Representative Franklin Clark

Franklin Clark (August 2, 1801 – August 24, 1874) was a United States Representative from Maine. He was born in Wiscasset, then a part of Massachusetts (now in Maine), on August 2, 1801. Growing up in a coastal New England community that was heavily involved in maritime trade, shipbuilding, and timber, he attended the common schools of the town, receiving a basic education typical of the period. This early exposure to the commercial life of Wiscasset helped shape his later pursuits in business and public service.

After completing his schooling, Clark engaged in the lumber and shipping business in Wiscasset. The region’s economy was closely tied to the timber trade and coastal shipping, and he became involved in these enterprises at a time when Maine’s forests and harbors were central to its development. His work in lumber and shipping connected him with both local economic interests and the broader commercial networks of New England, providing him with practical experience and a local reputation that would support his entry into politics.

Clark’s political career began at the state level. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the Maine Senate in 1847. His service in the state legislature coincided with a period of growth and political realignment in Maine, which had become a separate state in 1820. As a state senator, he participated in deliberations on issues affecting Maine’s economy, infrastructure, and governance, drawing on his background in business and his familiarity with the concerns of his constituents in a maritime and lumber-producing region.

Later in 1847, Clark advanced to national office. He was elected as a Democrat to the Thirtieth Congress and served as a United States Representative from Maine from March 4, 1847, to March 3, 1849. His single term in Congress took place during a significant period in American history, marked by the Mexican-American War and intensifying debates over territorial expansion and the future of slavery in newly acquired lands. As a Democratic member of the House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process and participated in the democratic governance of the nation, representing the interests of his Maine constituents within the broader national context.

At the conclusion of his term in the Thirtieth Congress, Clark did not return to federal office and retired from congressional service in 1849. He reengaged in the manufacture of lumber, continuing his long-standing involvement in an industry that remained vital to Maine’s economy. His post-congressional years were spent in private enterprise, and he maintained his connection to the commercial pursuits that had defined his early career.

In his later life, Clark resided in Brooklyn, New York, a rapidly growing urban center and major port city in the mid-nineteenth century. He died there on August 24, 1874. Franklin Clark was interred in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, a prominent burial ground that became the resting place of many notable figures of his era. His life reflected the trajectory of a nineteenth-century New England businessman who moved from local commerce into state and national politics, serving one term in Congress before returning to the private sector.