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Dr. Billy J. Clark's Monument |
Billy Joe Clark was born in 1778. As a Vermonter, he worked as a farm boy, a clerk, and as a bartender in his father's tavern. When he decided to become a doctor, he interned with Dr. Gibbs in Pownal, Vermont and Dr. Lemuel Wicker in Easton, Washington County, New York. At some point he married Joanna Payn (Paine). In 1820 he was a Representative from Saratoga County to the State Assembly. Due to his efforts, the Saratoga County Medical Society was incorporated, the first of its kind. He practiced medicine for over 30 years in Moreau traveling between Corinth and Schuylerville. In 1833 he gave up his practice and moved to Glens Falls to establish a pharmacy. He was President of the re-organized Glens Falls Academy in 1841 and the first president of the Glens Falls - Lake George Plank Road Co. He moved back to Moreau in 1849, but near the time of his death he moved back to Glens Falls to live with his son. He was totally blind in his last years. During his lifetime, he became concerned when he observed women and children drinking freely from the father's (husband's) hard cider, beer and wine. He devoted over 30 years to correcting this problem. He staged a meeting at the Mauney's Tavern in Clarks Corners of Moreau to get men together to deal with the problems of drinking, including labor efficiency and poor personal hygiene. We was usually gentle and benevolent to the sick, but viewing drunkenness changed his demeanor dramatically. Rum Fustian was a favorite drink of the lumbermen at the "Bend in the River." It was made with 1 gallon of rum, 1 pint of gin, 1 quart of beer, 1 bottle of sherry, 12 egg yolks, and sugar and nutmeg to taste. The flavor was reported as "leathery." If you drank this, it was reported that you didn't need sobering up, you needed resuscitation. At this time in history, a typical day included rum or whiskey before breakfast as an eye opener; copious spirits with breakfast; 11:00 break for bitters, and a 4:00 break for a liquor interlude. In some communities, church or town bells actually rang at 11 and 4 to announce these breaks. During business transactions, it was expected that drinking would take place. Dr. Clark helped organize the Moreau and Northumberland Temperance Society. The following pledge was required to join the union. "I hereby solemnly promise, God being my helper, to abstain from all distilled, fermented and malt liquors as a beverage, including wine, beer and cider, and to employ all proper means to discourage the use of and traffic in the same." A man could drink, but had to pay a $.25 fine, and if found drunk, the fine was $.50, payable to the society. However, temperance rules were relaxed on the 4th of July and at a barn raising. In reflecting on his life in later years, he said, "When the pale hand draws the black folds of the eternal curtain closer and closer around us, such memories and thoughts, however remotely kindred, will be pleasant companions to all of us wayfarers to eternity!" He was originally buried in the Reynolds Cemetery but later moved to the Bay Street Cemetery in Glens Falls.
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