PROMINENT among Redlands pioneer orange growers is Fred H. Clock, who has been cultivating citrus trees since the day in 1895 that he arrived with his wife, father, mother and three brothers from Latimer, Iowa. The father purchased one of the district’s first orange groves which the family has owned ever since. At first the young men ran the grove together, but later Fred Clock bought his own 20 acres of citrus trees.
Along with the development of the citrus industry Mr. Clock has played an important role in the growth of the city’s educational system, serving as a member’ of the school board for the thirty years prior to his retirement in 1937. During that period nearly every present school building was erected. In his first year of service 45 students were given their diplomas – in his last year 240 were graduated.
It was in 1908 that Mr. Clock was first elected to the Redlands school board, but had previously served as a member of the Crafton group. Lincoln school and the administration building of the high school are the only two remaining structures to remind him of those early days. A third landmark was destroyed recently when the McKinley school was torn down to make room for a modern educational plant.
Born in Franklin County, Iowa, in 1867, Mr. Clock spent his early days in a typical farm district school and still believes a farm is the finest place in the world to grow up. He graduated from the high school along with ten or twelve others, in Hampton, Iowa, and attended Northwestern university for a year when he went into business with his father and brother in a general store in Latimer, which he continued for twelve years prior to their coming to Redlands.
Of his marriage to Miss Jessie Satchell, in 1894, there are four children. Fred L. Clock is a Los Angeles architect, Charles J. Clock, a Redlands physician, while two daughters, Dorothy Carpenter and Ruth Huffman live in San Bernardino. An adopted daughter Mrs. Hope Garner, lives in Sierra Leone, Africa.
His marriage to Mrs. George McIntosh in 1930 brought five more children into his family, Betty M. Kingsbury and Donald, James, Annette and Nancy McIntosh, still in school.
Mr. Clock has spent many years serving the Methodist Episcopal church, which he attends regularly as a steward and a trustee. For 24 years he has been superintendent of the Mentone Sunday School. Sunday morning becomes one of the busiest times of the week as he travels from his home on East Colton Avenue to Mentone to assume his duties there and then returns to Redlands in time for church.
Other important civic offices that he has held include membership in the board of directors of the Chamber of Commerce, beginning about 15 years ago; the Y.M.C.A. board for 10 years, including three as president; the House of Neighborly Service board since 1925; the Associated Charities board for many years and present president; the Salvation Army board and the Boy Scouts. All these organizations have Mr. Clock’s interest at heart. He is a past master and a life member of the Blue Lodge, Royal Arch Chapter, and past commander of the Knights Templar of the Masonic order. He is also a charter member of the Kiwanis club, serving as president one year.
Mr. Clock served with the Y.M.C.A. in France during the World war from August, 1918 to August, 1919. Two hobbies interest him greatly-photography and stamp collecting.
Source: Redlands Golden Jubilee, 1938, p. 30.
[See biography of Mr. Clock’s brother, Harry L. Clock (1870-1947).]
