Site of Lynching George Marshall Clark 1861

Marker Text: Milwaukee’s only recorded lynching occurred on this block on September 8, 1861. African-American residents George Marshall Clark and James Shelton were imprisoned on September 7 after a fight the previous evening during which Shelton fatally stabbed Darby Carney, owner of a popular Third Ward saloon. After Carney died, a mob stormed the County Jail in the early morning of September 8. Shelton escaped, but the crowd seized Clark, beat him severely and dragged him to this area where he was hung on a pile driver. Police arrested six men for their roles during the riot, but none were convicted.