James Clarke (July 5, 1812 – July 28, 1850) was the third Governor of

Iowa Territory The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa. The remaind ...

from November 18, 1845 until December 3, 1846, being appointed to the office, as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, by President

James Polk James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

. Born in

Greensburg, Pennsylvania Greensburg is a city in and the county seat of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city lies within the Laurel Highlands and the ecoregion of the Western Allegheny Plateau (ecoregion), W ...

, Clarke was secretary of Iowa Territory from 1839–1841 and mayor of

Burlington, Iowa Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area, which includes ...

from 1844-1845. Clarke was the son-in-law of

Henry Dodge Moses Henry Dodge (October 12, 1782 – June 19, 1867) was a Democratic member to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Black Hawk War. His son, Augustus C. Dodge, served as a ...

, whom

Fort Dodge, Iowa Fort Dodge is a city in, and the county seat of, Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in 2000. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Ce ...

, is named in his honor.

Clarke County, Iowa Clarke County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,748. The county seat is Osceola. The county was formed in January 1846, one of twelve counties established by legislative action in a compr ...

was named after James Clarke. He died in Burlington. Iowa's statehood was still a year away when Clarke was appointed the third governor of the Iowa Territory in 1845. Clarke already was well known in political circles since he had been territorial secretary to Iowa's first territorial governor, Robert Lucas. Clarke was a printer by trade when in 1836 he moved to Belmont, the new capital of the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

. He married Christiana Dodge, the daughter of territorial governor Henry Dodge, and became territorial librarian. When the territorial capital moved from Belmont to Burlington (now Iowa) Clarke and his family followed, and he founded the Wisconsin Territorial Gazette and Burlington Advertiser, a newspaper, on July 10, 1837. When the

was established, President Van Buren appointed Clarke "Secretary in and for the Territory of Iowa," as shown in two of the donated documents, dated November 27, 1839, and February 19, 1840. By 1842, the territorial capital had moved from Burlington to

Iowa City Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...

, where Clarke assisted Governor Lucas with government and political business. Some people opposed Clarke's appointment because of his close personal ties to the Dodge family, but as the mayor of Burlington and editor of the Burlington Gazette, Clarke had gained a reputation as one of the leading advocates for statehood. President Polk appointed Clarke governor of the Iowa Territory on November 8, 1845. Clarke played a pivotal role in the development of Iowa, helping to define the state's boundaries and forming the first constitutional conventions. Only four weeks after Clarke delivered his last official message as governor in December 1846, Iowa became the 29th state to join the union. Clarke resumed his work as a newspaper editor in Burlington. He became the first president of the Burlington School Board and remained active in local political affairs until tragedy struck in July 1850. His wife and infant son succumbed to a cholera epidemic that swept through Burlington and other Mississippi River towns. Just two weeks later, Clarke, just 38, also died of cholera. The Clarkes are buried in

Aspen Grove Cemetery Aspen Grove Cemetery is a cemetery in Burlington, Iowa. History Aspen Grove Cemetery was established in 1843. The Aspen Grove Cemetery Association was approved by the Legislature of the Iowa Territory in December 1843 and they first met on Janua ...

, Burlington.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, James 1812 births 1850 deaths Governors of Iowa Territory People from Belmont, Wisconsin Politicians from Burlington, Iowa Editors of Iowa newspapers Editors of Wisconsin newspapers People from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania 19th-century American politicians Mayors of places in Iowa Infectious disease deaths in Iowa Deaths from cholera 19th-century American newspaper editors School board members in Iowa