp, face and cloths so dirty, his body was covered with boils, he asked for help to which John P. replied, “I can't take you into my home as I have young children, but I will make you a bed in the old shed out back,” which he did and Sarah made him some warm soup, John P. dressed his boils each day and Sarah made food for him, soon he was better and he thanked John P. for his kindness.

When it was apparent that John P. was going to die, I came home to help Mother with the things she need to do. One evening I lit a pipe for John P. and he looked me straight in the eye and said "No daughter of mine is going to lite that sinful old pipe for me," and he wouldn't take it. He died a very painful death from cancer of the stomach.