Clayton Historical Society & Museum

11/04/2026

The Annual Meeting of the Clayton Historical Society will be on Thursday, November 12, 2026. At Endeavor Hall in downtown Clayton. The public is invited.

11/02/2026

What a spooktacular night in Clayton! 👻🎃

After seven years, the Clayton Ghost Walk returned last night, and what an incredible evening it was! We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and support from our community, and we couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who helped bring this beloved Clayton tradition back to life.

A very special thank you to the advanced drama students from Clayton Valley, who brought our ghosts, legends, and stories to life! Your talent, creativity, and enthusiasm made the evening truly memorable.

We also want to extend a huge thank you to the local businesses that helped make the evening such a success!

Skipolini’s for generously donating pizza to our volunteers and actors and keeping everyone fueled for a busy night!

Vinny’s Taqueria for getting in the spirit and bringing to life a meal of our historical miners!

Enye, La Veranda, Roadside 22, Clayton Club and Sip and Sweet for getting into the Halloween spirit with their Spooky Specials and helping make this a community-wide celebration!

Sip and Sweet and La Veranda for graciously opening their doors to host some of our actors throughout the tours.

And, of course, thank you to our incredible volunteers, organizers, and everyone who joined us! From the behind-the-scenes preparations to the final ghostly encounter, this event wouldn’t have been possible without the time, energy, and support of so many wonderful people.

It was such a joy to see downtown Clayton come alive with history, folklore, laughter, and perhaps a few unexpected visitors…

Thank you for helping us resurrect the Clayton Ghost Walk! Until next time… keep an eye out for the White Witch!

Patti Michaels Pratt and the Clayton Historical Society

10/31/2026

10/12/2026

News and Events

Fall is a beautiful time of year, even with this year’s unusually hot weather. I hope you are staying cool and hydrated while preparing your homes and gardens for the winter rains.


It is also time for the Clayton Historical Society & Museum’s Annual Meeting, election, and special presentation. Please see the proposed slate of officers on page 3. Join us at Endeavor Hall on November 12. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for w**e and visiting, followed by the election at 6:55 p.m. and the presentation at 7:00 p.m.

Nancy Niemeyer, who creates our wonderful museum exhibits (https://claytonhistory.org/exhibits/) , will present a lively, approximately 30-minute slideshow featuring popular songs from the early 1900s. We’ll hear the music while viewing photographs of Clayton people and places, along with song lyrics. It promises to be a fun evening!

Patti Pratt, our Youth Enrichment Director, is bringing back the Ghost Walk on October 30 (https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/clayton-ghost-tour) . Two tours will be offered: a family-friendly walk for those with young children and a spookier tour for those seeking a few more chills. See pages 4–5 for details.

In this issue’s History Notes, Debbie Eistetter explores the Sunshine Camp Preventorium on Marsh Creek Road in the 1920s. You’ll find her article on pages 6–7.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our volunteers, docents, and Board members whose time and dedication keep the Clayton Historical Society & Museum thriving. Clayton is fortunate to have so many people committed to preserving and sharing its history. See page 12 for our volunteer recognition, and consider joining us as a volunteer in 2027. With many wonderful events ahead, there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved (https://claytonhistory.org/give/) !

On page 15, you’ll find the various giving levels for Friends of the Clayton Historical Society & Museum. As an entirely volunteer-run organization, we are grateful for your generous support (https://clayton-historical-society.square.site/donate) , which helps keep the Museum open, sustain our programs, and maintain our historic building, now more than 150 years old.

Linda Cruz, Editor
[email protected]
925-672-0503

Annual Meeting and Presentation

The Clayton Historical Society & Museum’s Annual Meeting, election, and special

presentation will occur at Endeavor Hall on November 12. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for w**e and visiting, followed by the election at 6:55 p.m. and the presentation at 7:00 p.m.

Nancy Niemeyer, who creates our wonderful museum exhibits, will present a lively, approximately 30-minute slideshow featuring popular songs from the early 1900s. We’ll hear the music while viewing photographs of Clayton people and places, along with song lyrics. It promises to be a fun evening!

Check out our event on Thursday, Nov 12, 2026.

Click here for an update from Clayton Historical Society & Museum!

10/07/2026

IT'S BACK!!!! The Clayton Historical Society has brought back the eerily haunted Ghost Walk!
You can register at https://claytonhistory.org (https://claytonhistory.org/) or scan below! Although there is no fee for the event, the Historical Society and Museum are always happy to accept donations that go towards funding our afterschool enrichment programs, museum upkeep, and fun events like this.

Many local restaurants will be featuring Spooky Specials and Witches Brews for the occasion so make sure to plan on a special evening in our beautiful Clayton!

09/15/2026

News and Events

SUMMER FLEW BY...every year time goes faster and faster. We must be having fun!

So much has happened since our last issue. The 34th Annual Clayton Gardens Tour was held. The Clayton Historical Society and museum volunteers sincerely thank the gracious garden hosts, volunteer docents and the tourgoers who make this important Museum fundraiser possible. Our community looks forward to this venue each year. See page 7.

We also wish to thank the Clayton Business & Community Association (CBCA) for its generous donation to help keep the museum operating. Although the museum is run entirely by volunteers ongoing funding is needed for maintenance, insurance, utilities and other essential expenses.

The annual third grade class field trips and private tours continued, as well as the Youth Enrichment Program. This summer’s blacksmith demonstration was especially popular. Junior Docent Anya Majumbar received an Award of Excellence for her outstanding assistance with the Youth Enrichment Program. See photos on pages 4-6.

We joined Clayton’s Fourth of July Parade along with Uncle Sam. See photo on page 3.

The Annual Clayton Historical Society Meeting and Election will be held on November 12. Additional information about the program will be sent in mid-October. Please see the Calendar on page 2.

Finally, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our volunteers. The Museum simply could not stay open without you. Your time, dedication and continued support are deeply appreciated.

Sincerely,

Linda Cruz, Editor
[email protected]

Click here for an update from Clayton Historical Society & Museum!

08/20/2026

Check out the Clayton Museum on Sept. 20 to find out about the early Portuguese immigrants that took to farming in Clayton. We will be open from 1:00 - 4:00. And enjoy the Hispanic Heritage Celebration in the Grove Park from 12:00 - 4:00

07/10/2026

Another successful preschool field trip to the Clayton Museum.

07/10/2026

Our friends from Buxworth, England - our Sister City and the birthplace of Joel Clayton, raising the USA flag on July 4, 2026 in solidarity with us.

07/07/2026

Clayton July 4th Parade, 2026