Preceded by C. Ben Ross Name Barzilla Clark Siblings Chase A. Clark | Succeeded by C. A. Bottolfsen Nieces Bethine Clark Church Nationality United States Spouse Ethel Peck (m. 1905) | |
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Full Name Barzilla Worth Clark Born December 22, 1880Hendricks County, Indiana ( 1880-12-22 ) Resting place Rose Hill CemeteryIdaho Falls, Idaho Died September 21, 1943, Idaho Falls, Idaho, United States | ||
Barzilla Worth Clark (December 22, 1880 – September 21, 1943) was an American politician from Idaho. He served as the 16th Governor of Idaho from 1937 to 1939, and was a member of the Idaho Democratic Party.
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Biography
Born in Hadley, Indiana, in 1881, Clark made the journey to eastern Idaho by narrow-gauge railroad in 1885 with his family to Eagle Rock (now Idaho Falls). He attended Rose Polytechnic Institute in Terre Haute, Indiana, but cut short his education due to a lung injury during track and field practice. He returned to Idaho and engaged in farming, mining, and cattle raising. On October 26, 1905, he married Ethel Salome Peck and they had four children.
Career
Clark became a licensed engineer in 1905 and worked as a civil engineer. His reservoir on the Blackfoot River was purchased by the government and his plan for impounding Lost River was merged into Mackay Dam After two terms as councilman he served as mayor of Idaho Falls from 1913 to 1915 and again from 1926 to 1936. During this term, the city built the Municipal Hydroelectric Plant No. 1.
Clark's interest turned to Idaho mines until he was again elected mayor of Idaho Falls in 1927 and served in that office until his inauguration as governor on January 4, 1937. During his two-year term, a state tuberculosis hospital was authorized, a judicious pardon and parole system was installed, and junior college districts were installed.
Clark lost the Democratic primary for a second term to his predecessor, C. Ben Ross, who ran for U.S. Senator in 1936 against longtime incumbent William Borah, but lost. Ross lost the general election in 1938 to C. A. Bottolfsen; Clark left office on January 2, 1939, and returned to Idaho Falls and his private interests. He chose not to run in 1940 to reclaim the office, which was won by his younger brother Chase Clark (1883–1966). Chase was the father-in-law of Frank Church (1924–84), a four-term U.S. Senator (1957–81) and presidential candidate in 1976. In turn, Bottolfsen defeated Chase in 1942.
Death
Clark died of complications of lung cancer at age 62 in Idaho Falls on September 21, 1943; he is interred at Rose Hill Cemetery in Idaho Falls.