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History · Clay Center

Clay Center’s post office opened in 1872, and 42% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1900 on and the census since 1880.

1872first post office
0on the National Register
42%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Quick answers

How Clay Center began

When was Clay Center founded?

1872

The Clay Center post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 147 in 18802020 census: 262154 years
Founding year: the first Clay Center post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Clay Center’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Clay Center are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19004 editions of the USGS map, 1900 to 1966. Watch Clay Center change.Boom and bustPeaked at 590 in 1950; 262 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Clay Center’s homes were built before 1950.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Clay Center’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Clay Center’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Clay Center on the map, 1900 to 1966

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Clay Center. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Clay Center on the 1900 USGS mapClay Center on the 1935 USGS mapClay Center on the 1952 USGS mapClay Center on the 1966 USGS map1900Maumee Bay sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Clay Center.

People over time

Clay Center, census by census

010020030040050060018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 590

Peaked at 590 in 1950; 262 people lived here in 2020.

9 censuses, 1880–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Clay Center’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Clay Center came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Clay Center.

Read it all →

Clay Center derives its name from originally being the center of a larger Clay Township. When Ottawa County was founded in 1840, Allen Township did not exist, but was the northern half of a larger Clay Township. When the Townships split in 1888, Clay Center became a part of Allen Township.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Clay Center, 1872 to 1950

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1872Post officeThe Clay Center post office opens
  3. 1892Born hereHarry McCluskey is born here
  4. 20th century
  5. 1900On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  6. 1916Born hereAndy Farkas is born here
  7. 1950CensusPopulation peaks at 590
By decade

Clay Center, decade by decade

Today5 recent
Third from Main2016Third from MainClay Center former school2016Clay Center former schoolClay Center Presbyterian Church2016Clay Center Presbyterian ChurchMap of Ottawa County Ohio Highlighting Clay Center Village2015Map of Ottawa County Ohio Highlighting Clay Center Vi…MapOHMap-doton-Clay Center2004OHMap-doton-Clay Center
Famous people

2 famous people were born in Clay Center

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
A
Andy FarkasProfessional American football fullback · b. 1916
H
Harry McCluskeyMajor League Baseball pitcher · b. 1892

Questions about Clay Center’s history

What year was Clay Center founded?

The Clay Center post office opened in 1872, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.