Clarence M. Hoar, agent at Houghton for the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway Company and the Mineral Range Railroad Company, is a native of Houghton, Houghton County, Michigan, and is a son of Hon. Richard M. and Elizabeth W. (Bailey) Hoar.

 Hon. Richard M. Hoar, one of the most prominent of Houghton County's citizens, whose portrait is herewith shown, was born at St. Anstell, Cornwall, England, March 28, 1831, and was one of nine childen born to Jacob and Gertrude (Martin) Hoar, both natives of Cornwall, his father being an engineer. Mr. Hoar attended school until 12 years old, and then engaged in the clerical department of a mercantile establishment. At the age of 20 he went into business for himself and remained in England until 1854, when he immigrated to Canada, and engaged in the dry goods business from 1854 to 1859. In 1859, removing to Houghton, Houghton County, Michigan, which he had visited in 1857, he formed a mercantile partnership with his brother, John Hoar, and this continued, until the death of the brother in 1884, under the firm name of John Hoar & Brother. Richard M. Hoar then continued alone, also having a store at Portage Entry until 1897. In addition, he engaged extensively in other business operations. With his brother he took a government contract in the "sixties" to open a wagon road between Houghton and Baraga. He was largely engaged in freighting, for some years doing all the freighting for the section, besides carrying the mail, freight and express between L'Anse and Houghton. He had the contract for building the western end of the Marquette, Houghton & Ontonagon Railroad (now the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway), and until the road extended beyond L'Anse conducted a boat and stage line, the former in the summer and the latter in the winter. When the road was completed to Houghton, about 1882, he had charge of the Portage Lake Transfer Company, which did the transferring of all freight across the lake until 1886, when the Mineral Range Railroad was built across the lake. Mr. Hoar was the second president of the village of Houghton, and was a councilman almost from the time the village was organized. He was chief engineer and organizer of the Houghton Fire Department, established about 1862, and for 15 consecutive years was a member of the School Board. In 1873 he was elected to represent Houghton and Baraga Counties in the Michigan Legislature, and served most acceptably to his constituents. He was married at Toronto, Canada, to Elizabeth W. Bailey, of Kent County, England, by whom he had six children, as follows: Mrs. J. S. Smith, deceased; Clarence M., subject of this sketch; Frederick W., superintendent of the Old Dominion Mining & Smelting Company, at Globe, Arizona; Martin R., also a resident of Arizona; Mrs. L. M. Hardenburgh, whose husband is superintendent of the Odanah Mining Company, of Hurley, Wisconsin; and Mrs. Elton W. Walker, whose husband is assistant superintendent of The Tombstone Consolidated Mines Company, at Tombstone, Arizona. Mr. Hoar was a thirty-second degree Mason. His death occurred February 12, 1903.

Clarence M. Hoar was educated in the High School and attended school at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for a time, being called home by a telegram from his father to assist in the railway construction, and to act as paymaster and to have charge of accounts. Afterwards, he assumed the duties of manager of the Portage Lake Transfer Company, continuing until the Mineral Range Railroad crossed Portage Lake. On April 1, 1886, he was made agent for that road at Houghton, and in September, 1886, went to Hancock as agent of the road and for the American Express Company. In May, 1887, he was appointed traveling auditor for the Mineral Range Railroad Company, and in September, 1887, was made assistant auditor. In October, 1888, he was appointed acting auditor and cashier; October 14, 1889, auditor and cashier; and when the road came under the manageent of the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway Company, January 1, 1894, spent some months at the general offices in Marquette, Marquette County, Michigan. Desiring to return to Houghton, he accepted the position of station agent that he now holds. Fraternally he was a charter member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, established in Houghton in 1889.