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Marvin R Clark (1840 - 1916)

Marvin R "The Blind Journalist" Clark
Born in New York City, New York, United Statesmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Husband of — married 21 Oct 1859 (to before 1874) in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United Statesmap
Husband of — married 22 Jan 1874 (to before 1890) in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United Statesmap
Father of and
Died at age 76 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 31 May 2022
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Contents

Biography

This profile is part of the Clark Name Study.
'New York state flag'
Marvin Clark was a New Yorker.

While Marvin R. Clark (1840-1916) garnered many monikers during his life, such as "City Marshal Clark," "Brother Marvin," and "the noted skating critic," one nickname would define his legacy - "the blind journalist." Marvin was a late 19th century New York newspaper man and author whose journey with blindness made national headlines. He was also a man interested in superstition, becoming one of the original 13 founders of the Thirteen Club.

Early Life (1840-1871)

Marvin was born in New York City in 1840.[1] He was the only child of Benjamin and Margaret Clark,[2] who raised him in New York City.[3] In 1859, Marvin married Ettie S. Walker in Brooklyn.[4] The couple had a daughter, named May, in 1861.

Marvin allegedly started working as a journalist and copy editor at New York newspapers, including the Sun, in 1858;[5] according to the 1860 census, Marvin worked as a clerk.[6] In 1868, a book on ice skating he co-wrote was published.[7]

City Marshal Clark (1873-1882)

In 1873, Marvin began serving as a city marshal of the City of New York.[8] His role revolved around officiating auctions and handling mortgages.[9] He ultimately served four terms as a city marshal.

In 1874, Marvin married Lizzie Weeks in Manhattan.[10] In 1875, they had a son, Frank. In 1880, Marvin lived in New York City with Lizzie, Frank, and May, his occupation listed as "city marshal."[11] Marvin and Lizzie separated in the 1880s.

Foundation of the Thirteen Club (1881-1887)

Marvin was a Freemason.[12] After some friction between Marvin and twelve of his associates and Masonic higher ups, the thirteen started a fringe group called the Thirteen Club in 1881.[13] In 1883, he was appointed Archivist of the Thirteen Club.[14]

While the goal of the group was to debunk the idea that thirteen is an unlucky number, Marvin also wrote articles debunking other superstitions. For example, in 1887, he wrote an article trying to debunk the idea that Friday is an unlucky day by listing "good Fridays" throughout history.[15] He continued to add more dates to the list into the 1890s.[16]

The blind journalist (1888-1898)

By 1888, Marvin was blind.[5] In 1889, his friends and associates at the New York Press Club threw a fundraiser in his honor at the Star Theatre.[17] They raised $5,000 (over $157,000 in 2022).[18] Subsequent fundraisers were thrown in 1893,[19] 1895,[20] and 1896.[21] The Thirteen Club organized a benefit for Marvin in 1898.[22]

Marvin continued to be a journalist into the 1890s,[5][23] gaining the moniker "the blind journalist." He wrote about his experience being blind.[24] He also began writing short stories, his most known story being "The Supernatural Supper,"[25] and in 1895, he published Pussy and Her Language, about the language of cats.[26] Marvin was also still an active member of the Thirteen Club in the 1890s.[27]

By 1893, his doctors were urging him to retire.[28] Marvin retired due to an increasing inability to work due to locomotor ataxia in 1898.[29][30] The 1900 US census, however, lists his occupation as "journalist, author."[1]

Retirement and passing (1899-1916)

By 1900, Marvin lived in Manhattan as a boarder.[1] Theaters, everyday citizens, and friends continued to fundraise for him into 1904.[31][32][30] Friends Joseph Jefferson, W. Bourke Cochran, and Abraham B. Gruber created the Marvin R. Clark Benefit Fund to collect funds for him.

In 1899, his father passed away; in 1905, his mother passed as well.[33] By 1910, Marvin was a resident of a group home in the Bronx.[34] He passed away there in 1916.[2] He was the last of the original founders of the Thirteen Club to pass away.[35]

See Also

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSJ1-71L : 25 January 2022), Marvin R Clark in entry for Ernst Poehlin, 1900.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WDR-L48 : 2 June 2020), Marvin R. Clark, 6 Feb 1916; citing Death, The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,322,776.
  3. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCT4-BP2 : 23 December 2020), Marvin R Clark in household of Benjamin F Clark, New York City, New York County, New York, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
  4. ↑ "Clark-Walker." New York Herald, Oct. 21, 1859. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1859-10-21/ed-1/seq-5/
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Conqueror Against Hard Odds." Morning News, Jan. 23, 1893. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063034/1893-01-23/ed-1/seq-3/
  6. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC4K-ZPG : 18 February 2021), Marvin Clark in entry for Benjn Clark, 1860.
  7. ↑ Swift, Frank and Marvin R. Clark. The Skaters' Text-Book. J. A. Gray & Green, 1868. Internet Archive, https://archive.org/details/skaterstextbook00swif/page/n5/mode/2up
  8. ↑ "Baxter Steam Engine..." New York Herald, Sept. 14, 1873. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1873-09-14/ed-1/seq-16/
  9. ↑ "Chattel Mortgages Foreclosed." New York Herald, Sept. 29, 1873. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1873-09-29/ed-1/seq-1/
  10. ↑ "New York Marriages, 1686-1980", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6W9-7F2 : 21 January 2020), Marvin R Clark, 1874.
  11. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ6T-NRR : 14 January 2022), Marvin Clark, New York City, New York County, New York, United States; citing enumeration district , sheet , NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm .
  12. ↑ "Grand Master's Address." New York Dispatch, June 12, 1881. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85026214/1881-06-12/ed-1/seq-3/
  13. ↑ "Personal." New York Dispatch, March 19, 1882. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85026214/1882-03-19/ed-1/seq-3/
  14. ↑ "Letter from Long Branch." New York Dispatch, Sept. 16, 1883. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85026214/1883-09-16/ed-1/seq-3/
  15. ↑ "Friday Is Not Unlucky." Southern Standard, March 5, 1887. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86090474/1887-03-05/ed-1/seq-6/
  16. ↑ "It's Lucky Friday." Columbus Journal, March 20, 1895. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95073194/1895-03-20/ed-1/seq-1/
  17. ↑ "Star To-Night, Testimonial Benefit to Mr. Marvin R. Clark Under the Auspices of the New York Press Club." The Sun, Nov. 17, 1889. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1889-11-17/ed-1/seq-9/
  18. ↑ "Stage Notes." Sacramento Daily Record-Union, Dec. 1, 1889. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014381/1889-12-01/ed-1/seq-1/
  19. ↑ "Marvin Clark's Benefit." Evening World, Dec. 9, 1893. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1893-12-09/ed-2/seq-5/
  20. ↑ "A Benefit for Marvin R. Clark." Sun, Oct. 28, 1895. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1895-10-28/ed-1/seq-5/
  21. ↑ "Concert for the Blind Journalist." New-York Tribune, Feb. 2, 1896. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1896-02-02/ed-1/seq-15/
  22. ↑ "Raising a Fund for a Blind Journalist." Sun, Sept. 4, 1898. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1898-09-04/ed-1/seq-13/
  23. ↑ "Marvin R. Clark is a blind New York newspaper man..." Portland Daily Press, Aug. 10, 1893. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016025/1893-08-10/ed-1/seq-4/
  24. ↑ "Pleasures of the Blind." Indianapolis Journal, Oct. 3, 1897. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015679/1897-10-03/ed-1/seq-14/
  25. ↑ "Charming Novelettes!" Hartford Herald, Feb. 18, 1891. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037890/1891-02-18/ed-1/seq-1/
  26. ↑ Clark, Marvin R. Pussy and Her Language. Unknown New York publisher, 1895. Internet Archive, https://archive.org/details/pussyherlanguage00clar/mode/2up
  27. ↑ "The Number Thirteen." Hartford Herald, Jan. 30, 1895. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037890/1895-01-30/ed-1/seq-1/
  28. ↑ "A Blind Journalist." Times, Nov. 19, 1893. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85034438/1893-11-19/ed-1/seq-14/
  29. ↑ "Thirteen Club to Aid Its Blind Founder." Sun, Oct. 23, 1898. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1898-10-23/ed-1/seq-4/
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 "For 'The Blind Journalist.'" Jersey City News, March 21, 1904. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87068097/1904-03-21/ed-1/seq-2/
  31. ↑ "To-Night at the Fifth Ave Theatre, Testimonial to Marvin R. Clark, the Blind Journalist." New-York Tribune, April 22, 1900. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1900-04-22/ed-1/seq-12/
  32. ↑ "The Martin R. Clark Benefit Fund." New-York Tribune, May 7, 1900. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1900-05-07/ed-1/seq-9/
  33. ↑ "Mrs. Margaret Clark." New-York Tribune, Dec. 18, 1905. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1905-12-18/ed-1/seq-7/
  34. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X39F-JZP : accessed 31 May 2022), Marvin R Clarke, Bronx Assembly District 34, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 1577, sheet 4A, family , NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1002; FHL microfilm 1,375,015.
  35. ↑ "The Death-Defying Organization Which Jests with Superstition." Arizona Republican, Jan. 17, 1910. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020558/1910-01-17/ed-1/seq-4/




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Images: 4
Charming Novelettes!
Charming Novelettes!
The Skaters' Text-Book (second title page)
The Skaters' Text-Book (second title page)
Roller Skates Again
Roller Skates Again
Star To-Night, Testimonial Benefit to Mr. Marvin R. Clark Under the Auspices of the New York Press Club
Star To-Night, Testimonial Benefit to Mr. Marvin R. Clark Under the Auspices of the New York Press Club


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