Clayton, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Clayton is a city in Rabun County
, Georgia
, United States
. The population was 2,019 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat
of Rabun County
and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains
.
trails. Explorer and naturalist William Bartram
came through the Dividings in May, 1775 while exploring what would later become Rabun County. Much later, after Clayton had grown to include the Dividings, two of the old Cherokee trails became the main roads for Clayton and the county: U.S. 441 and U.S. 76.
Clayton was incorporated December 13, 1823 as Claytonville but the name was later shortened to Clayton. The city was named after a prominent jurist and congressman, Judge Augustin S. Clayton who served in both the Georgia House of Representatives
and Georgia Senate
before becoming as a representative of Georgia in the United States House of Representatives
from 1831–1835. In 1824, 67 acres (271,139.6 m²) were purchased from Solomon Beck for $150 and a site for a courthouse and the surrounding streets was laid out.
In 1904, the Tallulah Falls Railway
was completed to Clayton from Cornelia, Georgia
and was later extended to Franklin, North Carolina
by 1907. Clayton has had public water and sanitary sewer service since the 1920s. Initially, the water supply was two springs on nearby Buzzard Roost Mountain, but today Clayton uses Lake Rabun
as its water supply.
In 1936, Clayton recorded 30 inches (762 mm) of total snowfall making that year the snowiest year in the city. The recorded snowfall in Clayton in 1936 is also a state record.
Part of Disney's Old Yeller
was shot here in 1957.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all of it land. The elevation of Clayton's downtown area is 1925 feet (586.7 m). A number of hilltops within the city limits exceed 2,200 feet.
of 2000, there were 2,019 people, 816 households, and 497 families residing in the city. The population density
was 653.2 people per square mile (252.3/km²). There were 1,006 housing units at an average density of 325.5 per square mile (125.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.55% White, 2.77% African American, 0.89% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 9.41% from other races
, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.71% of the population.
There were 816 households out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples
living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,600, and the median income for a family was $36,164. Males had a median income of $25,823 versus $18,304 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,977. About 7.9% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 140 full-time teachers and over 2,221 students.
(1897–1966), whose works included The Winner Names the Age,and Strange Fruit, as well as Killers of the Dream. Smith owned and operated Laurel Falls Camp for Girls, located just outside of Clayton. Clayton was also home to children's author Caroline Rowan Kidd (1951-2011) who passed away due to ALS
complications at Traces of Tiger, a nursing home south of Clayton.
John Gourlay, 2005-09, Lehigh University basketball player, University of Arkansas RSVP Program, has strong connections with Clayton, GA through his grandparents.
Rabun County, Georgia
Rabun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 15,050. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 16,519...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,019 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Rabun County
Rabun County, Georgia
Rabun County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 15,050. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 16,519...
and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
.
History
The area that would eventually become Clayton was called the Dividings because it sat at the intersection of three important CherokeeCherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
trails. Explorer and naturalist William Bartram
William Bartram
William Bartram was an American naturalist. The son of Ann and John Bartram, William Bartram and his twin sister Elizabeth were born in Kingsessing, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. As a boy, he accompanied his father on many of his travels, to the Catskill Mountains, the New Jersey Pine Barrens,...
came through the Dividings in May, 1775 while exploring what would later become Rabun County. Much later, after Clayton had grown to include the Dividings, two of the old Cherokee trails became the main roads for Clayton and the county: U.S. 441 and U.S. 76.
Clayton was incorporated December 13, 1823 as Claytonville but the name was later shortened to Clayton. The city was named after a prominent jurist and congressman, Judge Augustin S. Clayton who served in both the Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia House of Representatives
The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly of the U.S. state of Georgia.-Composition:...
and Georgia Senate
Georgia Senate
The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly .-Composition:According to the state constitution of 1983, this body is to be composed of no more than 56 members elected for two-year terms. Current state law provides for 56 members...
before becoming as a representative of Georgia in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1831–1835. In 1824, 67 acres (271,139.6 m²) were purchased from Solomon Beck for $150 and a site for a courthouse and the surrounding streets was laid out.
In 1904, the Tallulah Falls Railway
Tallulah Falls Railway
The Tallulah Falls Railway, also known as the Tallulah Falls Railroad, "The TF" and "TF & Huckleberry," was a railroad based in Tallulah Falls, Georgia, U.S.A. which ran from Cornelia, Georgia to Franklin, North Carolina...
was completed to Clayton from Cornelia, Georgia
Cornelia, Georgia
Cornelia is a city in Habersham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,834 at the 2010 census. It is home to one of the world's largest apple sculptures, which is displayed on top of an obelisk shaped monument...
and was later extended to Franklin, North Carolina
Franklin, North Carolina
Franklin is a town in Franklin Township, Macon County, North Carolina, United States, within the Nantahala National Forest. The population was 3,490 as of the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Macon County. Franklin is an official Appalachian Trail friendly destination...
by 1907. Clayton has had public water and sanitary sewer service since the 1920s. Initially, the water supply was two springs on nearby Buzzard Roost Mountain, but today Clayton uses Lake Rabun
Lake Rabun
Lake Rabun is a twisty reservoir with of shoreline located in the Northeastern corner of Georgia in Rabun County. It is the third lake in a six-lake series that follows the original course of the Tallulah River. The series begins with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake, followed by Lake Seed,...
as its water supply.
In 1936, Clayton recorded 30 inches (762 mm) of total snowfall making that year the snowiest year in the city. The recorded snowfall in Clayton in 1936 is also a state record.
Part of Disney's Old Yeller
Old Yeller (1957 film)
Old Yeller is a 1957 Walt Disney Productions film starring Tommy Kirk, Dorothy McGuire and Beverly Washburn, and directed by Robert Stevenson. It is about a boy and a stray dog in post-Civil War Texas. The story is based upon the 1956 Newbery Honor-winning book Old Yeller by Fred Gipson. Gipson...
was shot here in 1957.
Geography
Clayton is located at 34°52′40"N 83°24′6"W (34.877788, -83.401691) and is situated at the southern base of 3,640-foot Black Rock Mountain. Immediately to the east of the city is 3,000-foot Screamer Mountain. Other Blue Ridge Mountain peaks between 2,500 and 3,000 feet surround the city.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.1 square miles (8 km²), all of it land. The elevation of Clayton's downtown area is 1925 feet (586.7 m). A number of hilltops within the city limits exceed 2,200 feet.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,019 people, 816 households, and 497 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 653.2 people per square mile (252.3/km²). There were 1,006 housing units at an average density of 325.5 per square mile (125.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.55% White, 2.77% African American, 0.89% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 9.41% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.71% of the population.
There were 816 households out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.2% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,600, and the median income for a family was $36,164. Males had a median income of $25,823 versus $18,304 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,977. About 7.9% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Rabun County School District
The Rabun County School DistrictRabun County School District
The Rabun County School District is a public school district in Rabun County, Georgia, USA, based in Clayton, Georgia. It serves the communities of Clayton, Dillard, Mountain City, Pine Mountain, Tallulah Falls, and Tiger, Georgia.-Schools:...
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 140 full-time teachers and over 2,221 students.
- Rabun County Elementary School
- Rabun Gap Community School
- South Rabun Elementary School
- Rabun County Middle School
- Rabun County High SchoolRabun County High SchoolRabun County High School is a public high school operated by the Rabun County School District. It is located on the edge of Tiger, a town in Rabun County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the original venue of Foxfire magazine and related projects....
Camps
The area around Clayton has long been the location for a number of camps for young people, mostly operated during the summertime.- Camp Ramah Darom is located in the Persimmon Valley northwest of Clayton.
- Camp Rainey Mountain is located 4 miles (6 km) southeast of Clayton.
- Camp Pinnacle is located 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Clayton.
- Camp Dixie is located 2 miles (3 km) west of Clayton.
- Camp Blue Ridge is located in Mountain City, 3 miles (5 km) north of Clayton.
Notable citizens of Clayton
Clayton was home to author and civil rights activist Lillian SmithLillian Smith (author)
Lillian Eugenia Smith was a writer and social critic of the Southern United States, known best for her best-selling novel Strange Fruit...
(1897–1966), whose works included The Winner Names the Age,and Strange Fruit, as well as Killers of the Dream. Smith owned and operated Laurel Falls Camp for Girls, located just outside of Clayton. Clayton was also home to children's author Caroline Rowan Kidd (1951-2011) who passed away due to ALS
ALS
ALS refers to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's diseaseIt may also refer to:-Medicine:* Advanced life support, a level of medical training* Anterolateral system, part of the nervous system...
complications at Traces of Tiger, a nursing home south of Clayton.
John Gourlay, 2005-09, Lehigh University basketball player, University of Arkansas RSVP Program, has strong connections with Clayton, GA through his grandparents.