My Genealogy Hound

George M. Clark is a planter, near Nashville, and a merchant at Corinth, but first saw the light of day in Alabama, in 1840, being the fifth of ten children born to William and Rebecca (Dulany) Clark. The former was born in Kentucky, and his wife in Tennessee. They were married in Jefferson County, now Birmingham, Ala. The paternal grandfather, Samuel, with his family, moved to Alabama in 1820, and there he was extensively engaged in farming. William Clark was sheriff of Benton (now Calhoun) County, being the second one of the county, and later filled the office of county judge of Calhoun County and justice of the peace. He died in that State in 1880, at the age of seventy-three years, having been an active worker in the Missionary Baptist Church. George M. Clark remained with his father on the farm, attending the common schools until he was eighteen years of age, then came to Arkansas, and settled at Nashville, where he opened a blacksmith shop, and followed this calling until the opening of the war, when he assisted in recruiting Company F, “Davis Blues,” of the State troops, and after the battle of Oak Hill, returned home, only to join Company G, of the Nineteenth Arkansas Infantry, in November, of that year. He acted as captain of this company throughout the war, was wounded four times, was captured at Arkansas Post, and surrendered with Johnston in North Carolina. After the war he went to Alabama, and for six months was engaged in buying cotton, after which he went to Union City, Tenn., being engaged in the milling business for one year. He was then engaged in photography until the fall of 1869, when he returned to Nashville, Ark., and began clerking for Mr. Sypert, with whom he remained until June, 1871. He was then an employee of Fellows & Co., of Camden, for three years, after which he went to Texarkana, and in September, 1873, erected the first building in that place, and started in the grocery business, remaining there until April, 1874, when he came back to Nashville for the third time, and May 2, 1874, opened a grocery store. In January, 1888, he erected two stores and two dwelling-houses, and in March, of the following year, he started a store at Corinth, in partnership with J. H. and A. N. Hutchinson, the name of the firm being Clark, Hutchinson & Co. They do an excellent business, and their stock of goods is valued at $6,000. In 1881 he bought his present fine farm in the suburbs of Nashville, and on a natural building site, erecting thereon his residence, in 1883. He has made all his own improvements, and has a fine young orchard of five acres, and an excellent vineyard of sixteen acres, which may be said to yield 500 gallons of wine per acre. His farm comprises 242 acres, with 100 under cultivation, and he also owns a timber tract of 160 acres, the finest in the country. He owns some valuable property in Pike County, on which are some excellent mineral springs. His marriage, which took place in January, 1872, was to Miss Aurelia Z. Anderson, a native of Mississippi, and to them have been born the following children: Ollie, August, Ducy, and Cummings and Annie, who died in infancy. Mrs. Clark is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Clark belongs to the Masonic fraternity, Pleasant Valley Lodge No. 30. In addition to his farming operations, he also gives some attention to raising fine stock, especially cattle, and has one of the finest herds of registered Jersey cattle in this section of the country. He is also something of a hunter, and is considered a good marksman.