Landmark Building
CHARLES CLARK RESIDENCE
725 Macleod Trail , High River
Built in 1907
'); "Charles Clark Residence")
Charles Clark Sr. worked on an Ontario newspaper known a The Kincardine Review before moving west at the turn of the century. Although he initially sold horses in Calgary, his love of journalism and the newspaper business never left him. In 1901 he purchased The Okotoks Review. Clark was not without competition as Bob Edwards, another Ontario newspaperman, had already established The Eye Opener in High River. When Edwards moved his operation to Calgary in 1904, Charles Clark transferred his business to High River and became the first publisher of The High River Times.
This house was built for Charles Clark and his new bride soon after their marriage in 1907. Their son, Charles Clark Jr. was born here in 1910 and succeeded his father as editor and publisher of The Times in 1930. Charles' son, Joseph Clark, did not continue in the newspaper business but entered politics and served as Prime Minister of Canada in 1979-80.
Like many of the houses built across the prairies, the Clark house defies any easy stylistic categorization. It is a one-and-one-half storey residence with an asymmetrical plan shape. Adding character to the house are the wrap-around verandah and large dormer windows. The over-all impression is that of a solid and comfortable middle-class dwelling, reflective of the prosperity of the High River community in the early twentieth century.
The Landmark Buildings and Places Database draws on the series of walking and/or driving tour booklets produced by Alberta Culture (now Alberta Culture and Community Spirit). The Heritage Community Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ministry through permission to reprint these materials online. Extracted from A Walking Tour of High River. Heritage Inventory Program, Alberta Culture, and Town of High River, with permission from Alberta Culture and Community Spirit. Visit the Alberta Culture and Community Spirit for more information. Visit the Alberta Culture and Community Spirit for more information.