Abijah Lee CLARK
- Born: 2 Oct 1806, Elba, Genesee Co., NY 1 3 4
- Married: 7 Apr 1830, Oakfield, Genesee Co., NY 1 2
- Died: 26 Nov 1863, Bunker Hill Township, Ingham Co., MI 1 2 4
- Buried: Felt Plains Cemetery, Bunker Hill Twp., Ingham Co., MI
General Notes:
From Some of the Descendants of Samuel Clark of Batavia and Elba, New York:
"After the death of his father in the War of 1812, Abijah Lee Clark was early put to live with a family of Quakers, or Friends. When he was 14 he began to work by the month, and at 22 he had a sufficient sum saved to make a payment on an 880-acre farm. For six years he prospered, then he was obliged to sell his farm to meet obligations incurred for others, leaving him only a small amount from a comfortable property.
"In 1837 he moved from the north line of the Indian reservation in Genesee county, to Rollin Township, Lenawee County, where he lived until March, 1843, when he removed to Bunker Hill Township, Ingham County.
"When Mr. Clark arrived in Lenawee County, his worldly effects consisted of $1.50 in cash, a scanty supply of household goods, and two pigs. A log cabin was built, after which he cleared one acre and put it into wheat. He then sought work from other new-comers, but no one was able to hire help, so he returned to Eastern Michigan, where there lived a Quaker family whom he had known in the east. There he secured work and remained for a year, after which he returned to his farm in Lenawee County. He had made many improvements during the next eight years, but then sold his farm, taking 20 acres in Section 5, Bunker Hill Township, Ingham County, as part payment, and began again the struggle with the wilderness.
"At the beginning of the Civil War his two sons and his two sons-in-law entered the service. His daughters returned home for the period of the war. After a brief illness, Mr. Clark passed away on November 26, 1863." (Refs. History of Ingham Co., Mich.; Bahman Clark's Bible.) ----------- From page 231; History of Ingham and Eaton Counties, Michigan by Samuel W. Durant. Published 1880 by D.W. Ensign & Co., Philadelphia:
The history of the CLARK family dates back to the pioneer times of Genesee Co., N. Y., their location being known at the present time as the Clark settlement. Samuel Clark was among the early settlers in that region. Abijah Lee CLARK was born Oct. 22, 1808. His father enlisted in the war of 1812, and died. Abijah was early put to live with a family known as Friends or Quakers. At fourteen years of age he began work by the month, and at twenty-two had saved a sufficient sum to make payment upon a farm of eighty acres, which he purchased. April 7, 1830, he married Phebe A., daughter of George and Sally (Cleveland) DRIGGS. She was born May 29, 1810, in Madison Co., N. Y. The young wife was soon installed in the new home, and work went forward with a will for six years, when he was obliged to sell out to meet obligations incurred to accomodate others, saving but a small amount from a comfortable property.
Mr. CLARK came to Lenawee Co., Mich., and located one hundred and twenty acres, to which he removed in September, 1837. A rude log cabin was soon provided. Their worldly effects consisted of a scanty supply of household goods, two pigs, one dollar and fifty cents. Mr. CLARK cleared and put into wheat one acre, and sought work among the new-comers, but failed to find those able to hire. Winter coming on, he was obliged to return as far East as the river Raisin, where resided a Quaker family known to him in the East. Obtaining employment, they remained a year, then returned to their home in the wilderness. Success attended them in the eight years following. They made many improvements. Mr. CLARK then sold, taking as part pay twenty acres on section 5, - Bunker Hill, - to which he removed his family, and began again the labors of subduing the wilderness. With the means thus obtained, and their family grown to an age they could render some assistance, the work was less difficult than when they first came to the West.
At the breaking out of the war two sons-in-law entered the service, their wives returning home. Two sons had previously gone to do battle. Yet death came not upon the field, but at their home. Mr. CLARK, after a short illness, passed away, Nov. 26, 1863, sincerely lamented by his bereaved family and many friends.
Mr. CLARK was a man of whom it was often said that his word was as good as his written hand. Mr. and Mrs. CLARK were the parents of five children, - William H., born Feb. 26, 1833, proprietor CLARK HOUSE, Mason; Mrs. Sally MARSHALL, April 13, 1835, residing in Gratiot County; Holland, born March 22, 1837, died at two years of age; J. Lee, born Aug. 4, 1838, proprietor homestead; Mrs. Ada A. COOPER, born Jan. 19, 1843, residing at Grass Lake.
Mr. and Mrs. CLARK united with the Free-Will Baptist Church in 1835, and have always led a consistent Christian life. Mrs. CLARK, at the advanced age of seventy, in comparative good health, resides at the old homestead, surrounded by a large circle of old appreciative friends, in the peaceful contemplation of a long life well spent. ---------
Abijah Lee Clark resided in Bunker Hill township of Ingham County where he died on November 26, 1863 having settled there from first Genesee County, NY and then Lenawee Co., Michigan. Mary Lee Clark was from Connecticut and is buried in Pine Hill Cemetery next to her husband, Samuel Clark and her son, William Henry Lee Clark who was killed in the War of 1812.
Abijah L. Clark was the first to concieve the propriety of the new mail route and was first to carry mail over it to residents of Bunkerhill township in Ingham County from the Felt Post Office. --------- From History of Bunker Hill township page 227
Abijah Lee Clark from the north line of the Indian reservation in Genesee Co., N.Y. removed to Michigan in 1835 with his wife and three children and settled in the "Bean Creek Country" in the township of Rollin, Lenewee Co., where they lived until March 1843. In that month they removed in Ingham County, and settled in the township of Bunker Hill, where Mr. Clark's widow now resides on the farm first settled. It had been procured of John Evans in trade, and was first occupied and improved by Ebenezer Whittemore, who lived upon it several years. Evans had never occupied it and the improvements which had been made when Clark came were of little account. Neighbors were already quite plentiful , the nearest being Mr. Whittemore who lived on an adjoining farm. Mr. Clark and his family suffered their greatest hardships while living in Lenewee county in the township of Rollin where very few families lived when they arrived there. Mr. Clark's son, John Lee Clark, now living in Bunker Hill, was the second white child born in the township of Rollin, his birth occurring August 4, 1837. Abijah Lee Clark was named Justice of the Peace in Bunker Hill in 1845. ----------- There is a copy of the deed which gave Abijah L. Clark the property in Bunker Hill, Ingham Township, Michigan. He purchased the land on December 31, 1844 at 4:00 p.m. from Ebenezer Whittemore. The original was in the Mason, Michigan court house and quite illegible. His son, John Lee Clark lived there until his death in the late 1890's.
Events:
1. Residence; 1837-March, 1843; Rollin, Lenawee Co., MI.
2. Residence; Mar 1843-26 Nov 1863; Bunker Hill Township, Ingham Co., MI.
Marriage Information:
Abijah married Phoebe Ann DRIGGS, daughter of George DRIGGS and Sarah CLEVELAND, on 7 Apr 1830 in Oakfield, Genesee Co., NY 1 2. (Phoebe Ann DRIGGS was born on 4 May 1812 in Athens, Greene Co., NY 5, died on 2 Aug 1892 in Bunker Hill Township, Ingham Co., MI 2 and was buried in Felt Plains Cemetery, Bunker Hill Twp., Ingham Co., MI.)
Marriage Notes:
They lived in Michigan.
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