Oroville Mercury circa 1920’s to 1930
Clark, Grandson Of Indian Chief Heads
War Vets
Through the selection of
John A. Clark as its commander, the local Spanish-American
War Veterans, bear the distinction of having as their leader a man
who is the direct descendant of an Indian chief. Clark’s mother, Kit-Yohema, Little Flower, was the daughter
of Chief Buchi, who ruled the Concow tribe at the time of
the gold rush. At than time, it is estimated, the tribe numbered
7,000 and the tribal name still clings to that area of
Butte
County where Clark
resides.
Born At Frenchtown
Clark was born
at Frenchtown, a canvas mining town of the Concow district January
21, 1868. Only the old cellars and a few piled up rocks remain
of the town that at the time of Clark’s
birth had a population of about five hundred people.
Clark’s father, who came with the
gold seekers, engaged there in the butcher and cattle business under
the firm name of Clark and Cannon. Cannon was one of the early
members of the California assembly.
Mined Most of Life
Reared in a mining atmosphere Clark has mined most of his life though his third grade graduation
certificate entitled him to teach two months of teaching in the
government Indian school at Covelo, Mendocino county, ended when
news of a gold strike in Humboldt county reached him. He went
to the strike at New River
and from there into Trinity county where, in 1887 he found evidence
of a mine that in 1910 was re-discovered and proved very rich.
Enlisted in War
In 1895 Clark
found the Clark Placer Mine, near Concow, which he worked for twelve
years, gaining $38,000 from his find. It was while his workers
in this mine were producing half an ounce of gold daily to the man
that the call for volunteers was issued in the Spanish-American
war. Clark walked eight miles from his mine to Yankee Hill,
hired a buggy and was brought to Oroville where he took a train
for San Francisco,
the nearest point of enlistment. He served during the war
in Company G, 8th Infantry. In 1910 he took up
the study of law but after two years again resumed mining as the
work he liked best. The Surcease Mine at
Big Bend
was one of his finds.
Saw Service Again
In 1916 Clark
again saw military service when I Company, of Oroville, was called
for Mexican border patrol duty. “Too many gray hairs,” as Clark
puts it, kept him from the Butte county exemption board,
and a worker with the Red Cross.
Clark has constantly worked for the advancement of the Concow
district where his grand-father was chief. For thirty-five
years he has been a member of the board of school trustees, serving
much of that time as clerk of the board and working for advancement
of the school. He was also the first president of the Yankee
Hill Improvement Club formed for advancement of the interests of
that district.
Now Raising Walnuts
He is a member of the Improved Order of Redmen,
Winoka Tribe No. 152,
Chico. He is a charter member of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 1747, of Oroville. After mining
nearly half a century he has decided to devote time to walnut culture.
He has 30 acres of walnut trees on his 100-acre ranch at Yankee
Hill.
Oroville Mercury Register
December 9,
1944
Doris Hefner Raised To Yeoman in Navy
Wave Doris M. Hefner of Oroville has been advanced
from Seaman 2/c to Yeoman 3/c. The petty officer rating was
given Yeoman Hefner after she had completed all progress tests,
examinations and other qualifications preparatory to the rating.
Her recommendation for advancement filed by the rating board read
in part; “From the time the above was assigned to the Training
Division, she has displayed the utmost initiative and vigor in performance
of all assigned duty. In keeping with these attributes she
is highly recommended for advancement to the rate of Yeoman 2/c.”
Yeoman Hefner is the niece of Mr. and Mrs. Phil Hefner of Pomona Avenue.
BUY A WAR BOND
Stu’s Notes: I want to thank Joann Bond again for all of the information
she gave me about John Clark. We can only hope to accomplish
in life what he did. Serving his country, in time of need,
at the “drop of a hat.” Mining Gold, which was so vital to
help make America a great country
and being instrumental in forming various groups. There was
not any date or logo on the above news clipping of John Clark.
But it had the look and style of a Mercury or Register, some time
in the 20’s. John Clark’s, father, Alfred Burr Clark, had
English and Scotch-Irish parents. Read more about this family
in my History column.