Biography - Clark E. Carr
Colonel CLARK E. CARR was born at Boston Corners, Erie County, NY, May 20,
1836. He was the son of Clark M. and Delia (Torrey) Carr. His parents were
intelligent and painstaking people, and gave their children all the advantages
possible in those days. His mother died when he was three years old, and is
buried at Boston Corners. When he was nine years old, his father married Fanny
Le Yau, who became a devoted and affectionate mother to the children. The family
came West around the Lakes, in March, 1850, landing in Chicago. Here teams were
purchased, and they made their journey in "prairie schooners" to Henry County,
Ill., locating on a farm near Cambridge. In the Autumn of 1851, the family
removed to Galesburg, where the father and his second wife lived and died.
Colonel Carr's paternal ancestry reaches back to Caleb Carr, who died while
Colonial Governor of Rhode Island, and to Rev. John Clark, who was driven out of
the Massachusetts colony for preaching the Baptist doctrine. Like Roger
Williams, John Clark went to Rhode Island, then a wilderness, and afterwards
became its Governor. The Colonel's great-grandmother was a Miss Clark, descended
from Governor John Clark, and Clark has been the Christian name of his
grandfather, of his father, of himself and of his son.
Colonel Carr's early educational advantages were of the better sort, and he
judiciously and wisely improved his opportunities. He attended the district
school in the village of his nativity, until he was eleven years of age. He then
went to Springville Academy, Erie County, NY, where he remained for two years.
At fourteen he arrived in Galesburg. Immediately he entered Knox Academy and
afterwards the Collegiate Department of Knox College, leaving at the end of the
Sophomore year to commence the study of law. He first entered the Law School of
Poughkeepsie, NY, and subsequently, the Albany Law School, graduating in 1857.
His first co-partnership in the practice of his profession was with Thomas
Harrison, and three years later, with Hon. O. F. Price, under the firm name of
Carr and Price. In March, 1861, as a just acknowledgment of his services on the
stump, he was appointed by President Lincoln, Postmaster of Galesburg, which
position he held for twenty-four years.
Early in the War of the Rebellion, Governor Yates appointed him Colonel on his
staff, and to its close, Colonel Carr performed his duties faithfully, such as
assisting in the organization of regiments at Springfield, visiting the army in
the field, and bringing home the sick and wounded. Governor Yates said that no
man outside of the army did more efficient service. He was constantly active,
also, in the interest of the government, in awakening by his speeches throughout
Illinois, a patriotic and living public sentiment; often speaking with Governor
Yates and others in support of the State and National administration. In 1862,
when an attempt was made to turn out all the republican State officers of
Illinois, Colonel Carr and other patriotic men came as champions of their cause
before the people, and succeeded in the keeping the State Government in the
control of Governor Yates and his colleagues. In September, 1863, a great mass
meeting was held in Chicago for the purpose of sustaining President Lincoln in
issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. It was here, from the Court House steps,
that Colonel Carr made one of the greatest speeches of his life. It was
published in the Chicago papers and circulated throughout the country.
Colonel Carr has always shown himself to be a public spirited man.
He has held several offices in the city of his adoption. He was a delegate to
the National Convention, held at Baltimore in 1864, which renominated President
Lincoln. He was a delegate from the State-at-large to the National Convention in
1884, which nominated Blaine and Logan. He was a member of the committee on the
platform resolutions, of which committee President McKinley was chairman.
It is almost needless to say that Colonel Carr is and always was a republican.
He has spoken in almost every northern State in advocacy of republican
principles. He also made many literary addresses, and his services in both the
political and literary field are still in great demand. He spoke at the first
meeting in favor of the Hennepin Canal, held at Ottawa many years ago, and was
present at the Willard Hall meeting in Washington and at other meetings favoring
the enterprise. A great event in which Colonel Carr bore a conspicuous part was
in the organization of the Gettysburg Association. Commissioners from several
States whose soldiers had participated in that battle constituted the
Association. Colonel Carr was appointed commissioner for Illinois by the
Governor. The dead bodies were to be consigned to their graves, and headstones
erected, before the cemetery was finally turned over to the general Government.
It was this Association that invited President Lincoln and his Cabinet to be
present, and Edward Everett to deliver the oration at the dedicatory exercises,
and it was Colonel Carr that suggested and urged that Lincoln also be invited to
speak. All these commissioners sat on the stage, when the great patriotic
President delivered that celebrated address.
Colonel Carr has been honored by being called to high positions, and he has
honored the positions to which he has been called.
Under President Harrison's administration, he was appointed Minister Resident
and Counsel General to Denmark. While a conference of Consuls General, of which
he was a member, was in session in Paris, he received notice from Washington of
his promotion to the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary,
in which position he represented our country at that brilliant court for four
years. As minister, Colonel Carr performed signal service in the interest of the
World's Fair and for the commerce of the United States. He served his country
faithfully for four years as Minister at Copenhagen, and received the highest
commendations from the Government.
Colonel Carr is entitled to great credit for the part he took in inducing the
Santa Fe Company to build the line of their railroad through Galesburg. The
company made several surveys with the design of finding the shortest practical
line to Chicago. Orders were issued to adopt the line about twelve miles south
of Galesburg. Through the efforts of Colonel Carr, the company was induced to
prospect a line through this city, which was finally adopted upon certain
conditions. While the citizens contributed generously to the work of complying
with those conditions, but for the efforts of Colonel Carr, the Santa Fe Railway
would have gone direct from Fort Madison to Streator, leaving Galesburg to one
side.
Colonel Carr also took a deep interest in the Omaha Exposition. He was President
of the Illinois commission, composed of twenty members appointed from different
parts of the State. The commission erected a beautiful building on the grounds,
which became a popular resort. The affairs of this commission were so well
managed as to elicit the highest commendations. An unexpended portion of the
appropriation of nearly $7,000 was left in the State Treasury. For this, much
credit is due to the president of the commission.
For his faithful, energetic, and effective work in support of the movement to
introduce Indian corn into northern Europe as food for man, Colonel Carr was
elected President of the American Maize Propaganda, which position he now holds.
Of the family of Colonel Carr, something should be said. An elder brother,
Brigadier General Eugene A. Carr, graduated at West Point in 1850. He was Major
General of Volunteers during the Civil War, took part in many battles, including
Vicksburg, Pea Ridge, and Mobile, and was wounded several times. Colonel B. O.
Carr, another brother, served in the volunteer army during the war; another
brother, Rev. H. M. Carr, was chaplain; and another brother, George P. Carr,
deceased, rose to the rank of Captain. A sister, Mrs. John C. Fahnstock, is a
resident of this city.
Colonel Carr was married December 31, 1873, to Grace Mills [the Illinois
Statewide Marriage Index lists a Clark E. Carr marrying a Sarah Grace Mills in
Carroll County on December 31, 1873], only daughter of the Honorable Henry A.
Mills, of Mt. Carroll, Ill. Mrs. Carr is a sister of Major Stephen C. Mills, of
the regular army. To Colonel and Mrs. Carr were born two children, Julia C.,
born April 2, 1876; and Lieutenant Clark Mills, born March 16, 1878, who served
with credit during the late war with Spain, in the Ninth Illinois Regiment of
Infantry.
From the 1899 Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Knox County, Munsell
Publishing Company.
