THE HEART OF THE CITY

ADAM CLARK

50 James Street South

IMAGE: Adam Clark (16658 bytes)Adam Clark was a plumber and contractor who established one of the longest lasting businesses in Hamilton history. He was born in Perthshire, Scotland in 1844, and moved to Canada with his family in 1849. Not much is known about his childhood, except that he spent two years in an orphan asylum. His mother admitted him and his siblings to the Hamilton Orphan Asylum on November 25, 1853. They were released back into their mother’s care on April 30, 1855.

Clark is most famous for starting the Adam Clark Company. In 1874, the company opened as a plumbing and heating installation shop. He had a brief partnership in 1882, but by 1885 he was back in business by himself. His business continued to grow and be successful. In 1891, Clark’s work included plumbing and steam fitting, hot water, gas fitting and installation of fire-extinguishing apparatus. By 1899, business was so good that Clark moved from 36 James Street South to a larger store on Main Street West and added the service of installing electric fixtures. Seven years later, he began dealing wholesale in iron and plumbing supplies. After World War I, Clark’s business expanded again, this time to include industrial markets. Two of his most prestigious contracts were with the Bank of Hamilton building and the Federal Life building. According to clients, work always stood "the test of severe inspection."

Clark was devoted to home life. He took no part in civic affairs. Two of his sons were listed as Managers of theIMAGE: Adam Clark Main Street East building (24240 bytes) company in 1906. On October 17, 1919 after a long illness, Adam Clark passed away in his Brantford home. He left his entire estate worth $131,809 to his widow. The company remained a family business. His son, William James, took over from his father at the turn of the century. William’s son, Adam H. Clark, took over from him in 1920. Even in the 1970’s, the company was still successful and still run by a member of the Clark family, Adam’s great-grandson.

The company expanded a great deal by the 1970’s. The business, initially confined to the Hamilton area, eventually expanded, making its way across Canada and eventually pursuing foreign markets. Despite growth and expansion, Hamilton remained the location of the company’s head office. The company diversified in later years and included air conditioning, refrigeration, pollution control, fire protection equipment, and municipal water and sewage plant construction in their list of services and products. The company remained a family business until 1973 when it was taken over by Ecodyne Ltd. of Oakville. In 1974, the Adam Clark Company made a successful bid to build a new Proctor & Gamble plant in Belleville.

REFERENCES:
Bailey, T.M.  Dictionary of Hamilton Biography. Volume 2. W.C. Griffin Limited. 1981.
Clipping File – Hamilton – Biography – Clark. Special Collections, HPL.
Firestone Tire and Rubber company of Canada Ltd. Volume 2. Special Collections, HPL.

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