Signet "Sidney" & Elizabeth H. Clark

Albion, Jackson County, Wisconsin

 

Sidney Clark was born January 22, 1813, in Ramapo, Rockland County, New York and died March 7, 1903 in Black River Falls at the age of ninety. He was married to Hannah Elizabeth Vanderwerker (1825-1915) about 1841 in New York.  They moved to Wisconsin in 1857.  Their son Jacob H. Clark was born July 15, 1845 in Troy, Rensselaer Co., New York and married Mary A. Vanderbough, Septemeber 1, 1869, in Black River Falls, Jackson County, Wisconsin.

 

Census Records

 

1860 State Census--Black River Falls, Jackson Co., Wisconsin
Name Age Sex Color Occupation Estate Birthplace
Sidney Clark 44 M   Machinist $250/$50 New York
Eliza H. Clark 34 F       New York
Maryetta Clark 17 F   School Teacher   New York
Jacob H. Clark 14 M       New York
Antonette Clark 12 F       New York
Eugenia Clark 6 F       New York
Milton Clark 4 M       Iowa
Grace A. Clark 1 F       Wisconsin

Previous Household: Lumberman, Dudley J. & Maggie Spaulding, their sons Dullie E. and William L., Teamsters Seymour Spaulding from Vermont and Joseph Rockwell from New York and a servant, Mary Johnson from Norway.

 

 

1880 Federal Census-Albion, Jackson Co., Wisconsin

 Name 

Relation

Marital Status

Sex

Race

Age

Nativity

Occupation

Father's Nativity

Mother's Nativity

 Sydney Clark 

 Self 

 M 

 Male 

 W 

 67 

 NY 

 Machinist 

 NY 

 NJ 

 Eliza H. Clark 

 Wife 

 M 

 Female 

 W 

 54 

 NY 

 Keeping House 

 NY 

 NY 

 Eugenie Clark 

 Daughter

 S 

 Female 

 W 

 27 

 NY 

 School Teacher 

 NY 

 NY 

 Lillie Clark 

 Daughter 

 S 

 Female 

 W 

 11 

 WI 

 At School 

 NY 

 NY 

 Milton Clark 

 Son 

  

 Male 

 W 

 24 

 IA 

  

 NY 

 NY 

 Betsy Olson 

 Other 

 S 

 Female 

 W 

 35 

 NOR 

 Keeping House 

 NOR 

 NOR 

 Myrta Thompson 

 Other 

 S 

 Female 

 W 

 44 

 NOR 

 Servant 

 NOR 

 NOR 

Previous Household: Sarah E. Heath and her children, Agnes, Fannie, Albert and Willie and an unrelated female, Phoebe Post.
Next Household: Ole & Anna Peterson and their 2 year old daughter, Mary.

 

1900--Black River Falls, Jackson, Wisconsin

Sidney Clark in Household 110, family 118, b. Jan 1813 in New York, both parents b. CT. Wife, Eliza H., age 75 b. Mar. 1825 in New York as were both parents. Mother of 8 children, 6 living, Married 59 years.

Daughter Lillian was living in the previous Household with Amos and Ereppa Elliot as a boarder.

NEW IDEA FOR AUTOS

––––•––––

Sidney Clark, Aged Inventor at

Black River Falls, Perfecting

His Machine

 

Black River Falls, Wis., Aug. 24—[Special] – In a small shop, 8 x 10, in this city, Sidney Clark, aged 89 years, hopes to immortalize his name as the inventor of something new in the automobile line; something that gives hope of success to the aged inventor, who has earned fortunes for others and, as usual among inventive geniuses, has ‘in most instances received the hot end of the poker for the reward of his labor.’

 

The subject of this sketch was born in Rockland County, N. Y., in 1813.  Always of an inventive turn of mind, the early’50s found him in New York City, the owner of the patent right of the paper collar, then for the first time introduced.

 

 

(Inventor of the Paper Collar Who Lives at Black River Falls and is Working on a Patent Automobile.)

 

He improved upon his patent right by the amalgamation of paper and cloth, but was compelled to part with his valuable patent for a nominal consideration.  His next important move was the “re saw,” which he thought out, and as usual with him, the honors went to others.  Dozens of instances like the above could be enumerated when this singular man has been cheated out of the reward which mankind owed to his genius.  His greatest and last effort is his present work, the “spring automobile,” which he has perfected in a neat little model, 8 x 10 inches.  The old inventor is skeptical of all who call upon him, and it was after considerable persuasion that the old gentleman would consent to show the Wisconsin representative the model, after exacting a promise that no description should be given.  The small machine works like a charm and carried twelve pounds of iron around the room.  The eyes of the aged inventor danced with delight as the miniature automobile demonstrated, beyond a doubt, that the old inventor was not indulging in pipe dreams at the closing days of a long and checkered life.

 

He is working out another model on a bigger scale and the entire day finds him busily at work on his cherished ideal.

 

Contributors

 

Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon & Janet Schwarze.

 

Related Links

 

Bio: Clark, Jacob H. (History - 1845)

 

 


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