1837, James Clark

1837, James Clark

Born in Lingonier Valley, Pennsylvania on July 5, 1812, James Clarke grew up with youthful optimism and idealism. He became a printer in a newspaper office in Harrisburg and in 1836 moved west to work as an editor at the Missouri Republican newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1837 he established the Wisconsin Territorial Gazette and Burlington Advertiser (now the Burlington Gazette) in the new territorial capitol of Burlington. That same year Governor Dodge appointed him as Territorial Librarian for the new Territorial Library “in a large, airy and convenient front room, in the second story of the commodious house at the corner of Columbia and Main Streets.” By 1840, Clarke was appointed Secretary of the Iowa Territory. On Sept. 27, 1840 James married Christiana H. Dodge (the Governor’s daughter). Clarke was 33 when he became Iowa’s third Territorial Governor in 1845 and played a leading role in Iowa’s transition to statehood. He spent the rest of his life in Burlington, Iowa. In August of 1850 a cholera epidemic took the life of James Clarke, his wife, and a child. Briggs, John Ely. “James Clarke.” Palimpsest, Dec. 1939: 385-399 Salter, William. “James Clarke, the Third Governor of the Territory of Iowa.” Iowa Historical Record, Jan 1888: 1-12

State Librarians of Iowa 1837 - 2008 Compiled by Karon S. King Library Resource Technician State Library of Iowa 1112 East Grand Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50319 2008

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