Los Angeles County
Biographies
PERCY H. CLARK
CLARK, PERCY H., Real Estate and
Investments, Los Angeles, California,
is a Pennsylvanian by birth, having been born in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania,
September 20, 1860. His father was
Nathaniel Clark and his mother Marie (Hanford)
Clark. He married Hattie E. Youngs at
Big Rapids, Michigan,
November 18, 1885.
There is one daughter, Florence E. Clark.
Mr. Clark was educated in the public schools
of Grand Rapids, Michigan, between 1865 and 1875. He continued his education, studying at a
business college up to 1880.
The first venture of Mr. Clark in
the business world was in 1884, when he became an employee of the firm of James
G. McElwee & Co., lumber dealers of Big Rapids, Michigan.
He started in the capacity of book-keeper and was promoted on several
occasions, becoming manager of the firm in 1886. During his work for this corporation he made
a study of the lumber industry from the ground up and mastered the one hundred
complexities of the business. He
continued with that company for three years at Big Rapids, Michigan,
where in the latter part of 1886 he was advanced to Kansas City as manager for the same concern.
As manager of the Kansas City branch he
directed all of the corporation’s interests in that city and the Central West
district. He continued during 1887 and
1888 in his Kansas City position, but in 1889 he
entered the wholesale lumber trade there, handling the output of a number of
the large mills of Arkansas.
Disposing of his interests in Kansas City in 1890, he moved to Los Angeles, California,
and in 1892 became manager of the lumber yards of the Stimson Mill
Company. For the next six years he was
actively employed with this company in the office of manager.
In 1899 he resigned his Los Angeles position to enter the mining industry in Arizona, but returned to Los Angeles in 1901, where he became a real
estate operator and investor and known as one of the heaviest handlers of
property in that part of the State. Mr.
Clark has handled a great many tracts of farming lands and pastures in California, up to the
present writing amounting to over 100,000 acres of such property in the central
and southern parts of the State.
Mr. Clark planned and carried to
successful completion several townsites and distinctive residence districts,
notable in the latter line being the townsite of Beverly and the suburban
estates of Beverly Hills, one of the most magnificent residence localities in
all the Southwest. It is situated along
the foothills, between Los Angeles and the popular
beach resorts of Santa Monica, Ocean Park,
and Venice. On this property, in fulfillment of Mr.
Clark’s plans, over one hundred thousand dollars has been spent in beautifying
it alone, in addition to the vast sums spent on substantial improvements. Beverly
Hills will always remain a monument to Mr. Clark’s
work and genius.
Mr. Clark has taken a spirited
interest in the growth of Los Angeles and Southern California, and was a pioneer in the campaign
for good roads. He did much beneficial
work in this direction during the year 1910, and is still at it. During the first mentioned period he was
Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Committee on Boulevards, Parks and Roads,
and this body recommended numerous improvements in those three
departments. Mr. Clark is vice president
and director of the Automobile Club of Southern California,
and in this capacity also has done much to further the cause of good roads.
Mr. Clark is chairman of the
Chamber of Commerce Committee on Municipal and County Affairs. This body handles all matters looking to the
benefit of the city and county, politically and otherwise.
He is a member of the California
Club, Los Angeles County Club and the Gamut Club, in addition to the Automobile
Club of Southern California.
Transcribed by Bill Simpkins.
Source: Press Reference
Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page
797, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2011 Bill
Simpkins.
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