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After the end of the Civil War, Col. Jefferson Clark went west to seek his fortune. "Lefty" Clark as he became to be known worked as a Texas Ranger and on the cattle drives, until he discovered his knack for the advertising business. Quick to note the increasing commercialization of the west, he established the first advertising studio west of the Brazos River. Increasing competition between the newly established businesses in the frontier towns brought the need for logos, brochures, menus, signs, newspaper ads and posters. He consolidated his holdings in the western territories during the little-known, but bloody, Printers Wars. He made and lost several fortunes in his lifetime, but passed on the largest advertising business in the west to his son-in- law. |
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| The Creative Services Building in Happydale, Nebraska the first multi-story building between San Francisco and Chicago served as the home base for the many traveling salesmen who canvassed the west in the early part of the century. They sold all types of advertising and printed materials, door-to- door and at county fairs. Advertising also sold briskly in the big cities through a network of franchised dealers and through their catalogs of mail order layouts, type spec, graphic design and advertising. |
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| The company grew under the careful managerial eye of Winston Ampersand, the son-in-law of Col. Clark, and soon the corporation moved into new offices in the new 13 floor CS Tower in burgeoning, Cleveland, Ohio. The building had a indoor swimming pool, skeet range, zeppelin dock and gourmet restaurant. |
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| One day a young man who had worked his way to the top of the corporation made a surprise announcement! Fifteen years earlier, he had started as a key-liner and office boy, but worked hard and was eventually promoted up to Sr. Vice-President & Special assistant to Winston Ampersand himself. He then made it known that he was the long-lost grandson of Col. Jefferson Clark and the rightful heir to the Creative Services empire and forced Mr. Ampersand into retirement.
Jeffson Clark is shown below, with his friend Joe DiMaggio, to whom he acted as unofficial batting coach, mentor and drinking buddy. |
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Continuing through the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties, Creative Services International now renamed as Clark Design, has continued to serve as a leader in the international business community with high-quality advertising, graphic design, and corporate communications. Presently under the stewardship of Jeffrey Jon Clark, the company is an important leader in both graphic design, advertising and corporate management. Clark Design is a leader in the recognition of women, both as clients and in positions of corporate leadership, first to offer benefits and income from the cradle to the grave, first to provide free child care, free lunches, a leader in the recruitment of minorities, first to allow for flex time, work at home and sabbatical leave, an environmentally friendly company and a politically correct one as well. Mr. Clark continues to lead the company from his homes in Greece, Cleveland, Ohio, Aspen Colorado, New York, NY and from his 104- foot sailboat, Kate. Mr. Clark visits his many worldwide offices and interests often, and is available for consultation. Although the mail order catalog is long gone and those widely-collected (and valuable) western posters and signs are a thing of the past, the company and its many employees continue to strive to bring the world the best advertising ever. As Col. Clark used to say in the 1800's: Howdy!, Can we work for you today partner? ; - ) |
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