Home page updated April 27, 2020
This branch of the Clark family can be traced back to the early 1800’s settling in Southeast Illinois in 1847. The Clark portion of this site is a history of direct descendants of Elias Clark M.D. The family later ended up in West Central Illinois in Greene County.
Additional family ancestry from the Bass, Burr, Copeland, Davis, Glen, Groot, Scott, Vedder, Vivell and other related families are included on the web site.
Investigating the Photograph of Frank Vivell: Have We Solved the Mystery? – by Alice Clark Click link to read more.
The vast majority of photographs on this site are from family albums and we make every effort to identify photographs from other sources. Other documents are either public documents or credit is given to their source.
Over the years people have copied and used photographs from this site. That is fine but we would ask that if they are used on other sites that credit is given as to where they came from.
The following two items on the left were received from the Coonrod-Vivell Insurance Agency. The dental tools on the right were used by Dr. Elias Clark in his medical practice. Photograph on the far right is Elias Clark. from the Shepard Family Tree on www.geni.com The three items on the left were photographed by Alan Clark.
 October 3, 1908 Hanover Fire Insurance Company fire Insurance policy issued by O. H. Vivell Insurance Co. Carrollton, Illinois to J. W. Van Meter and counter signed by O. H. Vivell. |
 From one of the O. H. Vivell offices on the north side of square, Carrollton, Illinois. |
 The dental tools used by Dr. Elias Clark 1808 – 1889 who practiced, among other places, Mount Carmel, IL. |
 Elias Clark 1845-1932 |
Information on new additions to the site are outlined at the bottom of this page.
Spanish Flu, 1918
 Read about Victor Clark and his role during the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918, and how it led to getting “Vicksed” as a family tradition. Author, Alice L. Clark; spanishFlu1918.pdf 540 kb |
Family War Records
 War records, including the American Revolution and the Civil War. Click Here to read enlistment records, pension applications and personal letters. |
Salina Street Fire
 Read about F.P. Vedder’s confession in the 1869 South Salina Street fire. Click Here to read all 12 installments of the story. Author, Alan L. Clark. |
1950 House Fire
 One missing brick led to disaster. Read about Victor & Violet Clark’s house fire at 623 School Street in 1950. victorClarkHouseFire.pdf 704 kb |
Family Art: click here to see samples of artwork done by the Clark Family.
Direct descendants can be traced back to William Bradford of Plymouth, MA arriving on North American soil in 1620. More than 390 years of family linage traces the Bradford’s through the Clark’s from Massachusetts to Illinois and now on to Iowa, Indiana and Texas.
A second branch of the family can be traced back to the Mayflower and Plymouth Colony with the Bass family which leads up to the Leach’s and on to the Clark’s.
Vedder family members can be traced on American soil for over 350 years going back to Harmen Albertise Vedder arriving from Holland and being a trader in Beverwyck (Albany) New York.
The Vivell family can be traced back over 325 years.
Another early settler was Thomas Yale who arrived in Boston with his mother in 1637 and a year later moved onto a farm in New Haven, CT.
Scotchman Sander Leendertse Glen was a trader for the West India Company, at Fort Nassau on the Delaware River in 1633. He was also one of the original settlers at Schenectady.
Family members have been Physicians, Politicians, Law Enforcement Officers, Farmers, Business Leaders, Preachers and a variety of other professions. Each has an interesting story to tell.
LATEST NEWS
April 2020
Added a photograph of O. H. Vivell’s fountain pen and signature from his signature stamp used by Vivell prior to his death. Added to the family history page in the O. H. Vivell section. Several new paragraphs have been added to Dr. Elias Clark’s family section dealing with the obtaining and documenting his medical license in Ohio.
The article on Victor Clark and the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918 certainly has relevance to the current Covid 19 virus hitting the world. Article is located above on home page.
January 2020
Happy New Years.
Just added new photographs or articles on the O. H. Vivell, Cyrus Davis, U. D. & Bertha Clark, Francis P. Vedder and Frank X. Vivell photograph albums. In addition we updated the John Clark section of the Clark family page and the Clark Linage at the bottom of the Clark page. Also put the Stain Glass of John Ross Clark and Oil paintings of Alan Clark in their own section.
Oscar and Belle Vivell now have 70 images on their photograph album.
December 2019
Merry Christmas to all. Well after a battle with hackers we have now rebuilt most of what we lost from the last back-up and we are now up and running.
September 2019
Using a professional research firm we are attempting to secure WWI records for Clinton Thompson (husband of Leta Clark and brother=in-law to Victor Clark) for his military service. We are hopeful that those records can be found and ready by the end of the year.
August 2019
It has been rare to find any new information on Dr. Elias Clark but three new items have been found and posted on the Clark Family page in the Elias Clark section including a clean copy of his Medical Card advertisement, an advertisement where Dr. Clark is selling corn and a newspaper clipping which mentions when Elias got his medical diploma.
Also added was a photograph in Carrollton, Illinois on the Vivell Family page in the O. H. Vivell section.
Additional updates were added in various sections.
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June 2019
Stain Glass Gallery of John Ross Clark added to home page. Samples of stained he produced while in Florida after he retired. (Moved HERE in January 2020)
March 2019
Newest family member T. J. Clark arrived in February 2019.
Updates to the site and back-ups started in February are going slower than planned and have slowed down additions to the site. James is working on it and will have those updates completed soon. We look forward to new features very soon.
Additional items have now been added to the Family Photograph album pages including John & Mary Clark, O. H. & Belle Vivell, U. D. & Bertha Clark and Victor & Violet Clark.
December 2018
The Vivell Family page now traces family members back 325 years. After the first of the year a Gallery of Strain Glass items made by John Ross Clark will be added to the home page. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
November 2018
COMING SOON – Additional German records regarding the Vivell family have been located and should be added to the site by the end of the year. Happy Thanksgiving to all site visitors.
September 2018
Frank X. Vivell’s parents and grandparents have been added to the Vivell Family history pages. Obit of Clinton Thompson (Leta Clark’s husband) was added to the U. D. and Bertha Clark photo album.
Cemetery grave photographs by Alice Clark have been add on Martha Burr as links in the Leach, Root, Fowler & Pardee family section.
A number of grave sites from the Scottsville Cemetery have been added as a link in the Scott family section also photographed and composed by Alice Clark.
August 2018
Alice L. Clark went on a tour of Southern Illinois Cemeteries (in August) and photographed a number of grave sites we didn’t have or the few we did were poor pictures which she took replacement photographs. These are being edited and sent to our webmaster for inclusion in the photo album sections in the near future.
February 2018
Additional photographs or newspaper articles were just added to John & Mary Clark, Oscar & Belle Vivell, U. D. & Bertha Clark and Violet & Victor Clark photograph album pages.
January 2018
Well, now that we have gotten through the holidays we hope to get back to adding more photographs and new information on family members from the past. Several new leads on photographs are being pursued and hopefully one day bear fruit.
December 2017
New photographs posted.
A new color photograph of the O. H and Belle Vivell house in Carrollton, Illinois was just recovered. The photograph is certainly pre-1944 and may be from the late 1930’s. It appears to have been a professionally taken photograph and shows the west side of the home. Also a photograph of O. H. Vivell’s late 1800’s glass front gun case.
A photograph of the original Vivell house at 623 School Street built in 1893 showing the front (south side) has been added.
Merry Christmas to all visiting the site.
September 2017
New photograph added to O. H. and Belle Vivell photo section. The High School in Carrollton, Illinois where O. H. Vivell attended. Built in 1870 and destroyed by fire in 1888. Came from the O. H. Vivell offices and now in the Gerald Wolfley collection, Eldred, Illinois.
Clearer photograph of the 1900 photograph of the Frank Vivell home, Carrollton, Illinois on the Frank Vivell photo section. Lady on the front porch is Bertha Vivell Hayes, Franks daughter. From the Greene County, Illinois Historical Society.
Elias Clark civil war pension papers in his own hand writing added to the war papers section located on the home page. From research done by Alice L. Clark.
August 2017
Two additional Children of Elias and Ulissa Clark have been verified and added to the family page. Libertha Vivell’s date of death has been corrected. The civil war pension application for Elias Clark has been received and will be added to the site soon.
June 2017
Over sixty O. H. Vivell photographs and newspaper articles are located in the O. H. and Belle Vivell photo album section. Victor and Violet Clark sections has over 45 photographs and news articles and U. D. and Bertha Clark sections has 34 photographs and articles.
New items have been posted on Clinton S. Thompson a world war I hero who got mustard gassed during the war. He was the husband of Leta Clark Thompson and is posted on the U. D. and Bertha Clark photo album.
Over 40 new photographs and documents have been added to the Leach, U. D. Clark, Frank Vivell, Elias Clark, Vedder, O. H. Vivell, John Clark and Victor Clark photo album sections and new John Scott Revolutionary war records have been added to the war records section of the home page.
May 2017
Frank Vivell Update
According to surname distribution map, most German Vivell families were in Baden, some near the French border. Medical journal refers to Frank Vivell as German Baker. Passport application of son Edgar says Frank born in France. He still could be German, speak German, but born on French side of the Rhine River. Application includes pictures of Edgar and wife, date Frank immigrated and that he was naturalized by circuit court, Greene County. Those papers show he came from Baden when he applied for citizenship. Copies in the photo album section.
February 2017 – Update on Greene County
Historical and Genealogical Society Book
The Greene County, Illinois History and Families Book has been distributed.
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October 2016
New John Scott Revolutionary War records have been added to war records section located on the home page.
A very interesting investigative report (article) by Alice Clark on a photograph mystery on Frank Vivell has been added to the home page. Click on the link listed above.
Additional items have been added to the Photograph Album pages including Ulla Dio Clark, Elias Clark, O. H. Vivell, Davis Family section and others.
September 2016
New photograph of Elias Clark added to the site. Photographs from the Shepard Family Tree on www.geni.com.
An 1866 Syracuse New York Daily Journal newspaper advertisement by F. P. Vedder has been added to the Vedder Photo Album Section.
August 2016
A recent photograph of the Clark’s in front of the Dr. James Davis house in Carrollton, Illinois. These Clark family members once resided in the home. It is located on the Davis Photo Album Section.
July 2016
Additional photographs and newspaper articles have been added to the Victor & Violet Clark, O. H. Vivell and John & Mary Clark, James M. Davis and Frank Vivell Photo Album Sections.
A very interesting medical post on Frank Vivell (1881) written up in the St Louis Medical and Surgical Journal regarding his visit to a specialist shortly before his death, A link to the article is found in the Frank Vivell family page. From Alice Clark research.
Check out the section titled Family War Records that puts most of the Revolutionary War, Mexican War and American Civil War papers and documents all in one place.
Read the page featuring Victor and Violet Clark’s house fire on the home page. Photographs of the damaged home were taken by Victor’s son John Ross Clark. Captions for the fire scene photographs are provided by Victor and Violet’s grandson Alan L. Clark. Alan has conducted fire investigations for almost 40 years throughout the Midwest United States. He has qualified as an expert witness in fire and arson investigation many times during his career.
Site updated January 25, 2020 by James Clark and home page by Alan L. Clark on April 27, 2020.