Helen W. Clark was born about 1853. She was a Scottish Presbyterian woman who worked with the Women's National Indian Association. It is unclear whether the Association sent her to the Spokane Reservation or she went there and then became affiliated with the Association. She arrived at the Spokane Reservation on 18 December 1894 as a missionary-teacher for the Native Americans. School opened in January 1895. When she arrived, she was the only Non-Native American living at the Reservation. Her duties included teaching, keeping community peace, serving as a subagent and assimilation of the Native Americans. She was not only an instructor but also a protector. In 1899 the Association sent her to a mission at Neah Bay, WA because there were rumors that the school at Spokane Reservation was going to be disbanded. She was a missionary-teacher at Neah Bay, WA for 20 years or more. By 1937 she had moved to Huntingdon, Quebec where she passed away 14 Dec. 1937. She is buried in the old Clark lot of Elgin Cemetery.
From the description of Washington State Library's Helen W. Clark collection, circa 1908. (Washington State Library, Office of Secretary of State). WorldCat record id: 294861937
