William H Clark arrived with the hoards of gold seekers in October 1858 and built a small cabin in an area north of Denver. Along with his neighbors, a few homesteaders and native Americans, he did some farming, hunting and prospecting.
Clark had lived in his cabin for 20 years when the first of the state's big smelters, the Boston & Colorado was built in 1878. The Grant and Globe Smelters were constructed in 1882 and 1889 and Clark watched the district evolve from a rural outpost to an industrial area. The increasing population voted to incorporate as the town of Globeville in 1891 and selected Clark as the first Mayor.
After his mayoral term ended in 1894, Clark returned to farming. He was known as "Uncle Billy" and, at 59, was considered an old timer who would share his memories of the early days with anyone who had time to listen.
He was found dead of "advanced age" in his cabin on June 26, 1921 and is buried in Fairmount Cemetery. A street named "Clark Place" in the Globeville neighborhood pays tribute to this pioneer.
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