Earlier this year, the Michigan Society Sons of the American Revolution established the Jeremiah Clark Chapter in Clarkston, Michigan, prompting Grant Goulet, a board member of the chapter, to inquire about Jeremiah Clark's identity. Upon learning that Clarkston owed its name to the illustrious Clark family, an intriguing concept began to take shape.
Grant Goulet, known for his diligent work in constructing a family tree tracing the lineage of "Goulet" descendants over many years, decided to apply his expertise to assemble a family tree for the descendants of Jeremiah Clark. Unbeknownst to the chapter, Grant diligently continued his research for several months. When he eventually unearthed records of over 1,000 Clark descendants, he shared his impressive findings with the chapter, marking the inception of the Clark family legacy project.
The investigation into the family tree continued, ultimately revealing an astonishing 1,400 descendants, approximately 700 of whom have been positively identified as living descendants. The comprehensive Clark family tree, complete with all the valuable sources uncovered during the research, now resides on the Jeremiah Clark Chapter's website.
The serendipitous alignment of this project with the forthcoming 250th anniversary of America's founding generated fresh ideas on how to expand its scope. Consequently, a decision was made to collaborate with the Sashabaw Plains DAR chapter. Together, they will devise strategies to connect with these living descendants, introduce them to their rich family history, and unveil exciting plans for commemorating this cherished family heritage.