THOMAS S. CLARKE

Thomas S Clarke

Thomas S Clarke is the name of two men from the same prominent Pittsburgh family, who were grandfather and grandson. The middle generation was SFF&HC member Charles J Clarke, who is profiled elsewhere in this work

Thomas S. Clarke
1801 -1867

THOMAS SHIELDS CLARKE, the subject of this sketch, was born at Canonsburg, Pa., Jan. 18, 1801, and passed away at his home in Oakland, Pittsburgh, Oct. 19, 1867.

Thomas S Clarke was William Thaw’s brother-in-law and partner pre 1856; in 1856 Thomas S. Clarke and William Thaw joined forces to undertaken the conduct of the freight traffic of the Pennsylvania Railroad from Pittsburgh to all points west. At that time there was no system through bills of lading or through cars as later prevailed, and each railroad worked ‘upon its own hook’. The whole business of freight transportation was in an almost chaotic state. In about 1864 the Pennsylvania railroad devised a system of through transportation over different lines, Clarke and Thaw helped bring this about.

His photo may be seen here:

http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pitttext;cc=pitttext;q1=thomas%20s%20clarke;rgn=full%20text;idno=00afq9167m;didno=00afq9167m;view=image;seq=0213

You can read more about him, here

http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pitttext;cc=pitttext;q1=clarke;rgn=full%20text;idno=00afq9167m;didno=00afq9167m;view=image;seq=980;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset

On July 5, 1831, Thomas S. Clarke married Eliza Thaw, the daughter of John Thaw and sister of William Thaw, the father of SFF&HC member Benjamin Thaw. The son of Thomas S. Clarke and Eliza Thaw Clarke was SFF&HC member Charles J Clarke and their other child was a daughter was Agnes Shields Clarke.

Thomas S. Clarke
1860-?

Thomas Clarke (2) was the grandson and namesake of Thomas S. Clarke (1) who was born to Charles J Clarke and Louisa Semple in 1860. Along with is father and brother Lewis Semple Clarke, he was a member (charter member) of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club.

He was 29 years old at the time of the Flood.