Source: Portrait & Biographical Album of Whiteside County, IL
Originally published 1885 Chapman Bros., Chicago, IL
Transcribed by: Brandi McLoughlin

Franklin B. Clark, general farmer, section 29, Tampico Township, was born in Tioga Co., N.Y., September 11, 1819, and was reared in his native county. He was first married in Tompkins Co., N.Y., to Miss Lucy A. Shepherd, a native of that State, who was brought up in that county, and finally died there, in 1882, leaving five children, one son and four daughters, all married. Mr. Clark immediately came West, and was again married, December 27, 1882, to Mrs. Sarah E. Gibson, daughter of Samuel and Lois (Gridley) Hart. Her parents were natives of Connecticut, and settled in Tioga County before their marriage. Mrs. Clark was born in Candor, that county, October 29,1823, received a good education at the public schools, and September 3, 1840, married Rowland Day, a native of Connecticut and a farmer, who changed his residence to the State of New York when 14 years of age. He came West where he died three months afterward, leaving two children bereaved, one whom has since died, namely, Elizabeth A., who married William H. Dow and died in the asylum at Morrison, this county, March 15, 1882, leaving no children. Rowland J. Day, the surviving son, married Miss Lotta Coates, and resides on a farm in Brown County, Dakota. He has two children, Blanch E. and Charles R. For the eight years succeeding Mr. Day’s death, his widow (now Mrs. Clark) resided with her children at Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois; later, they removed to Port Byron, Rock Island County, Illinois. Her second marriage occurred November 28, 1861, while at Rockton, to Walter Kingsley, a brother of the late W. C. Kingsley. Who built the Brooklyn Bridge across the East River, N. Y. Mr. K was born in New York, where he was also reared to manhood and received a good education, and early in life became a railroad constructor. He went to Boston, Massachusetts, where he first married Miss Elizabeth Dingley, a native of Massachusetts, who died at Freeport, Illinois, after having become by this marriage the mother of three children. One of these now survives, James A., a thoroughly educated civil engineer of California. The other two died when in infancy. Mr. Kingsley, after his marriage to the present Mrs. Clark, resided at Rockton some years; but, his health failing, he removed to Port Byron, before mentioned, with the view of conducting the National hotel at that place, since consumed by fire. In 1869 he came to this county and purchased a quarter of section 29, Tampico Township, the present homestead, where he died, January 18, 1870, leaving no children. Mrs. Clark’s third husband was William Gibson, a farmer, whom she married February 15, 1871. He was born in Barnesville, Ohio, February 7, 1830, but was brought up in Morris, Grundy County, Illinois. He was first married in Nauvoo, Illinois, to Miss Mary Gleason, who was born and bred in Williamsport, Ohio. By this marriage, there was one child, Charles W., now a postal clerk in the Chicago postoffice. Mr. Gibson died upon the present homestead, June 7, 1876, of heart disease. Mrs. Clark’s present estate comprised of 120 acres of well improved land. As to her religious relations, she was formerly a Presbyterian, but is now an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Her first and last husbands were members of the former denomination, and all except Mr. Kingsley, in political matters, were Republicans