Newcomb Clark (September 23, 1840 – 1913) was the

Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives This is a complete list of the speakers of the Michigan House of Representatives. Elected by the members of the House, the Speaker is the presiding officer of that body. In addition to duties as chair, the adopted rules of the House of Representa ...

from 1885 to 1886.

Early life

Clark was born in

Sullivan County, New York Sullivan County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 78,624. The county seat is Monticello. The county's name honors Major General John Sullivan, who was labeled at the time as a hero in th ...

on September 23, 1840. Around 1841, Clark moved to

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

Oakland County, Michigan Oakland County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a principal county of the Detroit metropolitan area, containing the bulk of Detroit's northern suburbs. Its county seat, seat of government is Pontiac, Mic ...

Military career

Clark taught in

Port Gibson, Mississippi Port Gibson is a city and the county seat of Claiborne County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,567 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River. The first European settlers i ...

from 1857 to 1861. When the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...

began, he escaped to the Union and joined the 14th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. In 1865, Clark was a Lieutenant Colonel.

Political career

After the war, Clark held local offices. On January 3, 1883, Clark was sworn in as a member of the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2020 ...

. In 1885, Clark became the Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives. He died in Mississippi in 1913.

References

1840 births 1913 deaths Speakers of the Michigan House of Representatives Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Union army colonels People of Michigan in the American Civil War 19th-century members of the Michigan Legislature {{Michigan-MIRepresentative-stub