The Passing of a Frontier Lawyer
The community mourns the death of Frank Clark, a prominent pioneer lawyer and former legislator, whose legal career helped shape the early days of Pierce County.
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The news of Frank Clark's death created a sensation in Tacoma. He was the first prosecuting attorney of Pierce County under the Territorial organization. Arriving in Washington in 1852, he soon began work in a sawmill but quickly transitioned into law. He served in the Territorial Legislature, was a candidate for Congress in 1867, and was a prominent figure at the bar for many years. He died on January 8, 1883, at the age of 49. His funeral was attended by many prominent citizens, with the court adjourning as a mark of respect for his service to the community.
“His place at the bar, in which he has been for many years a prominent figure, it will be hard to fill.”
Frank Clark was emblematic of the 'sawmill-to-lawyer' social mobility possible in the Pacific Northwest frontier. His life story illustrates the rapid professionalization and institution-building that defined Washington's transition from a loose collection of logging camps to a settled territory.
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