An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, pages 421-422 CHARLES F. CLOUGH, the senior member of the firm of Clough & Graves, is one of the most enterprising and successful men in Spokane, Washington. This firm is well known not only in Spokane but also throughout the Pacific Northwest, it being composed of Hon. C.F. Clough and Mr. J.P. Graves. Since its advent into the realty field, the firm have made some very large investments: in fact, some of the largest investments made by outside capitalists have been negotiated through their office. By their shrewdness, their judgment, and their conservative business methods, they have made some excellent and paying investments, thus gaining an enviable reputation and building up a business that stands pre-eminently in the front rank of sound enterprises. The aggregate real estate made by this firm in a single year reached $2,000,000, which shows the confidence reposed in these gentlemen by Eastern and Western capitalists. Both members of the firm have accumulated a large amount of very valuable property, both improved and unimproved, consisting in part of business blocks and residences. They have made a specialty of organizing syndicates for the purpose of buying large tracts of land, and platting and selling the same. The different projects of this nature that they have been engaged in were in every instance a financial success, and the members of the firm have invariably been members of these syndicates, thus testifying to the confidence they felt in their transactions. One tract of twelve acres was handled by them in this manner, the syndicate paying $70,000 for the property. Inside of six months the property was sold for $281,000. While this was an exceptional case, they have been eminently successful in making profitable investments for all the companies and syndicates that they have organized. Mr. Clough was born in Rhode Island, December 26, 1843, son of Zera and Sally M. (Cook) Clough, natives of Connecticut and Rhode Island respectively. The father, a prosperous business man, died about the year 1849. The mother is still living and has her home at Providence, Rhode Island. Both the Cloughs and Cooks are of English descent. The subject of our sketch spent his youthful days on a farm and received his education in the public schools. In 1861, when in his eighteenth year, he enlisted in Company E, Fourth Rhode Island Infantry, with which he served through the entire war. He was with Burnside's expedition in North Carolina in January, 1862, and participated in all the engagements of that campaign. In July of the same year he was transferred back to the Army of the Potomac, and in the fall was with that army in Maryland, taking part in the battles of South Mountain, Antietam and Fredericksburg. Next, his company was sent to Suffolk, Virginia, where he was in several skirmishes. A year later he was returned to the army of the Potomac; was in front of Petersburg until the surrender of Lee in April, 1865. He was mustered out at Providence, Rhode Island, July 25, 1865. After the war Mr. Clough was variously employed for several years. He conducted a merchandise business at Woonsocket, Rhode Island, for a time. In 1876 he made a trip to California, and was so well pleased with the Pacific coast that he located at San Francisco, and until 1884 was engaged as a commercial traveler. He had visited Spokane several times in a business way, and in 1884 resolved to locate here. In the summer of that year he opened a book and stationery store, which he successfully conducted for three years, and then sold out in order to engage in his present business. He is a director in the Washington Abstract Company, and is a director and treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce. In political matters he has taken an active part. He was a member of the City Council two years, -- in 1886-?87. In 1890 he was nominated in a non-partisan mass convention for the office of Mayor, and was elected by a large majority. His administration has been a credit not only to himself but also to the people whom he faithfully and conscientiously served. Mr. Clough has been married twice. In 1866 he wedded Miss Mary Lewis, a native of Rhode Island. She died leaving one son, Lester F., and he married Miss Carrie H. Signor, a native of Illinois, in 1889. He is a member of Sedgwick Post, G.A.R. Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in October 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer * * * * Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.