John Clark (Clarksdale founder)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Clark (March 20, 1823 – July 23, 1892)[1] was a landowner, investor, farmer, founder and namesake of Clarksdale, Mississippi. He was the brother-in-law of Mississippi Governor James Lusk Alcorn.
Born in Lancashire, England, Clark moved to the United States in 1839 at the age of 16. He purchased 101 acres of land[2] bordering the Sunflower River favouring its fertility. It was on this land that the town of Clarksdale came to be. He married Eliza Jane Alcorn and together they had 8 children. He died on July 23, 1892[1] and is buried in the local cemetery.[3]
