Today, May 3, 2021, marks the 200th birthday anniversary of Mary Turck, the eldest child of Peter Turck and Rachael (Gay) Turck, and future spouse of Jonathan M. Clark. Mary and Jonathan were married in old Washington county on March 15, 1840, and began to farm their Mequon land the same year. They went on to build their handsome stone house—now the Jonathan Clark House Museum—in 1848.

The only extant photograph of Mary Turck Clark, date unknown but probably post-1840 (see wedding band on her left hand) and possibly post-1857 (year of Jonathan M. Clark’s death). Photograph courtesy Liz Hickman. Click to open larger image in new window.

A Celebration!

On Sunday, May 2nd, the Clark House hosted a small, socially-distanced party to celebrate Mary’s big birthday anniversary. After all these months apart, it was lovely to get out and see the house and reconnect with many of my Clark House friends.

The house, by the way, has never looked better. Executive director Nina Look and preservation manager Fred Derr have done a wonderful job making needed repairs, removing or disguising too-modern plumbing pipes, and supervising the work of expert plasterers and painters. Here are a few photos from Sunday:

Photos by Reed Perkins (interiors) and Laura Rexroth (exteriors). Click images for more details and access to full-size photos.

More about Mary

For the most up-to-date information on Mary (Turck) Clark, I suggest you begin with our early-2021 essay, Mary Turck Clark—updated. A discussion of the exact date and year of her birth is the subject of When was Mary Turck born? Jonathan and Mary’s marriage and first census as a couple are the topics of Jonathan and Mary, together and History Mystery! No. 1 (of many).

There are many more posts discussing the life of Mary (Turck) Clark elsewhere on this blog. If you’re interested, be sure to click the links in each of the above posts. Also, you can consult our (still-in-progress) Index or the blog’s SEARCH function and try searching with terms such as Mary, Mary Turck, Mary (Turck) Clark, and other related names and topics.

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NOTES:

• If you are interested in the life of Mary Turck Clark, do look through the suggested links (above). As you do, keep in mind that our research is ongoing, and we are constantly learning new facts about the extended Clark and Turck families, their neighbors and friends. So check the dates of the various posts you read and remember that the newest posts have the most current and accurate information.

• And for those of us coming out of a long indoor hibernation, remember: spring is here, summer is not far away, so don’t forget to use sunscreen.