Clayton 4

This certificate shows the successful completion of a several month procedure. Bill Sebright, Juan Thompson, and Mark Wagner completed the application for the Governor's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Don and Lorraine Ball along with Bill Sebright gave testimony before this council. On June 27, 2003 they testified as to the qualifications of the Clayton School to be placed on the State and National Historic Register. The History and Signifance sections of the application can be seen under the heading "Old Clayton School" at the beginning of the Web Site. The plaque presented to the Deer Park School District by the Clayton Histoical Society showing National Historical Register status can be seen at the north entrance to the Clayton School.

Larry Lewis along with one of his sisters attended the Clayton School rededication. Most if not all of the Lewis family attended this school over a period of years. The children of Hayes and Elva Lewis are as follows: Kenny*, Bob*, Betty*, Juanita, Virginia*, Tommy*, twins Jack & Jean*, Dale*, Shirley, Dorothy Joe*, twins Larry*, & Louise, and Jimmy, fourteen in all. (an * denotes deceased)

A recent photo (June 2010) of our Executive Board of the Clayton Deer Park Historical Society. Left to Right- Bill Sebright - President, Sharon Clark - Managing Editor, Rob Higgins - Vice President, Grace Huble - Secretary, Mark Wagner - Treasurer.

A picture of the Gibson family taken in 1926 on the family farm southwest of Clayton.

Jacob and Nellie Gibson raised all his family on one little homestead. Left to right: George and Margarete Gibson, Jake and Jenevive Gibson, Emil and Jenny Gibson. Bert and Selma (Gibson) Erickson, Ed and Catherine (Gibson) Garvey and Paul and Ella Gibson.

This Photograph is from the Emma Cowan album. It is identified as the Clayton School but doubts linger. It appears to be a photo from the Clayton Community Church judging from experience only. As usual comments are welcome.

Gladys Clouse doing dishes about 1916. Youngest sister of Royal M. Clouse, still living at 97 years of age.

Mr. Ben (Pinky) Renner was Straw Boss (Superinten-dent) over the entire crew of the brick plant.

Warren Nord escorts Robert Clouse to the old Clayton Grange dining hall now the attic of his barn. It had been 60 years Since Bob was in the room.

Ray and Evelyn Carr joined by Leo Michel. Circa 1944,

Elva Kendig Clouse with her little sister in North Dakota around the time our veterans were returning from WW I. She later settled on a farm near Clayton with her family until the death of her husband in 1971. This originally torn and tattered photo was beautifully restored by Dennis Ottmar.

In this class picture is Eddie Olson, far upper left, who has survived to this day. He is still sharp as a tack. (Eddie passed away in 2016.)

Emil and Margaret Tobeck converted a house into a very small grocery store directly across the street from the Clouse house. After running the business for several years they rented the store out to Larry Clouse. The patrons were few and far between and, the last store in Clayton since the early 60s was closed.

Old memories just won't die. The deserted old Berger farm out on Williams Valley Road.

The Clayton Merc. Left to Right. Fred Bettefreund, Alyse Westby, Ole Wind and Charles Huffman.

A ceremony scene at the rededication of the totally restored Clayton School building by the Deer Park School District.

You will just love this gizmo once you learn how to handle it Ma. & just think, you won't have to feed it hay and oats, take it to the water trough, curry it, harnes it, none of that stuff. Just turn on the key, crank it just like you do the model T, Ma. You can plow faster so you can quit earlier and get into the kitchen & fix those vittles for me. Life's going to be a lot easier for you from here on out Ma.

There were top notch molders at the Clayton terra cotta works, This piece was done by Frank Frey. Leno Prestini, Mr. Sater, Mr. Hansen and Tony Marconi were other master molders. Tony Marconi was Leno's mentor.

This is an early day Survey map of Clayton & Big Foot Valley.

This painting hangs on the wall of the main floor of Deer Park's City Hall. It depicts the railroad station that used to be one block south of Crawford on Main Street. It was moved to just south of Rosauers on west H Street.

This Deer Park man, Bog Sobczuk, is visiting the charming Clayton Tavern. Bog Sobczuk. When asked how his last name was spelled, responds while watching your face, “SOB!”, then hesitates. “I am sure he always gets the same reaction.” Bog was born in a concentration camp in Eastern Europe, long after WW II. His family was later able to come to the United States. Somehow they were able to settle in Deer Park where his Dad worked for the railroad.

tA welcoming by the driveway to the Estate of Warren and Rainy Nord. The story of this couple can be seen in a Clayton Album 5, the Nord family story.

The Treasurer of our CDPHS, Mr. Mark Wagner, accepts a more than generous donation from Taffy Long of the Clayton Drive-In. The $1008 donation was the proceeds from the breakfast put on by the Clayton Drive-In on Clayton Brickyard Day, August 4, 2007. Clayton citizens, Chuck and Rita French, made a more than generous donation of $500.

The Zimmerer farm, a wonderful example of farms in the area.

When the Royal Clouse family moved on to the old Berger place in 1944 my Mother Elva Clouse snapped this picture the day we moved in. All our meager belongings were stacked outside while the house was being slicked up enough to make it livable. I have often wondered what she was thinking as my late little Brother sat in the barn yard with our Collie Puppy RING had his paws wrapped around him. A young Man from Vernon BC, Jadon Ward has the talent to color a Black & White which he did so very well in this old favorite photo taken 66 years ago. Thank you Jadon Ward. You did a maticulous job.

This is the Clayton Homestead Map drawn from the files of the United States Bureau of Land Management. The map is labled with the name of the homsteader and the month and year of the patent assignment. The Northern Pacific Railroad received ownership to the odd numbered sections and sections 16 and 36 were reserved to the state for schools.

A year by year listing of Clayton's historical events.

The beginning of the end of Clayton’s heyday. This photograph was taken by Larry Clouse the day in 1957 when the Clayton Mercantile burned to cinders.

This picture was taken form the water tower prior to the 1908 fire. In the far upper right the land has yet to be cleared for the Clayton Drive In now stands. At the far end of an ungraveled muddy Railroad Avenue stands a pottery plant. Cord wood is stacked high to fire the kilns.

This photo is of Olga Westby, fellow employes and a number of patrons at the Westby Hotel. Many laborers stayed at hotels with room and board until they could build or buy suitable living quarters. The Westby Hotel can be viewed in the picture above in the upper portion far right.

Clyde and Slim or Clyde & Pal were regulars playing for Grange dances. Clayton being their favorite. They had a 15 minute radio program every weekday morning. Slim died at a very early age, so Pal took his place in the spotlight. Clyde was the Father of both. Our thanks to Lyle Holcomb for this picture.