Benjamin S. W. Clark

Benjamin S. W. Clark
New York State Prison Inspector
In office
March 2, 1876 – December 31, 1876
Appointed bySamuel J. Tilden
Preceded byMoss K. Platt
Succeeded byRobert H. Anderson
Warden of Sing Sing
In office
1877–1878
Preceded byCharles Davis
Succeeded byCharles Davis
1st New York State Superintendent of Public Works
In office
January 30, 1878 – January 15, 1880
Appointed byLucius Robinson
Succeeded bySilas Belden Dutcher
Personal details
Born(1829-05-27)May 27, 1829
Franklin County, New York, U.S.
DiedOctober 19, 1912(1912-10-19) (aged 83)
Malone, New York, U.S.
Spouse
Adaline W. Meigs
​
​
(m. 1851⁠–⁠1912)​
Parent(s)Samuel Smith Clark (1801–1870)
Jane Ann Wead (1806–1872)

Benjamin S. W. Clark (May 27, 1829 – October 19, 1912) was an American merchant and politician from New York. He was the first New York State Superintendent of Public Works.

Biography

He was born in Franklin County, New York, to Samuel Smith Clark (1801–1870) and Jane Ann (Wead) Clark (1806–1872) on May 27, 1829. Samuel Smith Clark was Franklin County Clerk from 1832 to 1834. Samuel's father was Benjamin Clark who was First Judge of the Franklin County Court from 1825 to 1829. In 1851, Benjamin S. W. Clark married Adaline W. Meigs.

He was Cashier of the Farmers National Bank of Malone. He was Franklin County Treasurer from 1858 to 1860, and later Clerk for the Board of Supervisors of Franklin County.

In March 1876, he was appointed by Governor Samuel J. Tilden an Inspector of State Prisons to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Moss K. Platt. He was appointed Warden of Sing Sing in 1877.[1]

He was the first New York State Superintendent of Public Works under the State constitutional amendment of 1876, appointed after a year-long struggle between Governor Lucius Robinson and a hostile New York State Senate which had rejected the appointment of Robinson's first three nominees, George B. McClellan, Charles S. Fairchild and Daniel Magone.[2][3]

Around 1900 he was a New York State Bank Examiner.[4]

He died on October 19, 1912, in Malone, New York, and was buried at the Morningside Cemetery in Malone.

References

  1. ^ "Warden of Sing Sing". The New York Times. February 9, 1878. Retrieved 2011-04-18. ... in the place of Benjamin S. W. Clark, appointed Superintendent of Public Works ... to Superintendent Pilsbury as the proper person to succeed Mr. Clark. ...
  2. ^ "State Legislative Work. "Dan" Magone Rejected. His Nomination To Be Superintendent Of Public Works Voted Down. Benjamin S.W. Clark Nominated For The Place Immediately After Magone's Rejection". The New York Times. January 24, 1878. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
  3. ^ "Clark's Nomination Confirmed". The New York Times. January 31, 1878. Retrieved 2011-05-03. The nomination of Benjamin S.W. Clark, as Superintendent of Public Works, was confirmed in Executive Session of the Senate today by a unanimous vote. ...
  4. ^ "Run on a North Tonawanda Bank". The New York Times. January 16, 1900. Retrieved 2011-04-18. Bank Examiner Clark visited the State Bank last week and found ...
Political offices
Preceded by Superintendent of Public Works
1878–1880 		Succeeded by