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History · Clayton

Clayton’s post office opened in 1907, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

Most of Clayton was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1982. Its Register listings are the Clayton High School-Auditorium and the Frisco Railroad Depot. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1901 on, and the census since 1950.

1907first post office
2on the National Register
6%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Clayton’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Clayton began

When was Clayton founded?

1907

The Clayton post office opened in 1907, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Dexter (1894), opened inside today’s town and later closed.

First census: 612 in 19502020 census: 555119 years
Founding year: the first Clayton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Clayton’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19013 editions of the USGS map, 1901 to 1991. Watch Clayton change.Boom and bustPeaked at 833 in 1980; 555 people lived here in 2020.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Clayton’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewClayton, OK: Clayton Payne Co Oklahoma …: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Clayton on the map, 1901 to 1991

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

Clayton on the 1901 USGS mapClayton on the 1971 USGS mapClayton on the 1991 USGS map1901Tuskahoma sheet · 1:125,000

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

People over time

Clayton, census by census

02004006008001960198020002020Peak: 833

Peaked at 833 in 1980; 555 people lived here in 2020.

8 censuses, 1950–2020.

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

The story

How Clayton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Clayton.

Read it all →

Clayton was formerly known as Dexter. A United States Post Office was established at Dexter, Indian Territory on March 31, 1894, and was named for Dexter Chapman, early-day resident.

The official name of the post office name changed to Clayton, Indian Territory on April 5, 1907. Its name is thought to have been derived from Clayton, Missouri. It is also possible the town renamed itself after William H.H. Clayton, judge of the U.S. Court for the Central District of Indian Territory. Judge Clayton was prominent in the role to gain Oklahoma’s statehood.

Clayton is the largest town or community in northern Pushmataha County. It is the region's largest trading center due to its relative distance from the county seat of Antlers—36 miles.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Clayton, 1894 to 1980

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1894Post officeThe Dexter post office opens
  3. 20th century
  4. 1901On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 1907Post officeThe Dexter post office closes
  6. 1907Post officeThe Clayton post office opens
  7. 1929Born hereLee Roy West is born here
  8. 1980CensusPopulation peaks at 833
By decade

Clayton, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Clayton, OK: Clayton Payne Co Oklahoma TyDate?Clayton, OK: Clayton Payne Co Oklahoma Ty
Today7 recent
Clayton November 2016 11 (Crain Elementary School)2016Clayton November 2016 11 (Crain Elementary School)Clayton November 2016 09 (Clayton Middle School)2016Clayton November 2016 09 (Clayton Middle School)Clayton November 2016 07 (Clayton Child Care Center)2016Clayton November 2016 07 (Clayton Child Care Center)Clayton November 2016 05 (Lawson Boulevard)2016Clayton November 2016 05 (Lawson Boulevard)Clayton November 2016 04 (Lawson Boulevard)2016Clayton November 2016 04 (Lawson Boulevard)Clayton November 2016 01 (United States Post Office)2016Clayton November 2016 01 (United States Post Office)OKMap-doton-Clayton2004OKMap-doton-Clayton
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Clayton, OK: Clayton Payne Co Oklahoma Ty
Retake this viewClayton, OK: Clayton Payne Co Oklahoma Ty

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Clayton’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Clayton

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1988
Clayton High School-Auditorium
Clayton High School-AuditoriumFrisco Railroad Depot
Buildings
Clayton High School-AuditoriumBuilding
All 2 listings
Frisco Railroad DepotBuilding · listed 2024

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices and burying grounds

Clayton’s post office has been open since 1907. Another post office, Dexter, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Dexter
1894–1907
Clayton
1907–today
18901960today
1cemetery inside Clayton
Clayton Old Town

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Clayton’s history

What year was Clayton founded?

The Clayton post office opened in 1907, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

What is on the National Register in Clayton?

Two places: the Clayton High School-Auditorium (listed 1988) and the Frisco Railroad Depot (2024).

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 (8), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.