This week I am going to talk about Clark Dougherty my great grand uncle on my maternal line.

Clark was the second son born to William L. Dougherty and Jane E. (nee) Westfall in 1844 in Lackawaxen, Pike County, Pennsylvania. In the 1850 census Clark is listed as 4 years old. In the 1860 census Clark is listed as 16 years old.

That was the extent of what I knew about Clark other then the mentions of him in the family letters (circa Civil War era). I had spent quite some time looking for Clark in other census, since Clark was not as popular a forename as John or William I thought he would be easier to find, wrong.

In the 1990’s I had started a family history free website on Rootsweb prior to Ancestry.com taking them over. Through that web site a woman researching a Clark Dougherty contacted me. What a thrill! She turned out to be Clark Dougherty’s 2x great grand daughter. She had lots of information that she so generously shared. It seems that Clark, a Pennsylvania native and brother of a wounded Union Soldier, joined the Confederate Army (date unknown). What a surprise for me, but it was the story of that war we hear over and over again of brother against brother. For me this made it more real and not just a phrase often used to describe the war between the states. There are lots of questions I would have for both my Union solider and my Confederate soldier. Ah, to just have the opportunity to sit and visit with them about their personal experiences and the reasons for their choices. But me I’m a 100 years to late.

 

My cousin had not, at that time, found any information on his war time records but had several photos she shared plus lots of family information. Her records show Clark born on March 5, 1844.

After the war we know (thanks to cousin Kim) that Clark went back to Pennsylvania.  We have not been able to find him in the 1870 census but Kim was able to find him in the 1880 Census. Here he is listed as C.E. Dougherty (34 years old) a Candy and Baker Manuf. in Wilkes Barre, Luyene Co., Penn., born in Penn., father born in Ireland and mother born in Penn., living at 114 South Main Street. Clark is shown married to Sarra (Sarah) (26 years old) a Prop. Candy & Baker Manuf. who was born in Penn. as were both of her parents. Also listed in the household is;  S.W. Dougherty (26 years old) brother to Clark and working as a clerk, born in Penn., father born in Ireland and mother born in Penn. (could this be Solomon?) , R.L. Seaman (24) brother-in-law also a clerk, born in Penn. the same as are both parents., one servant Mary Black (22) born in Penn whose parents were both born in Ireland, (2) boarders John McCurtrie (34) a baker of bread and Etta Schunk (18) a Baker Apprentic. The Baker is from Scotland and his apprentice is from Penn. Also in the house for the census is a visitor Ada Rowland (22) born in Penn, as are her parents.

There is no 1890 census and in the 1900 census I have not been able to locate him, but Kim once again has Clark in the 1897 city directory for Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

So he has moved to Florida and his wife and son (same directory) have moved to Teedyuskung. Pa.

My cousin Kim made the notes on the above items. All my information on Sarah comes from cousin Kim. Sarah was born Oct. 28, 1853 in Hawley, Pa. daughter of George Seaman and Jane LaBar. She married Clark on June 10, 1872 in Port Jarvis, New York. (Remember that is right across the Deleware River from Lackawaxen, Pa.) She has George F. Dougherty born Sept. 27, 1873 in Wilkes Barre, Pa., but he is not in the 1880 US census with his parents, a mystery I want to eventually solve.

So on with Clarks history. Alas no Clark indexed in the 1900 census, but Cousin Kim once again finds Clark in the 1910 US census

Clark E. Dougherty is listed as 88 years old (has to be a mistake). Under number of years present marriage, 10. Trade or Profession is listed Engineer in a CarShop and he owns his home, born in Penn. His wife  is listed as __ Ida G. (29), mother of 1,  born in Georgia and both her parents are from South Carolina. On the next page is listed Harry H. Dougherty, son, 8 years old born in Florida, father born in Pennsylvania and mother born in Ga. So definitely the son of Clark and Ida.

The final information is Clarks death in Fitzgerald, Ben Hill, Georgia on December 22, 1920.

Special thanks to my cousin Kim for so graciously sharing her family research with me.