Horace Francis Clark (November 29, 1815 – June 19, 1873) was an American politician and railroad executive who served two terms as a U.S. representative from New York from 1857 to 1861.

Horace F. Clark
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 8th district
In office
March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861
Preceded byAbram Wakeman
Succeeded byIsaac C. Delaplaine
Personal details
Born(1815-11-29)November 29, 1815
Southbury, Connecticut, US
DiedJune 19, 1873(1873-06-19) (aged 57)
New York City, US
Political partyDemocratic
Anti-Lecompton Democrat
SpouseMaria Louisia Vanderbilt
Alma materWilliams College
Occupationlawyer, railroad executive

Biography

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Clark was born in Southbury, Connecticut on November 29, 1815,[1] the son of Reverend Daniel Atkinson Clark (1779-1840) and Eliza (Barker) Clark (1787-1864).[2] In 1833 Clark graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.[1] He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1837, and commenced practice in New York City.[1] In 1848 he married Maria Louisia Vanderbilt, the daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and they were the parents of a daughter, Mary Louise, who died in 1894.[1] As a result of his family connection to Vanderbilt, Clark became involved in several of Vanderbilt's business ventures, including shipping, banking, and railroads.[1]

Tenure in Congress

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The mausoleum of Horace Clark

In 1856, Clark was elected to Congress as a Democrat, and he was reelected in 1858 as an Anti-Lecompton Democrat.[1] Clark served in the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Congresses (March 4, 1857 to March 3, 1861).[1]

Later career

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Clark returned to his business interests after leaving Congress, and served as president of the Union Trust Company, Union Pacific Railroad, Michigan Southern Railroad, and other businesses.[1] In addition, he served on the board of directors of Western Union, and the New York Central and New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroads.[1]

Death and burial

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He died in New York City on June 19, 1873,[1] and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York.[3]

References

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Sources

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Books

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  • Hall, Henry (1895). America's Successful Men of Affairs. Vol. 1. New York, NY: New York Tribune.
  • Jennings, Isaac (1869). Memorials of a Century: Embracing a Record of Individuals and Events Chiefly in the Early History of Bennington, VT. and its First Church. Boston, MA: Gould and Lincoln. p. 113.
  • Spencer, Thomas E. (1998). Where They're Buried. Baltimore, MD: Clearfield Company. p. 234. ISBN 978-0-8063-4823-0.
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Business positions
Preceded by President of Union Pacific Railroad
1872–1873
Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 8th congressional district

1857–1861
Succeeded by

  This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress