Oscar Allen Clark was born February 4, 1831 or 1834 or 1838, to Charles Willis Clark and Elizabeth (Eliza) Allen Stilphen Clark, in Milton (Chittenden County), Vermont. He died in February, 1901, in Perkins (Payne County), Oklahoma.
Oscar’s siblings were: Charles W., Leman/Leamon Guy, Cornelius Stilphen, Amanda M. (Catlin), Andrew Jackson, and George Stephen.
In the 1850 Federal census the Clark family was living in Swanton (Franklin County), Vermont; in the 1860 Federal census they were living in the Town of Osceola (Polk County), Wisconsin.
Oscar Clark enlisted September 22, 1862, in the 10th Battery Wisconsin Light Artillery, and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant by the Governor of Wisconsin. The printed Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers lists him as being from Madison, but the original “Red Book” leaves his residence blank and says only that he enlisted in Madison. He mustered out on April 20, 1865.
After the Civil War Oscar Clark lived in Indiana and Oklahoma. In the 1880 Federal census he was living in Jeffersonville (Clark County), Indiana, where he was a civil engineer. Clark surveyed part of Oklahoma in 1889 during the famous land rush. In the 1900 Federal census he is listed as the Payne County, Oklahoma, county surveyor.
Lieut. O. A. Clark is buried in the Pleasant Prairie Cemetery in the Town of Osceola (Polk County), Wisconsin.
From Fifty Years in the Northwest, by W. H. C. Folsom (1888): 139; available in the UWRF Archives (F606 .F65 1888) :
OSCAR A. CLARK came to Taylor’s Falls in 1881 [sic: 1851], settled on a farm in Osceola in 1852, and brought hither his parents from Vermont, both of whom have since died. Oscar was a surveyor. He engaged also in the lumbering and commercial business. He was of the firm of Clark Brothers. He enlisted in a Wisconsin regiment during the Rebellion, and served till mustered out, but never returned to his home, and as nothing has since been heard from him, his friends have concluded that he must have been murdered after his discharge, possibly on the way home.
Cornelius, a brother, lives at the Clark homestead; George, a brother, married a daughter of John S. Godfrey. He died in 1873. The widow was subsequently married to Cornelius. Leman, a brother, settled on a farm in Osceola, and died in 1879, leaving a large family. Andrew, another brother, of the firm of Clark Brothers, died in Osceola.
Death notice from the “Osceola” section of The Ledger (Balsam Lake, Polk County), March 14, 1901 :
Oscar Clark a resident of this place about forty years ago, died in Oklahoma last week, his remains were brought here for burial on Saturday.
From an Oklahoma newspaper posted in Clark’s entry (#24064409) on Find-A-Grave :
ESTATE CLAIMED.
Relatives Willing to Care For Body.
It will be remembered that a few days ago that O. A. Clark residing near Perkins, died, and although he had been a resident of this county for a number of years, his friends supposed him to have no living relatives. The remains were held until investigation could be made, and last Friday a Miss Clark, of Chicago, arrived in the city and claimed the deceased was an uncle and that she was heir to his estate, which amounts to about $15,000, but there appeared on the scene a man by the name of Cruse [?] from Tennessee who also claimed for himself the remains and the estate left by Mr. Clark
Miss Clark had the body shipped to Minneapolis Minn., and will accompany the shipment there for burial. The man Crone [?], accompanied Miss Clark as far as Kansas City and it is not known as yet who will, by virtue of relationship, fall in possession of the property.
It was through the efforts of one of the deceased friends in Guthrie that these claimants received word of the death of Mr. Clark.
The Civil War and Northwest Wisconsin 