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Vevay Reveille March 11 1876

ABNER CLARKSON
Was born in Piscataway Township Middlesex county New Jersey on the day of February, 1781 consequently is now in his 93d year.— He was married on the 18th day of February 1804 to Miss Eliza Whitehead. (His wife was born on the 30th day of March. 1786, and died the 3rd of January 1865.) They had two children, Samuel W. and Eliza M. Clarkson, Samuel was born on the 14th day of February, 1805 and died on the 26th day of June 1850. Eliza M. was born on the 9th day of April 1812 and is still living—the wife or Perret Dufour

He removed to New Brunswick, N.J. after his marriage and commenced merchandising He removed to Rocky Hill and opened a store —He then removed to Six Mile Run and there continued merchandising until the latter part of May 1812 when he shipped his goods for the then far West and in a few days after started with his wife and children. (Samuel was the Dr Samuel W. Clarkson who was a practicing medicine in Vevay from 1827 until 1850.)

After arriving at Trenton, N.J., he first learned of the declaration of war against Great Britain and as his goods were ahead of him he continued his western trip. Stopped about a week at Marietta, Ohio; continued his journey down the river to Cincinnati, O; arriving there he commenced the mercantile business.—From there he sent a keel boat down the river Loaded with produce in charge of a man named Smith, (there were also some Smiths in those days) who sold out the boat and cargo and forgot to return any of the proceeds of the sale to Mr. Clarkson, but sent the hands back to him to be paid for their services.

Some time in the fall of 1813 or spring of 1814, he removed to Madison, Ind., where he again commenced in the mercantile business. Soon after he entered into partnership with John and Nathaniel Hunt. Was elected and served as Justice of the Peace until the fall of 1817 when he removed to Vevay, Ind., intending; he said, to again return to Madison, “when the merchants got through their crazy fit of trying to break each other up” (The Writer has often heard him make this remark in conversation) again pursuing the same business here and continued with “short intervals” in that business until 1873.

After he came to Vevay, he was elected and served as Associate Judge one term. He was appointed postmaster at Vevay by the Hon Chas. A. Wickliffe. P. M. General under President Tyler in 1843. He was removed in 1844, under Polk’s administration —He was in partnership in business here with Perret Dufour from 1834 to 1859, and with O.S. Wa1do and Abner Dufour until the Spring of 1873. He is now well and hearty. His health, strength and memory are remarkable for one of his age. He is the oldest man in the town, and perhaps in the county. From present appearances he is likely to live some years yet. He walks up to the cemetery and back, and up to the top of the hill and back, and does not seem to become weary with the exercise. During his long life he has always been temperate in all things, and strictly honest. ***