Clayton 1

Something old, something new. The pride of Clayton is our newly refurbished 90+ year old school house. In addition a new friend paid our little town a visit. Her name is Teresia Calene. She came to town as a professional photographer to photograph a wedding held at Clayton, Washington, Fairgrounds. Following the wedding a Claytonite gentleman took her under his wing & showed her the town. She fell in love with it and here's proof.

This photo was taken on the fire escape leading from the 8th grade classroom. Those recognized, bottom row, Alice Donovan, Mary McGrorty. Second row, center. Arletta Casberg, June Tobeck.Third row, center, Agnus Baynes, Jean Lewis. Fourth row w/ 4 girls, top left, Carol Baker, far right, Darlene Schlieman. Next up 2 boys on the right, George Westling. Next to top tier, 4 boys. Top right., Warren Lytell. Very top on left Jack Goodwin. The rest are unidentified at this time. Year taken probably 1945, 7th and 8th grades. Why is this such an important photo? There has been three generations of off spring from these young souls and another generation is being started as we enjoy the Clayton Deer Park Historical Society Website.

This old relic has been sitting in the weeds and snow banks since Marvin Calicoat pulled it in next to his garage years ago.

Mr. and Mrs. Art Stelting and Duane Costa. Both home town boys.

In this picture taken in the mid-1940s are long time Clayton school teacher, Mrs. McDonald on the left, Mrs. Lenhart second from the right, and Mrs. Sweeny the principal on the far right.

Our town was built using friendly fire. Not one product left the Washington Brick and Lime plant without being tested with fire. This man stoked the kiln. He wasn't just anybody as it took years of training and experience to keep the kilns at the proper temperature. Not too hot, not too cool. A small three pronged cone used to monitor the kiln temperature was set just inside a bricked up door near a tiny viewing opening plugged with a round ceramic plug. The fireman watched these cones like a hawk. There was a certain red hot glow that told him all was well. Too dark not hot enough, Too bright a glowing red, too much coal. After several days the three prongs would start to bend over like a candle in a very warm room indicating that the bricks had been fired properly. The bricks were then cooled slowly by removing bricks in the doors. Bricks real close to the fire boxes got much hotter than those further away and melted together. These "clinker" bricks were be misshapen and separated out as rejects. At first they were discarded until it was found that there was a huge market for clinker brick.

A recently discovered photo of Main Street (Railroad Avenue), Clayton. The photo of the original depot (2 pictures up and to the right) states it was destroyed in the 1908 fire, so this scene with the new depot had to be taken following the fire.

Local character Frank Frey and his dog Spot. Both have shown up in several Leno Prestini paintings. The Brickyard is in the background. Photo by Arlene Whitney.

Rugged and beautiful were the old settlers. So far unidentified but part of the team that won the west.

Clayton Home Ec. Club photograph taken about 1950. Front row- left to right: Lulu Twidwell, Pearl Christianson, Lena Berger, Dorothy Steele, Lalia Williamson, Back row- Alma Berger, Ella Gibson, Lucy Berg, Edith (Christianson) Welch, and Anni Higgins.

This group picture is of the Westby brothers and cousins. The Westby family was instrumental in starting the Trysil Lutheran Church east of Clayton (moved to Deer Park and now the Zion Lutheran Church). The family donated land for the church and cemetery. The family worked many many hours in building and maintaining the church. The Zion Hill Cemetery is located on Mason Road west of where the church originally stood. Back row from left to right: Otto, August, Kap, Harald, and Albert. Front row: Einer, Olaf, Halver, unknown, Oscar, and unknown. Our thanks to Vera Wind Spaulding for this photo.

A picture of the second disaster of 1957. First the Washington Brick and Lime closed the brick plant. Second the mercantile burned to the ground due to an unknown cause. This is a Clarence Glassbrenner photo.

Mrs. Violet Marie Zimmerer, Mother of Ron Zimmerer and Lorraine (Rainy) Nord. A direct decendent of true Pioneers, Ole T. and Helena Westby. With but a few years while working in the Shipyard as a Rosie the Riveter, she has lived her entire 90 some years within a 1/4 of a mile of her birth place.

Art Stelting, Class of 1942, Deer Park High School and celebrated World War II Veteran.

Allen Berg, Class of 1942 Deer Park High School and celebrated World War II Veteran.

Frederick Wind and Mae Huffman circa 1917.

Teresia Calene snapped a photo of our old Moose Hall, now the Clayton Grange Hall, professionally restored to its original glory by the Grange members and the friends of Clayton.

The dedication of the Moose Lodge in 1926. From 1944 through 1958 the hall was the gymnasuim and autitorium for Clayton and Deer Park School Districts. In 1958 this beautiful building became the Clayton Grange Hall. Thanks to Vera Spaulding for this picture.

Sixth Grade Class spring of 1957. Mr. Lumberg, Principal, and teacher is on the left. Mr. Gardiner is on the right. These students went on to be part of Deer Park High School Class of 1963. Can you find Neal Tobeck, former Deer Park city employee? How about Ken Feser former Deer Park School District bus driver?

Clayton High School, 1924. Back row- Principal, Edna Rohweder, Esther Olson, Charotte Schonfeld, Donna Lowe, Trula Barnes, Catherine Gibson, rest unknown. Middle row: third from the right Dora Jones Jarrett. Front row-middle, Roy De Merice.

The Clayton of old, streets were dirt, mud, and snow. This Lawrence Zimmerer picture was taken after the 1908 fire that totally destroyed the business section of Clayton. Note the buildings replacing the originals were more ramshackle and the town had not fully recovered as can be seen in the background. The photograph was restored by railroad historian Dale Jones.

1908 CLAYTON FIRE- These 3 pictures are compliments of Patty Shives Wainwright. The above picture seems to be taken on what is now Railroad Ave. Two of the men shown are Lon Billings and Sam Conners. Let us know if you know which they are. The picture below is of the Brickyard.

Clayton Fire showing kilns.

Mr. Dale Jones describes this Zimmerer photo as, "... the Spokane Falls and Northern Depot circa 1889/90. My records indicate that it was an 8' x 38' depot destroyed in the 1908 fire."

This is a Lawrence Zimmerer photo, also restored by rairoad historian Dale Jones who states, "This is the Clayton Great Northern depot after the 1908 fire." Dale's records show that Great Northern built a new 18' X 60' depot which we are able to see in many of the other Clayton photos. This depot was sold and removed circa 1941.

The Clayton area ladies: back row. Pearle Cline, Lucille Tobeck, Margaret Tobeck, Alma Berger, ??, ?? Thelma Lindh, Norma Lindh Burnett, Dorothy Casberg, Alice Christainson, ??, Edith Christianson Welch holding her daughter. Seated- Pearl Christainson, Kate Coffin, Etta Christianson, and kids, L to R- Neal Tobeck, The other two boys are Christianson grand kids. And last but not least the little doll Miss Margie Tobeck.

This photograph was also taken in 1908.

Clayton School in 1918 had grades 1 through 12. It’s from the photo Library of Ellen and Jack Lewis.

The all class photo of the 1944-45 Clayton Grade School. Mrs. Sweeney far right and Clarence Nord 2nd from right back row. A total of 99 students not including absentees. Two in the 8th grade class were Ralph Baynes and Harold Warren.

The Clayton Grange Hall was gutted in a fire set by an adolescent arsonist in 2005.

The terracotta building was where the artists did their sculpting and fired their work to decorate famous structures all over the USA. The influential artist Leno Pristini, as well as many other talented men worked their magic here.

This photo of the brick plant workers was taken prior to the 1908 fire that destroyed the entire business district along with the brickplant. When the plant was rebuilt, loading sheds along the rail siding were constructed as well as a new office building.

A photograph of the McGrorty, Costa and Michel familys taken in about 1935. The Costa & Michel men were long time employees of the brickplant and fathers of some very fine children.