John Clark (March 20, 1823 – July 23, 1892) was a landowner, investor, farmer, founder and namesake of Clarksdale, Mississippi. He was the brother-in-law of Mississippi Governor James Lusk Alcorn.
Born in Lancashire, England, Clark moved to the states in 1839 at the age of 16. He purchased 101 acres of land[1] on the Sunflower River favouring its fertility. It was on this land that the town of Clarksdale came to be. He married Eliza Jane Alcorn and together they had 8 children. He passed away on July 23, 1892[2] and is buried in the local cemetery.[3]