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Col. Clark E. Carr was a 19th century author, orator, politician, Ambassador to Denmark(*), philanthropist, Republican and friend of Abraham Lincoln(*). In addition Colonel Carr was a longtime resident of his adopted city of Galesburg(*), Illinois(*) where Abraham Lincoln appointed him to position of Postmaster, a job he held for 24 years.

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION Clark E. Carr was born at Boston Corners, Erie County, New York state, May 20, 1836, the son of Clark M. and Delia (Torrey) Carr. His mother died when he was three years old. Six years later his father married Fanny Le Yau. In 1850 the family relocated to a farm near Cambridge, Illinois(*) (Henry County(*)). At the age of 14, in the Autumn of 1851, the family moved to Galesburg, Illinois (Knox County(*)). At Galesburg he enrolled at Knox Academy (Galesburg) and afterwards Knox College(*) (Galesburg) leaving at the end of the sophomore year to study law at Poughkeepsie, New York, and subsequently, the Albany Law School(*), graduating in 1857.

PROFESSIONAL LIFE Carr's first law practice was a partnership with Thomas Harrison in 1857. Three years later he partnered with O. F. Price to form the law firm of Carr and Price. Shortly afterwards, Carr campaigned for Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election(*), and in acknowledgment of his services, Lincoln appointed Carr to be the Postmaster of Galesburg, Illinois, a position he held for 24 years.

During the U.S. Civil War(*), Illinois Governor Edward Yates(*) appointed Carr to the title of Colonel on his staff. His duties included assisting in the organization of regiments at Springfield, visiting the army in the field, and bringing home the sick and wounded. Later, Colonel Carr was appointed Illinois commissioner to the Gettysburg Commission(*) by Governor Yates. The Gettysburg Commission planned and executed the consecration of the Soldiers' National Cemetery(*) in Gettysburg(*), Pennsylvania(*), four and a half months after the Union(*) armies defeated those of the Confederacy(*) at the Battle of Gettysburg(*). It was Colonel's Carr's association with this commission that resulted in President Lincoln being invited to to the cemetary consecration. Edward Everett(*), considered one of the finest orators of his day, was already scheduled to deliver the main oration at the consecration, but it was Colonel Carr who suggested and urged that Lincoln also be invited to speak. As fate would have it, Edward Everett's 2 hour speech eloquently describing the battle and its relationship to previous wars was eclipsed by Lincoln's 2 minute speech which went on to be regarded as one of the finest and most memorable speeches in the history of the nation.

During the 1864 U.S. presidential campaign, Colonel Carr was appointed as a delegate from Illinois to the Republican National Convention, held at Baltimore, which re-nominated President Lincoln. Later, Colonel Carr, during the 1884 U.S. presidential campaign, was appointed as a delegate from Illinois to the Republican National Convention in 1884, which nominated Blaine and Logan. At this convetion, Carr was a member of the committee on the platform resolutions, of which future president William McKinley was chairman.

In 1889, Colonel Carr was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison to the post of United States Ambassador to Denmark. He served in this capacity from 1889 to 1893.

Colonel Carr has been honored by being called to high positions, and he had honored the positions to which he has been called.

Under President Harrison’s administration, he was appointed Minister Resident and Consul General to Denmark. While a conference of Consuls General, of which he was a member, was in session in Paris, he received notice from Washington of his promotion to the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary, in which position he represented our country at that brilliant court for four years. As Minister, Colonel Carr performed signal service in the interest of the World’s Fair and for the commerce of the United States. He served his country faithfully for four years as Minister of Copenhagen, and received the highest commendations from the Government.

Colonel Carr is entitled to great credit for the part he took in inducing the Santa Fe Company to build the line of their railway through Galesburg. The company made several surveys with the design of finding the shortest practical line to Chicago. Orders were issued to adopt the line about twelve miles south of Galesburg. Through the efforts of Colonel Carr, the company was induced to prospect a line through this city, which was finally adopted upon certain conditions. While the citizens contributed generously to the work of the complying with those conditions, but for the efforts of Colonel Carr, the Santa Fe Railway would have gone direct from Fort Madison to Streator, leaving Galesburg to one side.

Colonel Carr also took a deep interest in the Omaha Exposition. He was President of the Illinois commission, composed of twenty members appointed from different parts of the State. The commission erected a beautiful building on the grounds, which became a popular resort. The affairs of this commission were so well managed as to elicit the highest commendations. An unexpended portion of the appropriation of nearly $7,000 was left in the State Treasury. For this, much credit is due to the president of the commission.'a