William A. Clark

William Andrews Clark Sr.
William Andrews Clark Sr.
Born	Error: Invalid birth date for calculating age; Connellsville, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	2 March 1925 (aged 86); New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Businessman, politician
Known for	Mining, railroads, banking, U.S. Senator from Montana (1901–1907)

William Andrews Clark Sr. (January 8, 1839 – March 2, 1925) was a prominent American businessman whose ventures spanned mining, finance, commerce, agriculture, railroads, and who also held office as a U.S. Senator.

Biography

Clark was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania in 1839 and relocated to Iowa in 1856. There, he worked as a teacher while pursuing legal studies at Iowa Wesleyan College. In 1862, he ventured westward seeking opportunities in mining. After gaining experience in Colorado’s quartz mines, he joined the Montana gold rush in 1863.

He established himself in Bannack, the capital of Montana Territory at the time, where he engaged in placer mining. Although his mining claims produced modest profits, Clark diversified by transporting goods between Salt Lake City and burgeoning Montana settlements. Additionally, he secured mail delivery contracts, operating postal routes from Walla Walla to Missoula alongside his brothers for three years.

Clark later transitioned into banking based in Deer Lodge, Montana, where many properties were foreclosed during mining downturns, allowing him to increase his holdings. His fortune expanded through ventures in copper mining, smelting operations, electric utilities, newspapers, and railroads—including trolley systems around Butte and the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad connecting Salt Lake City with Los Angeles. Alongside Marcus Daly and F. Augustus Heinze, he became known as one of Butte’s influential "Copper Kings."

The November 1903 Congressional Directory records Clark’s service as a major involved in the pursuit of Chief Joseph during the 1877 Nez Perce War.

Clark passed away on March 2, 1925, and was interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City.

Political career

Clark presided over Montana's constitutional conventions in both 1884 and 1889.

Utilizing his ownership of the Butte Miner newspaper, Clark promoted his political goals. He gained favor in Helena by advocating for its designation as the state capital over Anaconda—a rivalry influenced by ethnic and social factors.

His bid for a U.S. Senate seat became embroiled in controversy in 1899 when it emerged that he had bribed members of the Montana legislature to secure votes. Prior to direct elections, senators were selected by state legislatures. This scandal contributed to momentum for the Seventeenth Amendment. Although initially denied a Senate position due to these revelations, Clark was subsequently elected and served from 1901 to 1907. When confronted about bribery allegations, he reportedly remarked, "I never bought a man who wasn't for sale."

Clark died at age 86 in his New York residence, leaving behind an estate estimated at $300 million—equivalent to several billion dollars today—placing him among the wealthiest Americans of his era.

In 1907, Mark Twain—an associate of Clark’s competitor Henry H. Rogers from the Amalgamated Copper Mining Company—criticized Clark as a symbol of Gilded Age corruption:

During his Senate tenure, Clark focused on legislative matters linked to his commercial interests such as land management and irrigation policies.

Family

Clark was married twice. His first wife was Katherine Louise "Kate" Stauffer; their marriage lasted from 1869 until her death in 1893. They had seven children together, including distinguished heirs Charles Walker Clark and William Andrews Clark Jr..

Following Kate’s passing, Clark married Anna Eugenia La Chapelle—his teenage ward—in what is reported to have been a French ceremony in 1901 when he was 62 and she was 23. They had two daughters: Louise Amelia Andrée Clark (1902–1919) and Huguette Marcelle Clark (1906–2011), who became a prominent heiress.

In 1946, Anna commissioned the formation of the Paganini Quartet, acquiring four famed Stradivarius instruments formerly owned by Niccolo Paganini, thereby enriching the family’s cultural heritage.

Mary Joaquina Clark de Brabant

The eldest child of Clark, Mary Joaquina, was born in Helena, Montana, in 1870. Over the years, she married Dr. Everett Mallory Culver (1891), Charles Potter Kling (1905), and later Marius de Brabant (1925). Her sole surviving offspring was Katherine Calder Culver. Mary possessed numerous properties, including the 'Plaisance' estate situated near the Vanderbilts in Centerport, Long Island, a townhouse in New York City, along with various other holdings across the country. Recognized as a distinguished social figure, she frequently hosted prestigious gatherings. Her philanthropic efforts were notable, contributing generously to several churches such as St. Thomas in New York City, St. John's Episcopal in Butte, and St. Thomas Episcopal in Clarkdale, Arizona. Additionally, she supported Carnegie Hall, Emerald-Hodgson Hospital in Tennessee, the New York Diet Kitchen Association, the ASPCA, Berry College in Georgia, and the Women's Committee for the Repeal of Prohibition. Mary passed away in 1939 and is interred at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in New York.

Charles W. Clark (businessman)

Charles W. "Charlie" Clark, Clark’s eldest son, entered the world in Deer Lodge, Montana, in 1871. He was married three times: to Katherine Quinn Roberts (1896), Celia Tobin (1904)—who inherited Tobin banking enterprises—and Elizabeth Wymond Judge (1925). He fathered four children with Celia Tobin. Charlie occupied significant positions within his father’s commercial ventures and political engagements but faced challenges due to his excessive drinking and gambling habits. A passionate collector of books, he gathered an impressive array of rare editions over many years. His real estate portfolio included a mansion in Butte as well as estates located in San Mateo and Pebble Beach, California, alongside numerous properties throughout the United States.

Katherine Louise Clark Morris

Born in Helena in 1875 as Clark’s second daughter, Katherine Louise married Dr. Lewis Rutherfurd Morris in 1900. They had one daughter named Katherine Elizabeth Morris (who married into the Hall family). Their assets comprised a spacious apartment in New York City, the expansive Morris Manor Farm estate upstate New York, a plantation in South Carolina, and additional properties nationwide. Following her husband’s death in 1936, Katherine embraced a reclusive lifestyle similar to that of her step-sister Huguette. She lived until age 99, passing away in 1974 and was laid to rest at the Morris family cemetery located at All Saints Chapel Church in Morris, New York.

William Andrews Clark Jr.

William Andrews Clark Jr., son of Clark, established the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra in 1919. He donated his collection of rare books and manuscripts to the University of California, Los Angeles. The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library now focuses on English literature and history from 1641 to 1800 and holds specialized materials related to Oscar Wilde as well as fine printing.

Huguette Clark

Huguette Clark—pronounced —was born in Paris in June 1906 to Clark and Anna Eugenia La Chapelle. She was married once but divorced within a year and subsequently lived a highly private life with minimal contact with family or public figures. For many years she resided across three adjoining apartments on Fifth Avenue valued at approximately $100 million with views overlooking Central Park. In 1991 she vacated these residences and spent her final years hospitalized in New York City.

In 2010 it emerged that caretakers of her three homes—including a $24 million estate in Connecticut and a coastal property near Santa Barbara—had not seen her for decades. These revelations inspired the 2013 bestselling book Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr.

Huguette passed away at Beth Israel Medical Center on May 24, 2011, at age 104. Her vast collection of art and antiques was sold at Christie's auction house in June 2014.

J. Ross Clark

As the youngest sibling in the Clark family, James Ross Clark was instrumental in managing the family's ventures across California, Las Vegas, Butte, and Arizona. He wed Miriam Augusta Evans, who was connected by marriage to Marcus Daly, a competitor of Clark's. J. Ross possessed grand residences in both Butte and Los Angeles, held the position of President of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and occupied several public service roles.

Joseph Kithcart Clark

Joseph Kithcart Clark, born in 1842, oversaw the family's retail outlets, mail services, and mining operations. He took part in Montana's inaugural legislative assembly and maintained a mansion in Portland.

Walter Clark

Walter Miller Clark, son of J. Ross and Miriam Clark, tragically perished during his honeymoon aboard the RMS Titanic in 1912; his spouse Virginia survived the disaster. Items that belonged to Walter were later retrieved during a 1994 expedition to the shipwreck.

Legacy

Clark twice served as President of Montana's Constitutional Convention, playing a pivotal role in transitioning the territory into statehood. His vast collection of artwork was donated to the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C., which facilitated the construction of the Clark Wing. Additionally, he gifted Columbia Gardens to Butte and founded the Paul Clark orphanage there. In Los Angeles, he established the Mary Andrews Clark home dedicated to supporting working women.

In memory of his daughter Louise Amelia Andrée, who passed away at a young age, Clark donated 135 acres to the Girl Scouts; this property became Camp Andree Clark located in Briarcliff Manor.

Clark County, Nevada

The city of Las Vegas originated as a service stop for maintenance on Clark’s San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. He divided the land into 1200 parcels, with some lots on Fremont Street commanding prices up to $1750. The area was officially designated as Clark County, Nevada, named to honor Clark. His involvement in founding Las Vegas is depicted unfavorably by Chris Romano in the "Las Vegas" episode of Comedy Central's Drunk History, where Rich Fulcher portrays him.

Clarkdale, Arizona

The town of Clarkdale, Arizona, bearing Clark’s name, served as a center for smelting operations linked to his mines near Jerome, Arizona. Notable landmarks include the historic Clark Mansion and the Verde Canyon Railroad that follows a route originally constructed by Clark in 1911. The Copper Art Museum is also located there. Nearby Jerome hosts numerous structures built by enterprises associated with Clark.

Clark’s son contributed the William Andrews Clark Library complex to UCLA as a tribute to his father.

Mansions

Between 1884 and 1888, Clark erected a 34-room mansion on West Granite Street in Butte, Montana, adorned with Tiffany decorations; today it operates as the Copper King Mansion bed-and-breakfast and museum. In 1899, he expanded Columbia Gardens (amusement park) in Butte by adding gardens, a pavilion, zoo facilities, a lake, and picnic areas.

That same year marked his acquisition of Stewart's Castle in Washington D.C., intending to replace it with an even grander residence. After demolishing Stewart's Castle, he never completed his new mansion and eventually sold the property in 1921.

In 1905, Clark commissioned a bespoke private railcar known as "the Palace on Wheels," featuring steel construction, frescoed ceilings, formal dining accommodations for twelve guests, separate sleeping quarters, electrical lighting, and an observation car emblazoned with his initials.

Seeking to rival elite families like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts, Clark constructed an opulent 121-room mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York City—the William A. Clark House. Finished in 1911 after securing a Maine stone quarry and a New York bronze foundry for materials supply, this residence boasted a 163-foot tower; multiple ballrooms and galleries filled with European art; extensive libraries; Turkish baths; wine cellars; an interior driveway with garage access; 26 guest suites; 31 marble bathrooms; a marble rotunda decorated with mosaics; conservatories with large glass panels supported by bronze frameworks; a theater stage equipped with hydraulic lifts; an elevator accommodating twenty people; and several quarantine rooms. Imported elements included a sixteenth-century Normandy fireplace and stained glass from a French cathedral. The collection of art was so substantial it necessitated a dedicated museum wing following its donation to the Corcoran Museum. Daily operations required seven tons of coal delivered by his private rail line.

In 1923, Clark purchased the William Miller Graham estate in Santa Barbara overlooking the ocean. The original mansion was torn down; subsequently his widow Anna constructed a new residence there during the early 1930s—currently housing the Bellosguardo Foundation.

The Montana Hotel in Jerome was developed by Clark's United Verde Copper Company as accommodation for himself and family members. Numerous mansions and buildings tied to Clark exist across various states—including Arizona (such as Bellosguardo Foundation, Mary Andrews Clark Memorial Home), California, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York (William A. Clark House), Oregon—and South Carolina—as well as Paris, France.

Sources

NBCNews.com: Special report on Huguette Clark, the reclusive heiress, and those overseeing her finances

External links

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