Clayton Album 1 NOTE: Please left click on each photo for an enlarged view.

The Life and Times of Clayton Washington. 19th, 20th, and 21st Centuries

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This 1932 aerial view of Clayton where the Clayton Community Church was called the Protestant Church.

The School was totally renovated by the Deer Park School District. The School is now the home of the Home Link Program.

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.

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.

The Clayton High and Grade School in the early twenties. It is every bit as solid today as it was when the first photo was taken.

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, Deer Park City Employee? How about Ken Feser Deer Park School District Bus Driver?

Mr. and Mrs. Art Stelting and Duane Costa. Both home town boys. Here's proof, Art's given name is "CLAYTON." On the other hand, Duane Costa and his Cousin Bruno Costa donated an original Leno Prestini painting to our Society. This is the highlight of the decade.

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.

Long time Clayton School teacher, Mrs. McDonald is on the left. Mrs. Lenhart is second from the right. Mrs. Sweeny, Principal in the mid 40s far right.

The Clayton of old. Streets were dirt, mud, and snow. This Lawrence Zimmerer picture as explained below by RR Historian Dale Jones 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.

Our town was built using friendly fire. Not one product left the Washington Brick and Lime without being tested with fire. This man stoked the kiln. He wasn't just anybody. It took years of traing and expierience to keep the kilns at a certain temperature. Not to hot, not to cool. A small three pronged cone set just inside a bricked up door with a tiny opening pluged 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 glowing red, too much coal. After several days the three prongs would start to bend over like a candle in a very warm room. The bricks were cooled slowly by removing bricks in the doors. Bricks real close to the fire boxes got much hotter than those away and melted together. These bricks would be seperated but would be misshapen. Thus you had clinker brick. At first they were discarded until they found there was a huge market for clinker brick.

This is a Lawrence Zimmerer photo, restored by Rairoad Historian Dale Jones who states, This is the "Clayton GN Depot after the 1908 fire." Dale's records show that GN 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.

A recently discovered photo of Main Street Clayton. Taken in 1908. The photo of the original depot upper right states it was distroyed in the 1908 fire, so this scene with the new Depot had to taken following the fire.

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

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- Pearle Christainson, Kate Coffin, Etta Christianson, and the kiddies, L to R. Neal Tobeck, The other two Boys are Christianson grand kids. And last but not least the Little Doll and still is, Miss Margie Tobeck.

These fine pioneers are Paul and Ella Gibson, Paul and Alma Berger, Saul and Lulu Twidwell and Mr. and Mrs. Fred Higgins Sr. Also in the background is the original Grange Hall built in the twenties. This was the place to be on Saturday night for some of the best dances ever. We had home town musicians like Fred Swanbeck, professionals like Clyde and Slim. Later Clyde & Pal, Rocky Star, and the famous Mom and Dads. Those were the days my friends. This Grange Hall still lives today but with a slightly different use. More about that a few photos down.

This was also taken in 1908. Wallace Parker will unravel the facts. There are three 1908 photos. which are prior to the fire and which are after? We'll have to wait and see.

Horray. Here are the names of each and everyone of these Clayton vacinity ladies. Taken about 1950. Front Row. L to R Lulu Twidwell, Pearl Christianson, Lena Berger, Dorthy Steele, Lalia Williamson. Back row, Elma Berger, Ella Gibson, Lucy Berg, Edith (Christianson) Welch, Anni Higgins.

Guy Davis and his new saw mill in 1978

This group picture is of the Westbys, brothers and cousins. The Westby family was instumental in starting Trysil Lutheran Church (now Zion Lutheran in Deer Park). 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 l to r- Otto, August, Kap, Harald, Albert. Front row- Einer, Olaf, Halver, unknown, Oscar, unknown. Our thanks to Vera Wind Spaulding for this photo.

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 are Ralph Baynes and Harold Warren.

Number 2 disaster of 1957. First the Washington Brick and Lime closed the Brick plant. Then the Mercantile is history. Burned to the ground by unknown cause. This is a Clarence Glassbrenner photo.

Grange Hall gutted by an adolecent arsonist in 2005. This is a Bill Sebright photo and is by far and away the best one seen to date.

The view of the Brickyard from Main St. in Beautiful downtown Clayton. The plant was closed in 1957. The same year the Clayton Merc. burned.

Terra Cotta building is where the artists did their sculpting, fired their sculptures for famous structures all over the USA. The influential artist Leno Pristini, as well as other talented men worked their magic here.

Elva Clouse took this photo the day we moved in. the fall of 1944. It may not look very inviting but those were some of the best years of our lives.

This photo of the crew 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 the office building.

Carl and Rays,

The McGrorty and Costa family in about 1935. The Costa men were long time employees of the Brickplant and fathers of some very very fine children.

A few of these people are still living to this day. Don Gibson, Margaret Gibson Daugherty and Bob Gibson for sure.