The Biographical Dictionary of America/Clark, Lewis Gaylord

CLARK, Lewis Gaylord, journalist, was born at Otisco, Onondaga county, N.Y., in 1810; son of a soldier of the Revolutionary war, and twin brother of Willis Gaylord Clark. He went to New York city, where he engaged in literary work, and from 1834 to 1859 edited the Knickerbocker Magazine, which had been established in 1833, but was not prospering, even with Irving, Bryant, Halleck, Longfellow, and Willis as contributors. In 1855 "The Knickerbocker Gallery," a volume of contributions by the writers for the Knickerbocker, with portraits, edited by Francis, Griswold, Kimball, Morris and Shelton, was published for his benefit. The proceeds from the sale went far toward the purchase of a home at Piermont-on-the-Hudson. The Knickerbocker was the pioneer of advanced literary taste and the immediate cause of a higher class of popular periodical effort. While an educator, it failed of sufficient support, and in 1859, owing to financial mismanagement, it became bankrupt. Mr. Clark was for some time employed in the New York custom house and continued his literary work for the press up to the time of his death. He was one of the originators of the Century association and a member of the St. Nicholas society. He published the Knickerbocker Sketch Book (1850), and Knick-knacks from an Editor's Table (1852). He died at Piermont, N.Y., Nov. 3. 1873.