Clark County

Clark County, located in central Wisconsin, was organized in 1853. The first settlers, primarily lumbermen, arrived in the 1830s. After seeing the massive forests of standing timber, they built sawmills and lumber camps. Soon, towns and villages sprang up, complete with businesses, hotels, homes, schools, and churches. The railroad arrived by the 1880s, starting a new chapter for Clark County. As the timber was logged and the land was cleared of tree stumps, the fertile farmland attracted new settlers. People in pursuit of the American dream, including immigrants from European countries, arrived to homestead the land. Images of America: Clark County presents the lumber years, agriculture, businesses, communities, and of course the people of Clark County in photographs from the 1850s to the present day. The final chapter, "Unique Clark County," features the people and places that help make the county so special to those fortunate enough to live here.

Authors Natalie K. Erpenbach and Stephen J. Roberts are residents of Clark County and members of the 1897 Clark County Jail Museum, Inc., in Neillsville, Wisconsin.