Background
Thomas S. Clarkson was born in 1837 and attended the Saint Lawrence Academy and then received private tutoring.
Thomas S. Clarkson was born in 1837 and attended the Saint Lawrence Academy and then received private tutoring.
At this time, Clarkson engaged in other business endeavors in Potsdam, including developing local electrical power plants and the first sewer system in the area and operating large sandstone quarries on the Raquette River in 1877. Clarkson was accidentally killed while working in his sandstone quarry not far from Potsdam. When a worker was in danger of being crushed by a loose pump, Clarkson pushed him out of the way risking his own life.
Clarkson was crushed against a wall by the swinging pump, sunstaining severe internal injuries.
He died five days later. The Clarkson family realized great wealth in the development of such quarries, and Potsdam sandstone was highly sought after by developers of townhouses in New York City and elsewhere.
The family were important benefactors in the Potsdam area. The school was founded in 1896 and was called the Clarkson Memorial School of Technology before it later became Clarkson University.