Born in Highgate, Vermont on July 10, 1811, Clark was the son of Elkanah A. and Susan Potter Albee. In 1835 Clark took a position with David Carver of Chicago. He came to Grand Haven from Chicago in 1836 as an agent in Carver’s forwarding and commission business. In 1838 Carver left the area and Albee opened a general store at One North Harbor [Lot 10]. He lost a winter’s stock of stores for his general store because the schooner Pocahontas lost its propeller when it struck a sand bar at the mouth of the Grand River. Later he ran a boot and shoe store at approximately 122 Franklin [Lot 139], midway between First and Second Streets on the south side of Franklin. He also owned a warehouse built by John F. Stearns on the northwest corner of Washington and Water [Harbor]. The structure later called “the Stegeman” after its new owner, Albert Stegeman, who bought Albee’s commission business in August, 1863. Albee’s slogan was “sell for small profits and get quick returns.” Clark was elected County Commissioner in 1842. He donated land on the west side of Third Street between Fulton and Elliott
254] for construction of the original First Reformed Church from waste lumber. Clark took an active interest in civic affairs from the start, being elected Register of Deeds in 1838. He was originally a Whig, then a Republican. In 1846 he was awarded construction of the county jail, to be erected at the southeast corner of Washington and Fourth Streets at a cost of $100. In 1850 he was commissioner to the Grand Haven and Black River Plank Road Company which laid out a plank road between Grand Haven in Holland. About two years later Clark bought the Washington House [12 Washington] from Henry Middlemist. In 1854 he took over Sheldon’s tannery and started his own tannery on the corner of Harbor and Washington Streets. The tannery burned down in 1865 at a lost of $20,000. His ship, the schooner Vermont, was lost off Grand Haven on December 8, 1855. With the vessel went a supply of straw that Clark needed for 150 vats he was installing at the tannery. In a short time it failed because of financial problems.
During the Civil War Clark was Draft Commissioner, allowing him to help heads-of-family secure substitutes when they were drafted into the military. In 1863 he became moderator of the new Grand Haven Union High School and in 1867 he was school commissioner for the Second Ward. He owned the scow Crook and later, with Captain Noyes, built the schooner Vermont. The Vermont was destroyed in a wreck off little Pigeon Creek on December 9, 1855, while returning from Chicago with a load of oats and lumber camp supplies. The schooner was used to transport hides for the tannery, and a Captain Albee [not Clark] was in command of the vessel at the time it went down. All 18 crew members were rescued through the efforts of Richard Connell. [Shipping in the Port of Grand Haven, 1820-1840, pages 9-10.]
In 1840 Clark married Caroline, daughter of Nehemiah and Lucretia Hathaway. They had two sons, both born in Grand Haven: Harry C., born on July 9, 1841, and James Elkanah, born February 28, 1848. The Albees also had a daughter, Caroline Amanda, who was born in Grand Haven on April 7, 1846 and married James Oscar McClellan on October 31, 1868 in Grand Haven. Daughter Caroline died in Washington, D.C. after 1904. Evidently Albee’s wife Caroline died, and he next married Samantha Taylor. Their daughter, Mary Samantha [Minnie], born in Grand Haven in 1853, married James P. Brayton in 1871 and died in Florida in 1880. After the death of his second wife, Albee married Tryphena Ransom Farnham in Grand Rapids in 1858. She was born on June 1, 1828 and died at the home of her daughter, Louisa [Louise] Amelia, at 5629 Dearborn in Chicago on April 14, 1900. Louisa was the wife of Andrew Lytle Cummings, whom she married in Chicago on June 15, 1882. The Albees were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven, where Clark was one of the first Trustees. Clark died on January 30th, 1874 [January 29, 1873] and was buried at Lake Forest Cemetery. Albee Street in Grand Haven memorialized his name. [Tribune obituaries, September 1, 1897 and April 16, 1900; article in the Tribune, “The Family Album.”]
254] for construction of the original First Reformed Church from waste lumber. Clark took an active interest in civic affairs from the start, being elected Register of Deeds in 1838. He was originally a Whig, then a Republican. In 1846 he was awarded construction of the county jail, to be erected at the southeast corner of Washington and Fourth Streets at a cost of $100. In 1850 he was commissioner to the Grand Haven and Black River Plank Road Company which laid out a plank road between Grand Haven in Holland. About two years later Clark bought the Washington House [12 Washington] from Henry Middlemist. In 1854 he took over Sheldon’s tannery and started his own tannery on the corner of Harbor and Washington Streets. The tannery burned down in 1865 at a lost of $20,000. His ship, the schooner Vermont, was lost off Grand Haven on December 8, 1855. With the vessel went a supply of straw that Clark needed for 150 vats he was installing at the tannery. In a short time it failed because of financial problems.
During the Civil War Clark was Draft Commissioner, allowing him to help heads-of-family secure substitutes when they were drafted into the military. In 1863 he became moderator of the new Grand Haven Union High School and in 1867 he was school commissioner for the Second Ward. He owned the scow Crook and later, with Captain Noyes, built the schooner Vermont. The Vermont was destroyed in a wreck off little Pigeon Creek on December 9, 1855, while returning from Chicago with a load of oats and lumber camp supplies. The schooner was used to transport hides for the tannery, and a Captain Albee [not Clark] was in command of the vessel at the time it went down. All 18 crew members were rescued through the efforts of Richard Connell. [Shipping in the Port of Grand Haven, 1820-1840, pages 9-10.]
In 1840 Clark married Caroline, daughter of Nehemiah and Lucretia Hathaway. They had two sons, both born in Grand Haven: Harry C., born on July 9, 1841, and James Elkanah, born February 28, 1848. The Albees also had a daughter, Caroline Amanda, who was born in Grand Haven on April 7, 1846 and married James Oscar McClellan on October 31, 1868 in Grand Haven. Daughter Caroline died in Washington, D.C. after 1904. Evidently Albee’s wife Caroline died, and he next married Samantha Taylor. Their daughter, Mary Samantha [Minnie], born in Grand Haven in 1853, married James P. Brayton in 1871 and died in Florida in 1880. After the death of his second wife, Albee married Tryphena Ransom Farnham in Grand Rapids in 1858. She was born on June 1, 1828 and died at the home of her daughter, Louisa [Louise] Amelia, at 5629 Dearborn in Chicago on April 14, 1900. Louisa was the wife of Andrew Lytle Cummings, whom she married in Chicago on June 15, 1882. The Albees were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven, where Clark was one of the first Trustees. Clark died on January 30th, 1874 [January 29, 1873] and was buried at Lake Forest Cemetery. Albee Street in Grand Haven memorialized his name. [Tribune obituaries, September 1, 1897 and April 16, 1900; article in the Tribune, “The Family Album.”]
Born in Highgate, Vermont on July 10, 1811, Clark was the son of Elkanah A. and Susan Potter Albee. In 1835 Clark took a position with David Carver of Chicago. He came to Grand Haven from Chicago in 1836 as an agent in Carver’s forwarding and commission business. In 1838 Carver left the area and Albee opened a general store at One North Harbor [Lot 10]. He lost a winter’s stock of stores for his general store because the schooner Pocahontas lost its propeller when it struck a sand bar at the mouth of the Grand River. Later he ran a boot and shoe store at approximately 122 Franklin [Lot 139], midway between First and Second Streets on the south side of Franklin. He also owned a warehouse built by John F. Stearns on the northwest corner of Washington and Water [Harbor]. The structure later called “the Stegeman” after its new owner, Albert Stegeman, who bought Albee’s commission business in August, 1863. Albee’s slogan was “sell for small profits and get quick returns.” Clark was elected County Commissioner in 1842. He donated land on the west side of Third Street between Fulton and Elliott
254] for construction of the original First Reformed Church from waste lumber. Clark took an active interest in civic affairs from the start, being elected Register of Deeds in 1838. He was originally a Whig, then a Republican. In 1846 he was awarded construction of the county jail, to be erected at the southeast corner of Washington and Fourth Streets at a cost of $100. In 1850 he was commissioner to the Grand Haven and Black River Plank Road Company which laid out a plank road between Grand Haven in Holland. About two years later Clark bought the Washington House [12 Washington] from Henry Middlemist. In 1854 he took over Sheldon’s tannery and started his own tannery on the corner of Harbor and Washington Streets. The tannery burned down in 1865 at a lost of $20,000. His ship, the schooner Vermont, was lost off Grand Haven on December 8, 1855. With the vessel went a supply of straw that Clark needed for 150 vats he was installing at the tannery. In a short time it failed because of financial problems.
During the Civil War Clark was Draft Commissioner, allowing him to help heads-of-family secure substitutes when they were drafted into the military. In 1863 he became moderator of the new Grand Haven Union High School and in 1867 he was school commissioner for the Second Ward. He owned the scow Crook and later, with Captain Noyes, built the schooner Vermont. The Vermont was destroyed in a wreck off little Pigeon Creek on December 9, 1855, while returning from Chicago with a load of oats and lumber camp supplies. The schooner was used to transport hides for the tannery, and a Captain Albee [not Clark] was in command of the vessel at the time it went down. All 18 crew members were rescued through the efforts of Richard Connell. [Shipping in the Port of Grand Haven, 1820-1840, pages 9-10.]
In 1840 Clark married Caroline, daughter of Nehemiah and Lucretia Hathaway. They had two sons, both born in Grand Haven: Harry C., born on July 9, 1841, and James Elkanah, born February 28, 1848. The Albees also had a daughter, Caroline Amanda, who was born in Grand Haven on April 7, 1846 and married James Oscar McClellan on October 31, 1868 in Grand Haven. Daughter Caroline died in Washington, D.C. after 1904. Evidently Albee’s wife Caroline died, and he next married Samantha Taylor. Their daughter, Mary Samantha [Minnie], born in Grand Haven in 1853, married James P. Brayton in 1871 and died in Florida in 1880. After the death of his second wife, Albee married Tryphena Ransom Farnham in Grand Rapids in 1858. She was born on June 1, 1828 and died at the home of her daughter, Louisa [Louise] Amelia, at 5629 Dearborn in Chicago on April 14, 1900. Louisa was the wife of Andrew Lytle Cummings, whom she married in Chicago on June 15, 1882. The Albees were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven, where Clark was one of the first Trustees. Clark died on January 30th, 1874 [January 29, 1873] and was buried at Lake Forest Cemetery. Albee Street in Grand Haven memorialized his name. [Tribune obituaries, September 1, 1897 and April 16, 1900; article in the Tribune, “The Family Album.”]
254] for construction of the original First Reformed Church from waste lumber. Clark took an active interest in civic affairs from the start, being elected Register of Deeds in 1838. He was originally a Whig, then a Republican. In 1846 he was awarded construction of the county jail, to be erected at the southeast corner of Washington and Fourth Streets at a cost of $100. In 1850 he was commissioner to the Grand Haven and Black River Plank Road Company which laid out a plank road between Grand Haven in Holland. About two years later Clark bought the Washington House [12 Washington] from Henry Middlemist. In 1854 he took over Sheldon’s tannery and started his own tannery on the corner of Harbor and Washington Streets. The tannery burned down in 1865 at a lost of $20,000. His ship, the schooner Vermont, was lost off Grand Haven on December 8, 1855. With the vessel went a supply of straw that Clark needed for 150 vats he was installing at the tannery. In a short time it failed because of financial problems.
During the Civil War Clark was Draft Commissioner, allowing him to help heads-of-family secure substitutes when they were drafted into the military. In 1863 he became moderator of the new Grand Haven Union High School and in 1867 he was school commissioner for the Second Ward. He owned the scow Crook and later, with Captain Noyes, built the schooner Vermont. The Vermont was destroyed in a wreck off little Pigeon Creek on December 9, 1855, while returning from Chicago with a load of oats and lumber camp supplies. The schooner was used to transport hides for the tannery, and a Captain Albee [not Clark] was in command of the vessel at the time it went down. All 18 crew members were rescued through the efforts of Richard Connell. [Shipping in the Port of Grand Haven, 1820-1840, pages 9-10.]
In 1840 Clark married Caroline, daughter of Nehemiah and Lucretia Hathaway. They had two sons, both born in Grand Haven: Harry C., born on July 9, 1841, and James Elkanah, born February 28, 1848. The Albees also had a daughter, Caroline Amanda, who was born in Grand Haven on April 7, 1846 and married James Oscar McClellan on October 31, 1868 in Grand Haven. Daughter Caroline died in Washington, D.C. after 1904. Evidently Albee’s wife Caroline died, and he next married Samantha Taylor. Their daughter, Mary Samantha [Minnie], born in Grand Haven in 1853, married James P. Brayton in 1871 and died in Florida in 1880. After the death of his second wife, Albee married Tryphena Ransom Farnham in Grand Rapids in 1858. She was born on June 1, 1828 and died at the home of her daughter, Louisa [Louise] Amelia, at 5629 Dearborn in Chicago on April 14, 1900. Louisa was the wife of Andrew Lytle Cummings, whom she married in Chicago on June 15, 1882. The Albees were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven, where Clark was one of the first Trustees. Clark died on January 30th, 1874 [January 29, 1873] and was buried at Lake Forest Cemetery. Albee Street in Grand Haven memorialized his name. [Tribune obituaries, September 1, 1897 and April 16, 1900; article in the Tribune, “The Family Album.”]
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