(3 Sept. 1855-1 Aug. 1933), businessman. (William R. Clark. W. R. Clark, Hon. William R. Clark) (year of birth 1854 also found) He was born in GC and was the brother of George E. Clark. William R. Clark went to the United States when he was about 20 years old, and after spending 2 years in Virginia City, Nev., and working as a carpenter in Oakland, Calif., he arrived in Stockton, Calif., in 1878. In Stockton, he prospered as a builder and contractor. A tribute to him in 1894 stated, “Many of the finest blocks in the city [Stockton] were erected under his supervision.” After a period as a town councillor, he was elected mayor of Stockton in 1891, and re-elected in 1893. In 1894, he was elected a railroad commissioner. In his adopted home town of Stockton, he built the five-story Hotel Clark, also variously known as the Clark Hotel, W. H. Clark Building, the Clark Block, and the Clark. In 1911, when the building work was still in progress, the hotel was expected to have 60 rooms. In 1912, he was planning to add two annexes, to increase the total number of rooms to 160. For long a well known and elegant hotel, the Hotel Clark gradually fell upon evil days, and was in a derelict state when it was destroyed by arson in 1984. The burned out shell was demolished in 1984-1985. In 1912, Clark was a partner with Samuel Henery [sic] in the Clark and Henery Construction Co., of Stockton.

     William R. Clark died at his home in San Francisco. A Stockton obituary stated that “Although Clark resided in San Francisco, he was, until recently, a weekly visitor to Stockton, looking after his business interests here. Thirty years ago he was a member of the firm of Clark & Henery, one of the largest construction and road-building organizations in the West.”

     William R. Clark was married. (two children) The eminent W. C. Clark was his nephew.

The Stockton Record 1 Aug. 1933 (QF) * The Haggin Museum, Stockton: records, Stockton Rural Cemetery Block 18 #11 * Stockton Evening Mail 24 Dec. 1894, biog. sketch (portrait) * building of hotel, annexes: Stockton Daily Mail 8 July 1911, Stockton Daily Independent 11 Aug. 1912 * Cornwall Freeholder 27 April 1916 (on his hotel, is brother of SDG warden) * Stockton Record 14 Aug. 1984: hist. of hotel up to fire