Son of Porter Clark

Warren Clark, Desert Railroad Prez

                                            Trona Execs: Warren Clark, middle, top row

By Bryce Martin

Warren Clark was president of the Trona Railroad, a short line track running  across the Mojave Desert for 31 miles. The railroad was established in 1914. Its usage was wholly instrumental in supplying potash to the nation and lowering the price of the product. Prior to, the Germans had a monopoly on potash distribution. He and wife Shirley had two daughters, Teri and Lisa, and a son named Porter Matthew. Warren was the son of Porter M. Clark and Maude (Shaw) Clark of Galena. 

Warren's name I had heard often in family discussions. He is connected to us Martins from our Shaw side. I looked him up in Trona in 1963 where I found him in his office. We had a nice visit and talked some "shawp."

Beginning on January 1, 1963, Warren was promoted to assistant general manager under president and general manager J.S. Latham. Warren was effectively in charge of the Trona operation since Latham was based in Los Angeles. Superintendent at Trona was Ivan Cederburg. Warren had been with the railway since the early 1950s when he was a general freight and freight claim agent. He remained in the head position for many years until his retirement. By that time, his title had changed to president and general manager.

According to genealogy buff John Schehrer, in response to our communications in 2011, “You are right about George M. Shaw having some Indian blood.  All of us who are descended from George and Sarah Morris Shaw have some Indian blood because Sarah was a Cherokee.  That means that all of those Shaws that we have talked about are included, even Warren Clark. Yes, he would be related to me because Maude Shaw Clark was his mother and Maude and my grandmother, Lillie Shaw Patty, were first cousins."

Warren and Shirley retired to live in Henderson, Nev. Warren Shaw Clark was born on September 19, 1925, in Galena. His father, Porter Mason Clark, was 51 and his mother, Maud C. Shaw, was 29. He died on July 29, 2010, in Nevada at the age of 84, and was buried in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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