History of Clayton

In 1886, with the expansion of the railroad north from Fort Worth, the town of Clayton was born. Midway between Amarillo, Texas, and Trinidad, Colorado, its central location, the availability of water, and its convenience as a shipping point for cattle, sheep and wool made it an ideal choice for a town site. By 1887, after numerous surveys, the route now followed by the Colorado and Southern railway was chosen for the new railroad and construction was well in progress by mid-summer of that year.

A town company, with John C. Hill as its president, was formed. Among those influential in developing the company was Stephen W. Dorsey, a former U.S. senator from Arkansas, who now had immense cattle holdings in Northeastern New Mexico. At the senator’s suggestion, the emerging town was named for his son, Clayton.

On March 20, 1888, the first train left Fort Worth for Trinidad. This is considered the birthday of Clayton and on March 23, 1888, Clayton became the town’s official name.

The infant town grew steadily and soon became the shipping hub and supply depot for all the ranches within a 100 mile radius.

Visible for miles, the Rabbit Ear Mountains north of Clayton were a landmark for early travelers on the Cimarron Cut-Off of the Santa Fe Trail. Name for a Cheyenne Indian chief, Orejos de Conejo, (Ears of the Rabbit), who was killed in a fight with Spanish colonists in 1717 and is buried on the larger mountain, the two ancient volcanic cones still stand as silent sentinels of the modern highways which have replaced the old trails. Under their shadow, Clayton continued to grow, surviving blizzards, droughts, the Dust Bowl and the Depression of the Thirties. Today the thriving little metropolis continues to serve the surrounding area and is a crossroad for travelers.