Early I. N. Clark Businesses

These photos of early I. N. Clark businesses came from the Betty Sheridan archives.

We understand the Isaac Newton Clark and his brother Dr. Martin Van Buren Clark had the first business on Saunders Avenue. I thought that was the Clark House of the second photo. I'm now guessing the upper photo is the earlier business.

I. N. Clark had the first hardware store. Early accounts say that Dr. Clark had a pharmacy in the same building. I'd guessed it was in this building. We do know that the hardware business soon became a hotel. There are other photos that place this building on the west side of Saunders Ave., north of the tracks. 

The Clark brothers purchased the remaining 400 lots from Luther French's original 80-acre homestead after French had sold off several lots at the very beginning of the community. Clark's Addition to the original town plat is the west part of town straddling W. Cedar Street west of  Saunders Avenue.