Built the Original Barn structure. Credited with Starting the Missouri State Fair.
Cyrus F. Clark- was born in the State of Vermont, but came to Mexico, Missouri, at an early age where he commenced farming and stock raising on a large scale in partnership with Joseph A. Potts. Mr. Clark later developed horses for himself after the partnership with Mr. Potts was dissolved.
He had a band of choice, well-bred brood mares from which it was his desire to breed better horses, thus advancing the interests of the saddle horse. To do this he patronized all the best stallions and his own exceptional ones. The result was that he bred high-class horses, many of which were winners in the best shows. He sold many of his produce to go into- all sections of the country.
Mr. Clark also bred and raced trotting horses, Robert Rysdyck 2:13 1/4 being his noted stallion. Later he turned his attention more to the saddle horse again so that he bought from Mr. Potts Lee Rose 832 who had won many prizes including first at the Chicago’s World’s Fair in 1893. He continued the breeding of show horses until age crept upon him and his health failed. Thus, one of the prime movers for the betterment of the saddle horse closed out his breeding stock.
Clark built the Grand Barn for housing his race horses. With Joseph Potts, he started combination horse sales for this area, and soon got a reputation for Mexico Missouri as being the only place to go if you wanted a quality horse.
Clark built the Grand Barn for housing his race horses. With Joseph Potts, he started combination horse sales for this area, and soon got a reputation for Mexico Missouri as being the only place to go if you wanted a quality horse.
Also a Missouri State Legislator, he is known as the “Father of the Missouri State Fair”, due to the legislation he introduced to establish this event for the state. As well, he introduced key legislation so that the state was prepared to meet and deal with hoof-and-mouth disease outbreak which swept the United States.
A personal story of Cyrus Clark’s generosity was recounted by Dr. F. M. Shoush, published in the Mexico Ledger of March 15, 1934:
“One of the next characters I think of was our C. F. Clark. I met him in the spring of 1881, and enjoyed the hospitality of his home. That was while his son, Charles, was just a baby in the home. I recall that was the spring that Cy Clark purchased the fine saddle horse, Moss Rose, in Kentucky, and brought him here. Moss Rose was one of Missouri’s finest saddle stallions, and as I remember, he paid $2500 for him. He made the first season at the Clark farm, near the Fox school. He lived to be of great age, though never taking the honors that came later to Rex McDonald.
“Among many near and dear friends, I think of Cy Clark as being among the best. I always found him affable, and gentlemanly, with his hand open to the poor and needy, and seldom, if ever, did a poor man go to him for labor that he didn’t get it. I remember, when in the ministry, I was badly in need of a driving and saddle horse. There was a horse sale here, and Cy Clark stepped up to me and said, ‘Frank, why don’t you buy that horse. It is going mighty cheap.’ I said, ‘I haven’t the money.’ He said, ‘Don’t let that worry you,’ so I bought it. The next day, at the bank, when I gave a 90 day note for the amount, he took it and wrote his own name below mine, an act of great kindness to a poor Baptist preacher. He was always active in and prominent in politics, and the activities of his town, county and state. His first wife was a daughter of old Buffalo Bill Sims and wife, and a sister of Joe Potts’ wife.”
