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NOT SO WILD, THE OLD WEST
A COLLECTION OF FACTS, FABLES AND FUN
BY
CLARA TOOMBS HARVEY
Foreword
For those approaching the winter of life, there is always a quick and delightful way to become young again and that is to take a swift journey into yesteryear with cherished memories. Many of these memories are within the covers of this book.
These are stories of early days in and around Union County, New Mexico. The biographies and thumbnail sketches of many of our pioneers who were builders of this part of the Old West, were preserved in scrapbooks, old letters, interviews and my own recollections.
In my effort to sift fact from fancy, to separate truth from legend, I have held interviews and have written many letters to verify stories which are used. If there are discrepancies, I ask forgiveness and forbearance.
Throughout the book I have referred to our Spanish-Americans as Mexicans. The reason for this is that from 1821 to 1846, New Mexico was part of the Republic on our southern boundary and we were under Mexican rule. My research for this treatise begins less than two decades from that time. These people were proud to call themselves Mexicans, although many of their ancestors came from Spain. The Indians, then the Mexicans, were our first settlers; to them I pay tribute.
Without the assistance given me by the descendants of our pioneers who are long gone, many of these biographies might have been lost to posterity. To these descendants I express deep appreciation.
I gratefully acknowledge the assistance given me by the following: Dr. and Mrs. D. D. Monroe for granting me access to their fine library during my research for material used; to Mrs. Goldie Thompson for her article, Retrospection which she so graciously sent me and for her helpful suggestions which I have found of great value in compiling my material.
To my four treasured friends whose names happen to be Alice; Alice Porter Blake, Alice Emery, Alice Schleter John and Alice Gill Benton, I express appreciation for the use of material they furnished me. Paul Drew, George Hardesty and Jay T. Brown, Jr. gave me much interesting material for the Folsom chapter. John Otto, Ed Heringa and John Zurick were among those who have assisted me in compiling data of our early settlers.
CLARA TOOMBS HARVEY
Chapter 1Talk of the Town
THE railroads in the early days were the arbiters of destiny all over the West. Every town they touched was given new life and those they by-passed, were doomed.
Early settlers in north-eastern New Mexico bought their grain and other supplies in Trinidad, Colorado where they periodically sent wagons by way of the upper Cimarron and Trinchera Pass over rough roads. The wool clip of our sheepman was also hauled to Trinidad for shipment to the east, a long and expensive process.
In 1886 a line of rails had been laid from Fort Worth, to Clarendon, Texas and in September of 1887 a survey was made to bring the railroad through north-eastern New Mexico to connect with Trinidad. Much credit was given Stephen W. Dorsey for contacting his friend, Gen. Granville Dodge of New York, who became the commanding figure in getting the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad through what later became the town of Clayton.
A location for a town was agreed upon midway between Amarillo, Tex. and Trinidad, Colo. to facilitate shipping of cattle, sheep and wool. A mile and a quarter north of the site chosen, was a spring with sufficient water supply so that the railroad company could install a pumping plant and bring water to the right-of-way.
Homer Byler had filed a claim on this fine spring and had named it Apache Spring. He moved his stock of merchandise and the Perico Post Office to this location.
Travelers and surveyers came to look over the possibilities of the new town and Bylers business boomed. He had the only store and also served meals in his dugout.
A town company was organized under the laws of the Territory of New Mexico known as the Clayton Land and Investment Company with John C. Hill, its president. As a courtesy to Stephen and Helen Dorsey, the town was named for their young son, Clayton, who grew to manhood and became well known as an attorney in Denver, Colo. The incorporators of the company were Thomas S. Holland, M. D. Harrison, both civil engineers, Charles M. Perrin, who made the first survey, and John C. Hill and Stephen Dorsey.
The town site was surveyed, as those who live here well know, just slightly off from the true compass directions. Town lots were for sale and business ventures came into being and in 1887-88 the town of Clayton was born.
The railroad shops were to be located here in Clayton but Homer Byler and the railroad officials got into an argument and the shops were placed in Texline, Texas. Otherwise Clayton would have become the division point. A turntable for engines had already been unloaded in Clayton when the difficulty with Byler arose.
Byler decided to move the post office, store and restaurant to Clayton. He bought lots, erected a building, part frame with canvas sides and top, on the south side of Main Street. The lots are still in the Byler family. Byler was Post Master when the post office was at Perico and in March of 1888 he was named Post Master when Clayton became a town.
In the next few years, the first fine homes were erected, most of them made of adobe which were later weatherboarded on the outside. Clayton became a busy shipping center with many buyers from the East here frequently.
The need of a hotel was evident, so Senator Dorsey built a two-story edifice called the Clayton House. Here weddings, funerals, court and sometimes religious services were held.
Dr. North bought the Clayton House from Dorsey and later the Jack Porter family owned it. This building was on the lots where the present R. W. Isaacs Hardware Company now stands.
Carl Eklund and Christian Otto had rock hauled to Clayton which became two of the two-story buildings on Main Street, directly across from the other. Mr. Schleter erected business buildings on the north side of Main street and across from them Homer Byler put up a substantial business house. After more than sixty years these buildings are still in the families of the early settlers who erected them. The Eklund Hotel is owned by Hilma Lee Eklund Alford and her husband John Alford. The Otto building is now owned by Myldreth Otto Haaren, and the son of Homer Byler who bears the same name, still owns the buildings which were erected on the first lots bought in the new town of Clayton. Robert Caldwells jewelry store, Huggs department store and the City Drug store are in the original Schleter buildings which are now owned by Alice Schleter John.
