Charles Benjamin Clark (August 24, 1844 – September 10, 1891) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

and one of the founders of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation in

Neenah Neenah () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, in the north central United States. It is situated on the banks of Lake Winnebago, Little Lake Butte des Morts, and the Fox River, approximately forty miles (60 km) southwest of Green ...

with

John A. Kimberly John Alfred Kimberly (July 18, 1838 – January 21, 1928) was an American manufacturing executive, a founder of Kimberly-Clark Corporation of Neenah, Wisconsin. Born in Troy, New York, he moved with his family to Wisconsin at age nine and settled ...

, Franklyn C. Shattuck, and

Havilah Babcock Havilah Babcock (September 8, 1837 – April 21, 1905) was an American manufacturing executive and a joint founder of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Early life Born in Franklin, Vermont, Babcock moved with his family to Waukesha, Wisconsin ...

. Born in

Theresa, New York Theresa is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 2,905 at the 2010 census, up from 2,414 in 2000. The town is named after Theresa La Ray, the daughter of an original landowner. The town of Theresa contains a v ...

, Clark attended the common schools. He moved to Wisconsin in 1855 with his widowed mother, who settled in

Neenah, Wisconsin Neenah () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, in the north central United States. It is situated on the banks of Lake Winnebago, Little Lake Butte des Morts, and the Fox River, approximately forty miles (60 km) southwest of Green ...

The

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

began in 1861 when he was sixteen, and he enlisted in Company I, Twenty-first Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, when it was formed and served with the same unit, rising from private to first sergeant to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

. Clark engaged in mercantile pursuits, banking, and the manufacture of paper, notably Clark was a founder of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation in 1872. He served as mayor of Neenah (1880–83), was a member of its city council from 1883 to 1885, and became a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

in 1885. Clark was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses (March 1887 – March 1891). An unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1890, he died of

Brights Disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanied by ...

the following September at age 47 at

Watertown, New York Watertown is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, New York, United States. It is approximately south of the Thousand Islands, along the Black River about east of where it flows into Lake Ontario. The city is bordered by th ...

, while on a visit to his old home. Clark was interred in Wisconsin at Oak Hill Cemetery in Neenah. ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah, opened in 1909 as Theda Clark Memorial Hospital, was named for his eldest child. Theda Clark Peters (1871–1903) died after childbirth at home at age 32 and the Clark family established the hospital.

References

https://wpteducation.org/biographies/books/Clark_Level2_fullpage1.pdf

External links

*
''Family letters: A personal selection from Theda Clark's life''Kimberly-Clark
– Timeline
Paper Industry International Hall of Fame
– Charles Clark * ---- {{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, Charles Benjamin 1844 births 1891 deaths People from Theresa, New York Politicians from Neenah, Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Mayors of places in Wisconsin Wisconsin city council members Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Union Army officers Kimberly-Clark Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin 19th-century American politicians