Clayton, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Clayton is an unincorporated community in Summers County
, West Virginia
, United States
. The community was first settled in 1813. Clayton once had a post office
, which opened in 1879 and closed in 1959.
and has an elevation of 2034 feet (620 m). It is south of Keeney Knob
, the tallest mountain in Summers County at 3921 feet (1,195.1 m). Other nearby mountains include Dempsey Mountain and Red Spring Mountain. Clayton is located on the Righthand Fork of Hungard Creek, a branch of the Greenbrier River
.
The nearest post office to Clayton is located in Pence Springs
, which is 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Clayton and has ZIP code
24962. The nearest incorporated town is Alderson
, in neighboring Greenbrier
and Monroe
Counties, which is 5.6 miles (9 km) east of Clayton. Clayton is 15.9 miles (25.6 km) east-northeast of Hinton
, the county seat of Summers County.
. The first settlers in Clayton were Joseph Graham and his family, who settled at Clayton in 1813. Graham soon built a gristmill
in the community, the first in the surrounding area. The community earned its name in 1835, when Cincinnati balloonist
Richard Clayton landed near the community after a 300 miles (482.8 km), 9.5-hour flight; his flight set United States records for ballooning, and he stayed in the community for three days to see local visitors. A church which also served as a school was built in Clayton in the 1850s. The first settlers of Clayton practiced an agricultural lifestyle, but lumber
became a prominent industry after the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
opened a branch near the community.
Clayton's post office
opened on November 3, 1879 on the site of Joseph Graham's home; the original postmaster was David Graham Ballengee. A new post office building was built in 1892. David Graham Ballengee served as postmaster until 1939; his 59-year tenure as postmaster made him the tenth-longest-serving postmaster in United States history. Ballengee was succeeded as postmaster by his son, Homer Ballengee, who served as postmaster until the post office closed on March 31, 1959.
to the south and east of Clayton. The nearest interstate highway to Clayton is Interstate 64
, which has exits in Sandstone
and Green Sulphur Springs
to the northwest of Clayton.
The nearest rail line to Clayton is a CSX
line which runs through Pence Springs. This line also carries Amtrak
's Cardinal service; its nearest stop to Clayton is in Alderson
.
Summers County, West Virginia
Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,927. Its county seat is Hinton. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The community was first settled in 1813. Clayton once had a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, which opened in 1879 and closed in 1959.
Geography
Clayton is located at 37°43′24"N 80°43′44"W. It is situated in the Ridge-and-Valley AppalachiansRidge-and-valley Appalachians
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...
and has an elevation of 2034 feet (620 m). It is south of Keeney Knob
Keeney Knob
Keeney Knob is a mountain of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians in Summers County, West Virginia. It is the highest point in Summers County. The mountain is the site of the WVNS-TV transmitter. The city nearest to Keeney Knob is Alderson....
, the tallest mountain in Summers County at 3921 feet (1,195.1 m). Other nearby mountains include Dempsey Mountain and Red Spring Mountain. Clayton is located on the Righthand Fork of Hungard Creek, a branch of the Greenbrier River
Greenbrier River
The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long, in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
.
The nearest post office to Clayton is located in Pence Springs
Pence Springs, West Virginia
Pence Springs is an unincorporated community in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. It lies along the Greenbrier River to the east of the city of Hinton, the county seat of Summers County. Its elevation is 1,539 feet , and it is located at...
, which is 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Clayton and has ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
24962. The nearest incorporated town is Alderson
Alderson, West Virginia
Alderson, a town in the US State of West Virginia, is split geographically by the Greenbrier River, with portions in both Greenbrier and Monroe Counties. Although split physically by the river, the town functions as one entity, including that of town government...
, in neighboring Greenbrier
Greenbrier County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,453 people, 14,571 households, and 9,922 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile . There were 17,644 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
and Monroe
Monroe County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,583 people, 5,447 households, and 3,883 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 7,267 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
Counties, which is 5.6 miles (9 km) east of Clayton. Clayton is 15.9 miles (25.6 km) east-northeast of Hinton
Hinton, West Virginia
Hinton is a city in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,880 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Summers County. Hinton was established in 1873 and chartered in 1897. Hinton was named for John "Jack" Hinton, a prominent lawyer of Summers County and husband of...
, the county seat of Summers County.
History
The first land grant in Clayton was made in 1786 to Colonel James Graham of LowellLowell, West Virginia
Lowell is an unincorporated community in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. Lowell is located on the Greenbrier River east of Hinton and southwest of Alderson. The community was first settled in 1770 and is the oldest community in Summers County....
. The first settlers in Clayton were Joseph Graham and his family, who settled at Clayton in 1813. Graham soon built a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
in the community, the first in the surrounding area. The community earned its name in 1835, when Cincinnati balloonist
Balloon (aircraft)
A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner....
Richard Clayton landed near the community after a 300 miles (482.8 km), 9.5-hour flight; his flight set United States records for ballooning, and he stayed in the community for three days to see local visitors. A church which also served as a school was built in Clayton in the 1850s. The first settlers of Clayton practiced an agricultural lifestyle, but lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
became a prominent industry after the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
opened a branch near the community.
Clayton's post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
opened on November 3, 1879 on the site of Joseph Graham's home; the original postmaster was David Graham Ballengee. A new post office building was built in 1892. David Graham Ballengee served as postmaster until 1939; his 59-year tenure as postmaster made him the tenth-longest-serving postmaster in United States history. Ballengee was succeeded as postmaster by his son, Homer Ballengee, who served as postmaster until the post office closed on March 31, 1959.
Transportation
Clayton is served by two main county highways, Summers County Route 6 and Summers County Route 7. It is also served by several fractional county highways: Summers County Route 6/1, Summers County Route 7/11, Summers County Route 7/12, and Summers County Route 7/13. The nearest state highways to Clayton are West Virginia Route 3 and West Virginia Route 12 which run concurrentConcurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
to the south and east of Clayton. The nearest interstate highway to Clayton is Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
, which has exits in Sandstone
Sandstone, West Virginia
Sandstone is an unincorporated community in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. It lies along West Virginia Route 20 and the New River to the north of the city of Hinton, the county seat of Summers County. Its elevation is 1,352 feet...
and Green Sulphur Springs
Green Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Green Sulphur Springs is an unincorporated community in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. It lies near Interstate 64 to the northeast of the city of Hinton, the county seat of Summers County. Its elevation is 1,552 feet . Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with...
to the northwest of Clayton.
The nearest rail line to Clayton is a CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
line which runs through Pence Springs. This line also carries Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Cardinal service; its nearest stop to Clayton is in Alderson
Alderson (Amtrak station)
Alderson Station is an Amtrak station in Alderson, West Virginia, served by the Cardinal. It is located at 1 C&O Plaza, and functions as a request stop...
.