Hunt, Herbert and Floyd C. Kaylor.  Washington: West of the Cascades.  Vol. 
III.  Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1917.  p.436-437.

CLARK, GEORGE C.

	George C. Clark, one of the best known contracting and mining 
engineers of Washington and one of the most prominent citizens of Everett, has 
probably done more for the development of the mill, mining and irrigation 
projects of the state than almost any other within its borders.  Starting out 
unknown and empty handed when a boy, he has made a creditable name and 
reputation for himself in the business world entirely through his own efforts 
and at this writing stands at the head of his profession as a contractor of 
Everett.  He was born June 11, 1858, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a son of 
Walter A. and Lavinia (Fahrmine) Clark.  The father was born at St. 
Catharines, Canada, and the mother's birth occurred at Ashtabula, Ohio.  In 
early life Mrs. Clark went to Wisconsin and was a member of one of the first 
three white families to settle in Milwaukee, having removed to that district 
from Chicago with ox teams.  In the country schools of Milwaukee Lavinia 
Fharmine was educated, her father, Hiram Fahrmine, having been one of the 
pioneer builders of that place.  In her later years Mrs. Clark removed to 
Grand Forks, North Dakota, where she passed away in 1907 at the age of 
seventy-two years.  Walter A. Clark became a railroad contractor and in 
connection with the construction of the Great Northen Railroad was active in 
completing the transcontinental line through North Dakota.  He died in 1893 at 
the age of fifty-eight years.  In the family were four children: Charles W., 
now living in eastern Washington; V. G., whose home is in Willapa, Washington; 
a daughter who died in infancy; and George C.
	The last named, the youngest in the family, attended the schools of 
Black River Falls, Wisconsin, and afterward served an apprenticeship in 
mechanical engineering.  He acquired a thorough knowledge of the business, in 
which he continued active for ten years.  He afterward became chief engineer 
for the C. N. Nelson Lumber Company, continuing in that position for eight 
years at Stillwater and Lakeland, Minnesota.  On coming to Washington he 
engaged in mill construction work, being first employed on the erection of a 
mill at Centralia, Washington, in 1888.  He also had the contract for the 
building of the electric light plant there and later he engaged in the 
operation of a shingle mill on his own account.
	The year 1893 witnessed the arrival of Mr. Clark in Everett, where he 
entered the service of the Monte Cristo Mining Company and was engineer for 
the smelter of Everett, now one of the largest in the state.  He continued 
with the engineering department of the Monte Cristo Company for two years and 
was later with the Penn Mining Company for two years.  He next went to Nome, 
Alaska, and to Council City to take charge of property for the Belgian Mining 
Comapny.  In 1907 he had charge of the engineering department for the Bunker 
Hill Mining & Smelting Company but later returned to Everett and built the 
plant of the Canyon Lumber Company, one of the largest in the country, two 
years being required for its construction.  He afterward secured the contract 
for the building of the Yakima irrigation system and built the dam at Horn 
Rapids and when he had completed the work he once more returned to Everett, 
where he was given the contract for a part of the Sunnyside reclamation 
project, which he finished.  He next went to Oregon and built a one hundred 
thousand dollar concrete dam at Lost River on the Klamath project, a work 
which he also faithfully, promptly and efficiently executed.  Again he took up 
his abode in Everett and continued in mining operations in the Index country 
for two years.  He has since been connected with construction work for 
Snohomish county.  The projects with which he has been identified have been of 
a most important character and have led to the work of substantial improvement 
in the state in the utilization of natural resources.
	In Lakeland, Minnesota, in 1883, Mr. Clark was united in marriage to 
Miss Catherine Rockstraw, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Rockstraw, who were 
pioneers of Minnesota and lived there at the time of the Indian massacre.  Mr. 
and Mrs. Clark have become the parents of four children.  George S., who was 
born in Cloquet, Minnesota, and is now in the advertising business at Seattle, 
married Miss Inza Knapp, of Seattle; Louis, born in Lakeland, Minnesota, is 
secretary of the Washington State Fair Commission; Earl, who is now attending 
the University of Montana, is a student in the law and forestry departments; 
and Hazel, who is successfully teaching in the schools of Everett.  The family 
occupy a very attractive and beautiful residence in Everett and its warm- 
hearted hospitality is greatly enjoyed by their many friends.
	Mr. Clark votes with the republican party and fraternally is connected 
with the Woodmen of the World and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.  He 
is well known throughout western Washington as a public-spirited citizen and 
as a man very capable in his chosen profession.  The contracts which he has 
executed have been among the most important put through in his section of the 
state and thus his labors have resulted beneficially to the community at 
large.

Submitted by: Jenny Tenlen

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project.  Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.