Yolo County
Biographies
Hon. Ephraim CLARK
An interesting career is that of the Hon. Ephraim Clark, of Woodland, Yolo county, Cal, own cousin of the Hon. Champ Clark of Missouri, speaker of the national House of Representatives, Washington, D. C., now one of the most prominent men in the Democratic party and certain if he lives to go forward to still greater distinction. Ephraim Clark, who came to California in 1854, was born near Jefferson City, Mo., April 25, 1832, a son of Michael D. and Dorcas Tabitha (Fowler) Clark. Michael, born at Hopkinsville, Ky., in 1799, was the first white child born in that town. His father, Capt. Benjamin Clark, a soldier of the Revolutionary war, early emigrated from Tennessee to Kentucky. Michael Clark, when he was seventeen years old, went from his native state to Missouri and settled near Jefferson City, where he had success as a farmer and lived out the days of his natural life. His wife, Dorcas Tabitha Fowler, was born in Virginia and died in Missouri. They had six sons and a daughter, and of those children the Hon. Ephraim Clark is the only survivor. He was reared on a farm in the days when farming was hard work, and attended subscription schools in log houses that had puncheon floors and slab benches and were in charge of teachers some of whom were as primitive as the surroundings.
Under his parents’ roof Mr. Clark remained till 1854, when he was about twenty-two years old. Then he came to California, accompanied by his uncle, William B. Ragsdale. They came across plains and mountains, and young Clark drove an ox-team, walking all of the way. After some preliminary skirmishes with Fortune he settled down to lumber manufacturing with such poor mills as the time and place afforded. Eventually he built a mill which he operated till in 1862, then, attracted by the Florence City (Idaho) mining excitement, he precipitately packed in to Florence. Eight months’ experience there sent him less enthusiastically back to California. In 1864 he located in Nevada, where he built the first toll road east of Virginia City, Nev., to Austin on the east. He located at Cottonwood, where, in addition to collecting tolls he engaged in raising cattle. In 1868 he was elected a member of the legislature, being the second Democrat sent from his county, and served with ability and credit one term. Later he was county commissioner of Churchill county, Nev., for two terms and served one term as county assessor. During all of this time he was extensively engaged in raising cattle, having a wide range for his cattle, which were branded with the figure 2. In 1880 he sold out there and came to Yolo county, Cal., and bought a farm a mile and a half from Woodland, upon which he began to raise grapes and almonds. In 1908 he sold that property and bought his residence at No. 150 Second street, Woodland.
At Northampton, Mass., August 25, 1875, Mr. Clark married Miss Lucy Severance, the ceremony having been performed by the Rev. Clark Seeley, president of Smith College. Miss Severance was born in Heath, Mass., a daughter of Horace and Mary (Fisk) Severance. They had one child, James Henry, who died at the age of three months. Educated in the pay schools, Mr. Clark has always been a friend of education and of every other source of enlightenment. He is, as has been suggested, a Democrat, and as such has frequently been chosen a delegate to state and county conventions. Mrs. Clark is a member of the Congregational Church, helpful to all its direct and auxiliary interests. She is a woman of exalted character, who stands high in the esteem of the best people of the county. Mr. Clark is greatly respected by all who know him, as a man of much worth, whose integrity is never questioned. He is always listed, too, among the honored pioneers of California and Nevada.
Transcribed by Bea Barton
Source: “History of Yolo County, California” by Tom Gregory. Published by the Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1913, pages 695 – 696.
Frank Bacon EDSON
Throughout the county of Yolo and particularly in the vicinity of Knights Landing, where he was born and reared, Mr. Edson has a large circle of acquaintances and it is said that he knows by name every voting citizen in the district which he represents on the board of county supervisors. More important even than the intimate personal acquaintance is the fact that he maintains the warm confidence of all. The qualities which he possesses are such as to win the respect of associates. Uniformly affable and courteous, he is at all time and under every circumstance gentlemanly, generous and gracious of demeanor, with a pleasant greeting for old and young, a type indeed of the native-born citizens whom the state may claim with pride.
The Edson family became established in New England during an early period of our national existence and also claims the honor of having been represented in California ever since the eventful year of 1849. Daniel W. Edson, who was born and reared in Massachusetts near the historic Plymouth Rock, followed the sea, going on several whaling voyages from New Bedford. In 1848, on the old barque Chase, he rounded Cape Horn, then proceeded up the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco and later sailed up the Sacramento river to a point near the gold mines. The next year, 1849, he turned his attention to ranching and took up a tract of land at Knights Landing, where he became prosperous and prominent. A man of superior education, he naturally became a leader in his community, while in addition he engaged extensively in buying and selling of land, which brought him gratifying gains. In young manhood he had learned the surveyor’s calling and this he followed in Yolo county, where he assisted in locating section lines and dividing up the large claims.
The marriage of Daniel W. Edson united him with Miss Katherine Bacon, who was born and reared in Ireland and died at Knights Landing in 1887. After having survived her for some years he passed away in May of 1904. They were the parents of nine children: John and Lowell, both deceased; Webster, of Sacramento; Mary, of Knights Landing; Thomas, also a resident of Knights Landing; Frank B., mentioned later; James and Charles, of Knights Landing, and Edward, who died when two years old.
Frank B. Edson was born July 16, 1868, and received his education in the common schools. When eighteen years of age he left home and started out upon a whaling expedition which spent some months in the Arctic ocean. The adventures were interesting to a youth reared on land and unfamiliar with life on the ocean. More than once the crew were in the greatest peril and perhaps at no time was the danger more imminent than when the whale-boat was wrecked by a wounded whale, throwing the boat’s crew into the water. Fortunately another whale-boat was able to reach them quickly and thus save them from a watery grave. During the course of the voyage seventeen whales were secured, which was considered an excellent record for the crew.
Returning to the life of a landsman Mr. Edson has since followed agricultural and business activities in Yolo county and has made his home at Knights Landing, where for a number of years he and a brother, Thomas, carried on a general mercantile store. They now own three ranches, one of eighty-seven acres near Knights Landing, one of a hundred and twenty acres near Blacks Station, and the third covers five hundred and seventy acres in Sutter county. They are engaged extensively in raising sheep, while in grain they specialize in wheat, besides raising considerable barley.
The marriage of Mr. Edson took place in his home town October 6, 1897, and united him with Miss Mary Creason, who was born and reared near Yolo, Yolo county. They are the parents of two children, Lowell and Genevieve. In religious faith Mr. Edson and his wife are members of the Catholic Church. A life-long progressive Democrat, he has been prominent in local politics. In 1906 his party named him as their candidate for county supervisor and he made the race against a prominent and popular Republican, whom he defeated by fourteen majority, notwithstanding the fact that the district is strongly Republican. At the expiration of his term in 1910 he was again nominated for the office, again running against a prominent Republican, and he was elected this time by a hundred and sixteen majority. He is now filling the office with recognized ability and unwavering devotion to the permanent welfare of the county. He has made an excellent record and showing for his constituents, which they graciously recognized at the polls.
Transcribed by Bea Barton
Source: “History of Yolo County, California” by Tom Gregory. Published by the Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1913, pages 697 – 698.