Clayton

Clayton is one of Idaho's most unique and iconic places.  Clayton's official "Population 7" sign is a source of pride and humor in the local community.  Actually, Clayton is much more than the small former mine smelter town.  The Clayton Area includes roughly one quarter of Custer County's 4,000+ population.  Clayton's area extends from Torrey's to Dead Man Hole along The Salmon River, as well as all of The East Fork, too.  That's how far the delivery of US postal mail extends.

The Shining Star of Clayton it the Clayton Area Historical Association's restoration of the Clayton Store.  It was an inspiring multi-year project that brought together many Clayton Area people to volunteer to make it happen.

The Clayton Fourth of July Parade and BBQ is know far and wide around this part of Idaho.  If you're anywhere near Clayton around Independence Day, you simply can't miss it.

The Clayton Area Historical Association (CAHA) website is THE place to begin to learn about Clayton and the surrounding area.  Here's CAHA's website:  http://www.claytonidaho.org/

 Restoring the store above was a true labor of love by countless volunteers over several years.  The historical museum inside is generally open 10-4 on weekends.  The photo below shows how the store was situated with respect to the smelter when Clayton was very much in the thick of the local silver mining industry.  Both photos are CAHA property and shown here courtesy of CAHA.