Benjamin was the youngest of four children born to:
James Monroe Clayton, b. Aug. 25, 1851 near Mooreville, Lee County, MS. and d. Jul. 7, 1926 in Bar Harbor, Hancock County, Maine &
Martha Fletcher Burdine Clayton, b. Jan. 5, 1853 in Itawamba County, MS. and d. Feb. 22, 1908 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, OK.

On Nov. 6, 1872, J. M. (James Monroe) Clayton and M .F. (Martha Fletcher) Burdine were married in Lee County, Mississippi.

James M. and Martha Fletcher Clayton's children were:
1. Dessie Burdine Clayton, b. Nov. 4, 1873 in Verona, Lee County, MS. and d. Mar. 22, 1966 in Houston, Harris County, TX. She marr. Frank Ervin Anderson on Aug. 22, 1895.
2. Hattie Leland Clayton, b. Jul. 1, 1876 in Tupelo, Lee County, MS. and d. Mar. 11, 1964 in Abilene, Taylor County, TX. She marr. John Taylor Barbee on Sep. 8, 1897.
3. William 'Will' Lockhart Clayton, b. Feb. 7, 1880 in Tupelo, Lee County, MS. and d. Feb. 8, 1966 in Houston, Harris County, TX.
4. Benjamin Burns Clayton, b. Aug. 19, 1882 in Tupelo, Lee County, MS. and d. Nov. 12, 1978 in Houston, Harris County, TX.

In the Jun. 12-14, 1880 U.S. census, 2 yrs. before Benjamin Clayton was born, his 28 yr. old father, James M. Clayton, a farmer, b. in MS., was living in Lee county, MS. with Benjamin's
26 yr. old mother, Martha F. Clayton, b. in MS.
6 yr. old sister, Dessie B. Clayton, b. in MS.
3 yr. old sister, Hattie L. Clayton, b. in MS.
3 month old brother, William Clayton, b. in Feb. in AL.
James' parents were both b. in AL. Martha's father was b. in So. Carolina and her mother in AL.
*Note: Living next door, were 55 yr. old Benjamin L. Clayton (James' father), a farmer, b. in AL., his 52 yr. old wife (James' mother), Rebecca C. Clayton, b. in AL. and their 30 yr. old daughter, Mary E. Clayton, b. in MS.

Excerpt from: Enduring Legacy: The M. D. Anderson Foundation and the Texas Medical Center, P. 30 - 47: (*There is more)
Benjamin's older brother, William (Will) Lockhart Clayton (and probably Benjamin too) was born on a cotton farm near Tupelo, MS. Theis father, James Monroe Clayton, experienced many hardships in providing for his family over the years and only barely managed financially with the help of his wife, (Martha) Fletcher (Burdine) Clayton. Working initially as a schoolteacher, James inherited the family cotton farm after the death of his parents but soon fell deep into debt and was forced to mortgage the property to his uncle. In time, a family friend offered Clayton a job at a hardware store in Jackson, TN., resulting in the family moving to the city when Will was very young. It was there that they met the Andersons. Although Fletcher Clayton ensured that her brood was neatly dressed and attended school, Will's formal education ended with the seventh grade. All too aware of the family's critical financial situation, Will began studying shorthand with a local expert as a means to earn additional income as a court reporter. At just fifteen years of age, Will became known as Jackson's speediest shorthand and typing professional. It did not take long for visiting businessmen to learn of Will and his expertise. Jerome Hill of the American Cotton Company, for example, visited Jackson frequently during this time as he checked on the development of a round bale press. Will Clayton frequently worked for Hill during this period, and soon Hill offered the young man a permanent job in St. Louis. Against his mother's wishes, he accepted the position and moved to St. Louis in 1895. After only one year, Hill offered Clayton a promotion to the New York City office. This new position offered additional responsibility with an increased salary and the sixteen-year-old Will jumped at the opportunity, moving to Manhattan in 1896. Within just eight years he became the company treasurer.
While Will Clayton climbed the corporate ladder, his younger brother, Benjamin Clayton, also installed with their mother's work ethic, assisted the family financially by working odd jobs in Jackson. Ben Clayton was born two and one-half years after Will, during the summer of 1882. Before he had left, Will had taught Ben stenography, and this skill kept Ben employed with a steady income to help the family and support himself. By age eighteen, Ben was in El Paso working for a railroad operations company, and it was here that he was offered a position by the general manager and chief engineer of Cananea Consolidated Copper Company. But Ben became ill with pneumonia about seven months later and when he did not return to work, at the age of twenty, it was at his brother's company, the American Cotton Company, in the savannah, Georgia office. Now both Clayton brothers worked in the cotton industry.
Ben, however, did not have an easy go of it. While traveling for american Cotton from savannah to New York City, he was taken ill again. This time he had to leave the train when it reached Washington, D. C., and was transported immediately to a hospital for a surgery that left him with a serious streptococcus infection in his digestive tract. After recuperating, Ben returned to his job at American Cotton. As the person responsible for the division of traffic for the Houston territory, which included all of Texas and part of Oklahoma, he had a lot to keep up with. He managed a large cotton warehouse and was responsible for hiring and supervising over 300 personnel and laborers for the company. He was a skilled manager of the cotton gins because he understood how to mill, store, gin, and transport the product. Indeed, Ben's knowledge of railroads was a significant asset because it enabled him to adeptly coordinate the company's transportation needs.
Both Clayton brothers were acquiring new skills and learning important aspects of the industry. While Ben was busy managing the Houston territory, Will had made important connections with very influential European contacts in the cotton business. He had also become an experienced hand at buying and selling cotton during his employment at American Cotton. His role was a to learn how cotton needed to be processed and shipped from New York with the highest profit margin possible. This specific training left Will with an uncanny ability to calculate the prices for the purchase or sale of cotton quickly and extremely accurately.
At the time that Frank and Burden (Anderson) made their journey to New York City, Ben, at just twenty-two years of age, had been employed at the American Cotton Company for only two years. While Will had worked for the company considerably longer, he had lingering doubts about the company's sustainability and even attempted to resign at one point. His uncertainty was rooted in the company's mismanagement. Lamar Fleming Sr., general manger and Will's mentor at the company, described American Cotton as a firm that frequently overextended itself, with a top management group that did not get along and undercut each other much of the time. Yet, as discussed below, some of the company's dilemma also seemed from the new technology of the round bale compress. While American Cotton held a patent for a round bale compress, it was not the sole owner of such a patent. In fact, one of its major competitors also had a patent for the compress. In addition to patent issues, however, the round bale compress met with an unfavorable reception from the cotton industry in the South, which still favored the square bale compress.
By 1904, Will was more convinced than ever that the American Cotton Company's failure was fast approaching. Fortuitously, it was just at this time that Frank (Anderson) approached him with his business proposition, asking for the much-needed additional funds to kick-start his company. Keen for his brother-in-law's opportunity, Will supplied $3,000 and became a partner in Frank's new firm. He resigned as assistant general manager of American Cotton and joined Monroe and Frank Anderson to organize Anderson, Clayton & Company in August 1904. As Frank Anderson anticipated in his letter to Monroe, the American Cotton Company filed for bankruptcy later in 1904. Will Clayton was well known and highly regarded by the firm's clientele and was able to secure much of the business for the new firm. At Christmastime, Benjamin Clayton, who was still employed at American Cotton when it filed for bankruptcy, met with his brother in Ft. Worth and began preparations to become the fourth member of the new firm. He officially joined the company in 1905. So, with an investment of $3,000 from each of the four principals, Anderson, Clayton & Company was established.
The ultimate success of Anderson, Clayton & Company was inextricably related to its four founding members. From the beginning, it was apparent that each of them had a substantial knowledge of the cotton industry, but each also brought individual strengths and talents. It was not just their experience or knowledge that made them successful, but the way their skills complemented each other. Indeed, the partners' management style in those early days set the precedent for the company; each partner recognized his own strengths but also understood the synergy that came from the combination of their individual areas of expertise; Frank was an extremely skilled cotton buyer and classer; Will had developed great expertise in futures trading and cotton sales; Monroe had adept banking and money skills; and Ben was the transportation expert, extremely talented at directing warehousing and shipping.
Although they were fairly young men when they established their cotton firm, the Anderson
and the Clayton brothers each brought a high level of energy and enthusiasm to their fledgling business. Only thirty-six years old at the time of the company's formation, for example, Frank was very familiar with Oklahoma Territory and the cotton-growing areas of Texas. He had well-established relationships with cotton ginners, shippers, and others in the industry. He was highly regarded among these individuals as an honest, skilled and reliable cotton grader and buyer. Monroe had an equally pristine reputation in the banking industry. At thirty-one, he had accrued ten years of wide-ranging experience dealing with merchants and farmers in the jackson region. Cotton was the main commodity there as well, and Monroe learned to recognize a well-run operation before loaning money. Additionally, he was extremely proficient in the financial aspects of the cordon industry, using his business acumen to benefit cotton interests and his bank. Will Clayton was only twenty-four years of age at the founding of the company. No one, however, could have been better equipped with personal and professional contacts and knowledge of the product. He knew how best to transport cotton from New York to Europe, maintaining many industry contacts in various aspects of the cotton business both in the United States and in Europe. Importantly, his contacts and clients considered him a genteel and skilled negotiator. The youngest of the group, Ben Clayton, was only twenty-two years old at the time of the firm's founding. Highly respected by his employees and the individuals he dealt with daily, Ben understood how to manage clusters of cotton gins and how to coordinate the transportation of cotton from one area to another with apparent ease.
By the end of its first year of business, Anderson, Clayton & Company had handled 30,000 bales of cotton and earned a profit of about $10,000. During the next two years, this margin improved to about $60,000 each year. In 1904 cotton receipts in Houston totaled 17.7 percent of the total cotton production in the United States. By 1907, Anderson, Clayton & Company had grown significantly and needed access to larger short-term loans and lines of credit that the limited resources of the banks of Jackson could not provide. The partners decided that Houston, as a growing transportation and financial center, was a rational choice for their overall needs.
As Anderson, Clayton continued to grow, the need for more efficient and diversified transportation to move cotton increased.
At first the partners though it might be better to set up an office in Galveston. Ben Clayton and other visited the island to assess the viability of such a move. In May of 1915, Ben Clayton went down to Galveston in mid-August with his wife, Julia, where they unwittingly encountered the 1915 hurricane. The rain and the wind were relentless, and Ben's car did not have windshield wipers. On the drive back to Houston, Ben was able to see only about ten feet in front of him while the water rose up over the running board of the car. Julia allegedly turned to Ben and sweetly said, "Ben Clayton, you may move your cotton company to Galveston, but I will never live there." After these events, Galveston was no longer a consideration. Instead, later that year, Ben Clayton began to establish the transportation and trading operations for the firm in Houston. The following year, Will Clayton moved his family to Houston, so that now both of the Clayton brothers had set up their families in homes in the best residential area of the city. By the time the Claytons moved to Houston, Anderson, Clayton had grown to a book value of $1 million.
By 1916, Anderson, Clayton had established its headquarters in Houston, opened branches in New Orleans and Savannah, built its first major cotton warehouse in Houston, and opened a foreign office in Le havre, France. Europe was engulfed by World War I at this time, however, which would change the fortunes of all cotton companies in the United States and would especially prove to be a turning point for Anderson, Clayton. Before the conflict, European firms held the upper hand and bought cotton grown in America on "CIF Terms." In other words, European firms paid for the cost, insurance and freight to move cotton from U.S. ports to the main European destinations of Bremen, Liverpool and Le Havre. As the war continued, though, it became apparent that European firms would not be able to provide these measures, making it necessary to store cotton in the United States where it was grown. Anderson, Clayton & Co. quickly seized upon this opportunity by building warehouses at the new port of Houston, culminating in 1923 with the construction of the Long reach warehouse and docks. The warehouse contained several cotton compresses, and the docks were large enough to accommodate eight freighters at one time. Ultimately, WWI had proved the catalyst for major change within the global cotton industry. Anderson, Clayton & Co. quickly took advantage of the opportunity, and now Europe was no longer the dominant player in the world of cotton. Indeed, the demand for cotton both during and after the war spurred the company on to expand its foreign office operations into new countries, including England, Germany, Italy, Japan and China.
In 1924, shortly before Christmas, tragedy struck when Frank suffered an attack of appendicitis. His appendix burst, and Burden rushed him too the hospital. Unfortunately, without antibiotics, the onset of peritonitis was likely. Frank fought the illness for three days while his wife remained at his side, but finally succumbed on Dec. 15, 1924. His partners at Anderson, Clayton, true to their agreement, paid Frank's estate about $5 million, his share of the company based on the firm's book value at the time of his death.
By 1925, twenty-one years after founding the firm, only three original partners remained. By the mid-1920's, the firm, like so many other U.S. businesses "roared" to prosperity during the so-called Roaring Twenties. Anderson, Clayton & Co., the cotton-trading firm established by two sets of brothers in rural Oklahoma in 1904, had become a successful global from headquartered in Houston. The business-friendly city had all the resources the company required for success, including stable banks, abundant railroad transportation, a deepwater seaport, and many developing cultural amenities.

In the 1900 U.S. census, 16 yr. old Ben Clayton, a Stenographer, b. Aug. 1883 in
Mississippi, was living in Jackson Ward 3, Madison, TN. with his
48 yr. old father, J. M. Clayton, in the Laundry industry, b. Aug. 1851 in MS.
47 yr. old mother, Fletcher Clayton, b. Jan. 18(5)3 in MS.
20 yr. old son, Willie Clayton, a Stenographer, b. Feb. 1880 in MS.
28 yr. old servant/cook, Laura Miller, b. Oct. 1872 in TN.
J.M. and Fletcher had been married for 28 years. Fletcher was the mother of 4 children, all still alive by this census.

ANDERSON, CLAYTON AND COMPANY. Anderson, Clayton and Company, cotton merchants, was founded by brothers-in-law Frank E. Anderson and William Lockhart Clayton, cotton merchants, and Monroe D. Anderson, a banker. The partnership was established in Oklahoma City on August 1, 1904.
In 1905 Benjamin Clayton, Will's younger brother and an expert in rail and steamship transportation, joined the firm. Company headquarters moved to Houston in 1916 to be nearer the deep-water port facilities of the Houston Ship Channel.

Benjamin Clayton and Julia Scott were married on Jan. 23, 1904.

Benjamin and Julia Clayton had one child:
William Clayton, b. Jun. 17, 1905 in Shelbyville, Shelby County,
KY. and d. Oct. 17, 1975 in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, CA.

The Yukon Sun (Yukon, OK.), P. 4, Col. 2
Fri., Feb. 28, 1908
Too Much Booze
With a quart bottle of whiskey in his pocket and a suitcase full of goods belonging to B. Clayton, a cotton buyer, in his possession, a seventeen-year-old boy who gave his name as P. C. Allen, of Yukon, Okla., was arrested in a room in Clayton's house at 333 West Ninth street at nine o'clock this morning. Allen said he bought the whiskey from a man on the street and after drinking most of it, must have wandered into Clayton's house and fell asleep. The suitcase contained a shaving outfit, a butcher knife, several letters and cancelled checks belonging to Clayton. In the boy's pocket were several cards with the name P. Conway Allen printed on them. The police think he took the stuff last night while drunk. The man was discovered when Mrs. Clayton begun to straighten up the room this morning. He was asleep on the bed. A hurry up call was sent in to police headquarters and the patrol wagon brought Allen to the police station. Allen has been turned over to the county and will be held upon a charge of burglary.
Conway Allen came to Yukon last September from Oklahoma City and worked for Blair Compton for several months and then for Low McComas. He slicked "Doc" out of $1.15 and went to the City Friday evening.

In the Apr. 26, 1910 U.S. census, 28 yr. old Benj. Clayton, a Cotton Exporter, b. in TN., was living in a home he owned (mortgaged) at 614 W. 16 in Oklahoma City Ward 7, Oklahoma, OK. with his
28 yr. old wife, Julia Clayton, b. in KY.
4 yr. old son, William Clayton, b. in KY.
35 yr. old servant, Mary Lumb, b. in England
Benjamin and Julia had been marr. for 6 years. This was a first marriage for both. Julia was the mother of 1 child, still alive by this census.
Benjamin's parents were both b. in Mississippi and Julia's parents were both b. in KY.

The Houston Post (Houston, TX.), P. 52, last column
Sun., Jan. 23, 1916
Item from: Great activity Shown in Building of Residences and Many New Homes Will Be Built During Coming Spring
Another notable addition to the many handsome homes on Lovett boulevard, is that of Benjamin Clayton. This residence is now beginning to show marks of completion, and will be ready for occupancy by early spring.

The Houston Post (Houston, TX.), P. 7, Col. 1
Fri., Apr. 19, 1918
Item from: HOUSTON HAPPENINGS
Y.M.C.A. ELECTION
The election held at the Y.M.C.A. building Tuesday resulted in the re-election of the following members of the board of directors: Benjamin Clayton (and four others).

According to his Sep. 12, 1918 WWI Draft Registration card, 36 yr. old Benjamin Clayton, b. Aug. 19, 1882, was a self-employed Cotton Exporter, married to Julia Scott Clayton and living in Houston, Harris, TX. He was described as 5'11 1/2" tall, of slender build, with gray eyes and dark hair.

World War I demands for cotton enhanced the (Anderson & Clayton) company's fortunes. As its buying and distributing organization expanded, the firm acquired storage and compressors for American cotton handling and improved its finance and insurance arrangements. As United States exports and banking accommodations grew, Anderson, Clayton set up overseas distributing agents. By the mid-1920s company trading firms were operating in Europe, Egypt, India, and China.

According to his 1919 U.S. passport application, 36 yr. old Benjamin Clayton's permanent residence was listed as Houston, TX., where he followed the occupation of Cotton Merchant.
His previous passport was obtained in about 1912, but he had misplaced it.
His intention was to go abroad for about 6 months to England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium and Holland "to visit our established agencies in connection with the reconstruction and the rearrangement of our businesses in those countries." He intended to leave from the port of New York on board the Orduna on Feb. 26, 1919.
Benjamin was described as 5'10" tall, with a medium forehead, brown eyes and a straight nose, a large mouth, a straight chin, black hair, a brunette complexion, an oval face and no distinguishing characteristics.
Benjamin's brother, W.L. Clayton, signed an affidavit, stating under oath that he was Benjamin's brother, and verifying Benjamin's place and date of birth (Tupelo, MS., Aug. 19, 1882). There was a photo which accompanied the application, but the copy of the photo was of very poor quality.

In the 1920 U.S. census, 37 yr. old Benjamin Clayton, a Cotton Merchant, b. in MS., was living in a home he owned free and clear at 904 Lovett Blvd. in Houston Ward 4, Harris, TX. with his
38 yr. old wife, Julia Clayton, b. in KY.
14 yr. old son, William Clayton, b. in KY.
29 yr. old servant/chauffeur, Sanders Bowles, b. in LA.
29 yr. old servant, Alline Bowles, b. in TX.
Benjamin's parents were both b. in Mississippi and Julia's parents were both b. in KY.

According to the S.S. Malolo ship manifest, 50 yr. old Benjamin Clayton and his wife, 47 yr. old Julia Clayton were sailing from San Francisco on May 10, 1920, arriving at the port of Honolulu, Hawaii on May 14, 1920. Their home address was listed as Houston, TX.
Benjamin's birthdate and birthplace were listed as: Aug. 23, 1879 in Jackson, Mississippi
Julia was born Feb. 23, 1883 in Shelbyville, KY.

The Houston Post (Houston, TX.), P. 11, Col. 1
Wed., Jan. 12, 1921
Item from: Personals
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Clayton will leave Saturday night for New York to be gone five or six weeks.

Benjamin Clayton also applied for a U.S. passport on Feb. 21, 1921 (see photo to the right).

The Houston Post (Houston, TX.), P. 12, Col. 1
Fri., Jun. 17, 1921
Item from: Personals
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Clayton and son, William, left Thursday for a trip to California and the Canadian Rockies.

According to his August 1921 U.S. passport application, Benjamin Clayton, son of James M. Clayton, was b. Aug. 19, 1882 in Tupelo, MS. His permanent residence was listed as Houston, TX., where he followed the occupation of Cotton Merchant. Benjamin intended to go abroad temporarily for a period of one year to the British Isles, France, Norway, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria and Spain aboard the Olympia on Sep. 24, 1921 from the port of New York. His prospective trip was for business purposes. A letter on his business stationary (Anderson Clayton Co.) stated: "We have extensive interests and large offices located in various countries abroad and the contemplated trip is necessary in order to visit those offices in connection with our export business."
In this application, 39 yr. old Benjamin Clayton was described as 5'10 1/2" tall, with a straight forehead, brown eyes and straight nose, large mouth, straight chin, black hair, fair complexion and square face.
There was a photo which accompanied this application as well, but the copy of the photo was once again, very dark and of poor quality.

The Houston Post (Houston, TX.), P. 4, Col. 1
Fri., Apr. 14, 1922
SOCIETY NEWS
Outing for Miss Jackson
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Clayton entertained a group of young people and young married couples with a supper at San Jacinto Inn Thursday evening in compliment to Miss Apphia Jackson of Albany, Ga., who is the guest of Mrs. Virgil Scott. After supper the hosts and their guests motored over to Sylvan Beach for dancing.

According to his 1923 U.S. passport application, 40 year old Benjamin Clayton, son of James Clayton (a resident of Houston, TX.) and husband of Julia S. Clayton, was born at Tupelo, MS. on Aug. 19, 1882. Benjamin Clayton's permanent residence was listed as Houston, TX., where he followed the occupation of Cotton Merchant.
He intended to go abroad temporarily to England, Spain, France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, returning within three months. He intended to leave from the port of New York aboard the Pres. Rosevelt on March 12, 1923.
He was described as 5'10 1/2" tall, with a broad forehead, brown eyes, a prominent nose, large mouth, a straight chin, black hair, a brunette complexion, with a broad face and no distinguishing characteristics.
There was a photo which accompanied this application as well, but the copy of the photo was once again, of very poor quality.

The Houston Post (Houston, TX.), P. 8, Col. 1 & 2
Tue., Nov. 13, 1923
Dinner Monday Evening
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Clayton entertained group of friends at dinner Monday evening in the private dining room of the Rice hotel after which dancing in the ballroom gave diversion for the evening. Covers were laid for 24.

The Houston Post (Houston, TX.), P. 8, Col. 3
Wed., Dec. 12, 1923
Excerpt from: TWO $10,000 GIFTS RECEIVED IN DRIVE OF PRESBYTERIANS
Pastor of First Church Gives Scholarship Worth $2500
Interest in the local Presbyterian campaign for Christian education went high Tuesday at the workers dinner when gifts of $10,000 each were announced from Benjamin Clayton and F.A. Eden and a scholarship at Austin college, valued at $2500 was given by Dr. William States Jacobs, pastor of the First Presbyterian church. Mr. Clayton is a member of the State executive committee in charge of the movement in Texas and heads the general committee in the Houston campaign.

The Houston Post (Houston, TX.), P. 16, Col. 4
Wed., Jul. 23, 1924
Excerpt from: Many Houstonians Stop At European Resorts
Texas is largely represented in tourist travel in Europe, according to advices from the larger capitals. Many Houston folks are reported visiting various tourist resorts.
Mr. and Mrs. K. Elliott Womack, who have been staying in Paris at the Hotel Plaza-Athenee, have left for Vichy, where they will remain for three weeks while taking the "cure".
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Clayton have arrived in Dresden.

The Houston Post (Houston, TX.), P. 25, Col. 2
Sun., Dec. 14, 1924
Item #2: Dr. and Mrs. Gavin Hamilton, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Clayton (and three other couples) will entertain with a New Year eve dance at the Houston Country club on December 31 for their sons, all college men home for the holidays, Gail Bordes, William Clayton, Ben Thompson, Walter Bradley and Dudley Sharp. At midnight there will be a domino masque.

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 1, Col. 2
Wed., Feb. 25, 1925
BIRDS WAGE WAR ON COTTON BUG
Apartment-Houses in Fields to be Constructed for Winged Army
SUGARLAND (Tex.) Feb. 24 - Birds are to be used for exterminating the cotton boll weevil upon the plantation of Benjamin Clayton near here. J.B. Leaman, birdhouse builder of Houston, has just installed three bird apartment-houses on the farm for purple martins. Each of the houses has twenty apartments and the three houses provide nesting accommodations for 120 birds. He also is to install other bird houses for blue birds, chickadees and wrens.
"These birds", Leaman said, "destroy all kinds of insects, including the boll weevils. A lot of farmers have regarded birds as enemies, but now are beginning to realize they are their best friends."

The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, TX.), P. 5, Col. 4
Mon., Jul. 2,, 1929
Excerpt from: HEAD OF SAN JACINTH TRUST SELLS HOLDINGS
Houston, Tex., July 21 - The majority of the interest of President George Howard in the San Jacinto Trust Company has been purchased by a group of Houstonians composed of Benjamin Clayton of Anderson, Clayton & Co. (and others).

In the 1930 U.S. census, 47 yr. old Benjamin Clayton, an Executive in the Banking Industry, b. in MS., was living in a home he owned, valued at $40,000 at 913 No. Roxbury Dr. in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA.
with his
50 yr. old wife, Julia S. Clayton, b. in KY.
24 yr. old son, William Clayton, a salesman for a retail lumber company, b. in KY.
37 yr. old servant/cook, Bennie V. Armelin, b. in TX.
Benjamin was 22 yrs. old and Julia was 20 at the time of their marriage.
Benjamin's parents were both b. in Mississippi and Julia's parents were both b. in KY.

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 61, Col. 7
Sun., Sep. 21, 1930
Excerpt from: THIRTY-DAY PURCHASES REPORTED
Benjamin Clayton, member of the Houston cotton brokerage firm of Anderson & Clayton, bought a residence site in Pasadena for $30,000.

Corsicana Daily Sun (Corsicana, TX.), P. 12, Col. 1
Wed., Jan. 18, 1933
Excerpt from: FORMER CORSICANA MAN BRINGS FORTH NEW MILK CHAMPION
JERSEY UNDER CARE CASSIE THOMPSON BREAKS NATIONAL BUTTERFAT RECORD
In a recent issue of the Jersey Bulletin and Dairy World, a publication devoted to the interests of dairymen and fine cattle breeders, written by Jessie Mary Hill, A.J.C.C. under the heading of "Queen Lillian Rose Breaks national Record". This story is of much interest here as it not only tells of the great record made by a Texas Jersey cow, but it brings out that the caretaker of this cow is the former Corsicanan C. W. (Cassie) Thompson, son of Wm. T. Thompson, superintendent of the State National Bank building, and at one time a popular member of the Corsicana fire department.
Queen Lillian Rose is owned by Benjamin Clayton, member of the well-known cotton firm of Anderson-Clayton Company of Houston, and was raised on Sartartia Farms, at Sugar Land, Texas, some 25 miles west of Houston in the famous Texas Gulf Coast area. This now famous cow established a record for butterfat production on twice-a-day milking by yielding 914.89 pounds of butterfat, 17,2999 pounds of milk in 365 days and probably would have done much better had not her favorite in the person of Cassie Thompson been forced to spend the month of September in the hospital.

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 29, Col. 3
Tue., Aug. 14, 1934
MRS. CLAYTON, SON ON VISIT AT RANCH
Mrs. William Clayton of Prospect Boulevard and son, William Jr., have left for a visit at the Northern New Mexico ranch of Mr. Clayton's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Clayton. They will return about October 1.

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 42, Col. 3
Wed., Jan. 2, 1935
Item from: CHATTERBOX, NOTES TO YOU:
Benjamin Claytons are home after spending eight months on their Springer (N.M.) ranch.

The Whitewright Sun (Whitewright, TX.), P. 2, Col. 5 & 6
Thu., Aug. 6, 1936
TEXAS COWS, PROVIDED WITH EVERY BOVINE COMFORT, SAY 'THANKS' WITH LOTS OF MILK
SUGARLAND - The Jersey cow is queen at Benjamin Clayton's model dairy here, run more as a hobby than as a commercial enterprise. He has 160 "queens", all registered thoroughbreds.
Everything is provided for their comfort and convenience. They are not allowed to eat ordinary grass. The pasture was especially planted to fine clover and other delicious cud producers. It is cultivated, and sharp-eyed herdsmen ever are on the alert for weeds or other common plants.
Strolling in the lush pasture, Madame Jersey goes immediately to her private room unattended. There she spends two hours in peace and rest. Not a buzzing fly disturbs her.
Operates Own Fountain
Each private room is equipped with a private drinking fountain, from which springs cool, fresh water. The cow operates her own fountain merely by pressing her muzzle gently down to make the water spurt upward. It takes only two days to teach her how to operate it.
Refreshed, the queen moves along a concrete sidewalk to the bathroom where she is carefully bathed and brushed. Before she proceeds to the milking room she is disinfected.
She walks to the milking room where a mechanical milker is attached. The milk flows into a glass container on a scale dial which measures the quantity.
No Human Hands
From the container the milk goes through sterilized pipes to a cooler where it is chilled and bottled. No human hands touch it.
Twice daily - between 1:30 and 4:30 o'clock afternoon and morning - the queen is milked.
Some of the cows produce more than their weights in butterfat annually. The late Queen Lillian Rose, weighing less than 700 pounds, produced more than 900 pounds in one year to win the national championship of the Jersey cattle club of America.

The San Bernardino County Sun (San Bernardino, CA.), P. 1, Col. 3
Sat., May 28, 1938
Excerpt from: GRASSHOPPER HORDE MAY BE FOUGHT IN AIR
New Mexico Citizens Organize For Airplane Attack After Pests Continue Unhalted
SPRINGER, N.M., May 27 - Plans for war from the air upon northeastern New Mexico's crawling hordes of grasshoppers were laid today.
Faces with what a citizens' committee described as an "increasingly critical situation" in the fight against devastation of ranch and range, a call was issued for airplanes to spread poison from the air and speed up the campaign of eradication before the hungry armies of 'hoppers take wing.
Albert K. Mitchell, general manager of the Bell ranch and owner of huge ranching properties, was appointed state coordinator of the campaign by Gov. Clyde Tingley.
Meeting with his committee at Springer, Mitchell directed Benjamin Clayton, wealthy Springer rancher, to obtain a plane from Houston, Texas, to spread poison over lands which scores of ground spreaders cannot reach.
It was estimated planes could poison 10,000 acres a day, and reach terrain too rough and wild for effective work by men and machines.
One ranch near Clayton of 60,000 acres of broken land was just one of the problem areas to be dealt with.

In the 1940 U.S. census, 58 yr. old Benjamin Clayton, an executive in the Oil industry, b. in MS., was living in a home he owned, valued at $35,000 at 2435 Pine Valley Drive in Houston, Harris, TX. with his
58 yr. old wife, Julia C. Clayton, b. in KY.
In 1935, Benjamin and his wife were living on a farm in Sugar Land, Fort Bend, TX.
The highest grade Benjamin had completed was 5th and Julia had gone as far as 9th grade.
Benjamin worked 42 hours in the week prior to the census and 52 weeks in 1939. His income was listed at $5,000 and he had no income from any other sources.

The (Anderson & Clayton) company was incorporated in 1929 and remained private until 1945. At that time it went public and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move allowed the M. D. Anderson Foundation to purchase land for the Texas Medical Center through sale of company stock. By 1945, with 223 gins, 33 cottonseed oil plants, and 123 warehouses worldwide, Anderson, Clayton and Company was called the largest buyer, seller, storer, and shipper of raw cotton in the world by Fortune Magazine. Its subsidiaries included a marine insurance company, the barge line, bagging and cotton-blanket mills, a Mexican loan bank, and the machine works. After 1950 sales in the international market reached 3½ percent of all the world's production, and the multimillion-dollar corporation came to be known as ACCO, or the Big Store.

The Eagle (Bryan, TX.), P. 2, Col. 4
Sat., Feb. 9, 1946
QUARTERS FOUND FOR CLAYTON RESEARCH
AUSTIN, Feb. 9 - A seven room cottage owned by the University of Texas is being remodeled to provide space for the Clayton cotton investigation and research project at the university.
The new laboratory will be ready for occupancy March 1.
The investigation, financed by Benjamin Clayton of Houston, covers four major fields of resistance to drouth and production of a cotton strain with higher cottonseed oil content.

Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 12 (Col. 4)
Wed., Jun. 25, 1947
School Site Brings Bid of $115,501
EL MONTE, June 24 - A bid of $115,501 by Benjamin Clayton, Pasadena businessman and retired Texas cotton merchant, for 2,159 acres of the old high school site at Valley Blvd. and Esmeralda Ave., was on file with the school's board of trustees today.
The bid, accompanied by a cashier's check for $11,550.10, was tentatively accepted by the high school board of trustees with final approval to be given by the county counsel, according to Robert S. Hicks, high school district superintendent.
Clayton is the father of William Clayton, owner of the Clayton Mfg. Co. of Alhambra and El Monte.

The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, TX.), P. 5, Col. 1 & 2
Thu., Jul. 31, 1947
Excerpt from: Cow Rescued From Butcher's Ax for $100 Proves To Be Record Milker Worth $10,000
A Guernsey cow that D.E. Kitchen of Alta Loma rescued three years ago from a butcher's ax at a cost of $100 is now in the world record production class and valued at $10,000.
Noble's Pearl of Thorn Hill is the official name of this registered Guernsey cow, which calls Galveston County home.
According to American Guernsey Cattle Club of Peterborough, NH., the cow's record of 15,084 pounds of milk and 742 pounds of butterfat, placed her at seventh among 7-year-olds in the world's champion class.
The same production established a Texas state champion record, the highest made by a 7-year-old, milked three times daily for a ten-month period.
Mr. Kitchel, the owner, reported Wednesday that the cow's ten-month record meant, in dollars and cents, a net profit of $1430.49.
The cow originally was bought by Benjamin Clayton for his ranch at Sugerland, Tex., from Charles E. Sorenson, Farmington, Mich. When the cow failed to show promise, however, he sold it to a Goose Creek, Tex., butcher for $49. Hearing of the sale, and knowing the cow came from top stock, Kitchen offered the butcher $100.

Amarillo Daily News (Amarillo, TX.), P. 14, Col. 4
Fri., Dec. 12, 1947
Santa Fe Federal Court To Hear Suit on Refining Plans
SANTA FE, Dec. 11 - Oil refining processes are involved in a suit filed in US District Court here by Ralph H. Fash of Fort Worth, Tex., against Benjamin Clayton of Springer, NM., trading as Refining, Unincorporated.
The plaintiff asks the court to declare a defendant's patent invalid and to declare he has the right to practice the method of his patent.

Benjamin's wife, Julia, died Jun. 8, 1949 in Los Angeles County, CA.
Shortly afterwards, he remarried - to Laura Burdine.
Laura was a distant cousin who came to care for Julia when she was sick. Julia suffered from high blood pressure.

Lubbock Morning Avalanche (Lubbock, TX.), P. 30, Col. 3 & 4
Fri., Nov. 17, 1950
Excerpt from: University Pharmaceutical Research Aided By Grants
AUSTIN, Nov. 16 - Research in the drug and chemical fields at the University of Texas has been boosted by $18,600 in grants and commitments to the institution's new Pharmaceutical foundation.
Of that amount, $15,000 has been donated by the Clayton foundation, established by Benjamin Clayton of Pasadena, Calif., for special drug and chemical studies.
Another $3,600 was contributed by Sharpe and Dohme, Inc., pharmaceutical manufacturers for an investigation of a genus fungi and its antibiotic properties.
The Clayton grant will be paid over a three year period and the studies it supports will be supervised by Dean Henry M. Burlage of the College of Pharmacy in cooperation with the University's Biochemical Institute. Dean Burlage will also supervise the fungus studies.

Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, TX.), P. 15, Col. 1
Fri., Feb. 9, 1951
UT Scientist Gets Cancer Study Grant
AUSTIN, Feb. 8 - A University of Texas biochemist has received a $3,333.33 post-doctoral fellowship to attempt to isolate mysterious substance which reduces cancer tumor-growth rate.
The Clayton Foundation, philanthropic agency for Benjamin Clayton, former Houston businessman, now of Pasadena, Calif., made the grant to Dr. Loyal E. Loveless through the University's Biochemical Institute.
The substance to be studied was concentrated in an extract of certain B-vitamins isolated by the Institute's Dr. William Shive.
Thinking the unknown concentrate might have cancer-fighting possibilities because of its biological action, Dr. Shive turned it over to Dr. Alfred Taylor who tested its reaction on cancers in eggs and mice. Some compound in the concentrate reduced the tumor-growth rate in the specimens tested.
Now it is Dr. Loveless' job to isolate that compound from the hundreds existing in the concentrate.

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 120, Col. 5
Sun., Feb. 3, 1952
Excerpt from: Arcadia Store Work Speeded
Work is being rushed on the new Hinshaw Arcadia Department store, Baldwin Ave. and Duarte Road, Arcadia so that it may be opened in time for Easter, officials said yesterday.
The new store, which, with land, will cost in excess of $500,000, will contain 36,000 square feet of floor space on the ground floor. A 22,000-foot basement will contain an auditorium, stock room and office.
The building is being constructed for Benjamin Clayton of the Clayton Foundation for Research, the owner.

*Benjamin Clayton owned the entire block there at Baldwin & Duarte Rd. in Arcadia.

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 130, Col. 2-5
Sun., Feb. 10, 1952
Extensive Shopping Project Scheduled for Whittier Site
Announcement was made yesterday of an extensive $3,500,000 shopping center which will be built on a 10-acre site on Whittier Blvd. at Laurel Ave in Whittier.
Construction is scheduled to be started on the project which will be known as Whittier Quad, accord to W.J. Fitzgerald, representing Benjamin Clayton of Pasadena, who acquired the property from Mr. and Mrs. O.O. Marshburn, long time residents of Whittier.
The government has granted all necessary permits, according to Fitzgerald, who said the project will accommodate 67 individual stores and shops including a department store, food market, bank branch and restaurant.
The new development will feature large parking areas incorporating scenic landscaping around its two-block long area. Shops will have both front and rear display windows. A wide mall will extend along the center of the project.
Whittier Quad will have a central air conditioning and central heating plant. Officials disclosed that an underground ramp for unloading of merchandise for stores is being considered.
Architect Harold S. Johnson designed the project.

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 121, Col. 6
Sun., Apr. 6, 1952
Item from: Skylarking
AND BACK from their third Jamaica visit are the Benjamin Claytons of Pasadena. The Claytons lived on their schooner Valor at the Myrtle Bank Pier, Kingston, but made Tower Isle Hotel their shore headquarters.

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 23, Col. 3
Mon., Sep. 15, 1952
Excerpt from: Children's House Opened by San Marino Church
"This is God's house. The children who come to it will come with the same joy and eagerness they feel when they go to their playgrounds, only this building will have a deeper meaning for them."
Those were the words of Dr. Frederick W. Cropp yesterday, pastor of the San Marino Community Church, who spoke to his parishioners before the new $100,000 children's building, adjacent to the church, was formally consecrated for the use of the children of the parish.
At the dedication program which followed the worship service, Dr. P. Martin Baker, first pastor of the church, paid tribute to Benjamin Clayton who gave the new building in memory of his wife, Julia Scott, "and to all the others who have aided in building what we have here now."
The new structure covers three sides of a quadrangle, is English Gothic in design and has seven classrooms. It has an enclosed play area and is for the use of children from the nursery age through seven years old.

The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, CA.), P. 40, Col. 6
Fri., Oct. 10, 1952
Excerpt from: Washington Merry-Go-Round
It's Risky to Do It
Today the federal government plays such an important role in the operation of any business firm, and business firms in turn seek so many concessions or contracts from the Government, but it becomes risky to have a man in the senate who is subsidized by a group of businessmen.
Take for instance, the list of Nixon's millionaires club and the concessions of contracts they have with the government. Here are some of them:
Clayton Manufacturing Co. got a 90 per cent tax write-off on dynometers costing $38,106 in March 1951 and an 89 per cent write-off on $171,330 on steam cleaners in July 1951. Both Benjamin Clayton and his son William are givers to Nixon's expenses.

Independent Star-News (Pasadena, CA.), P. 42, Col. 2)
Sun., Mar. 13, 1960
Item from: Gabbing About
Resting up for the avalanche of parties that are in the planning for them, Jan Kelly and her fiancee, Bill Clayton Jr., winding up 10 days of sailing with his grandfather, Benjamin Clayton, aboard Mr. C.'s schooner, Valor,… Be home midweek…

Arcadia Tribune (Arcadia, CA.), P. 1, Col. 1-3
Sun., Jan. 31, 1965
Excerpt from: May Co. Near Lease Deal For El Rancho Site
Late last year when it was definitely learned that the May Company wanted to locate in Arcadia, Benjamin Clayton who owns all of West Arcadia on the west side of Baldwin Avenue, prepared to make a proposal to the May Company to locate the store in the Hub center.
The Christian Church on West Duarte road is said to have sought to expand its sanctuary to meet the growth of the congregation. Clayton asked the city administration to sell its 100,000 square feet of land on Duarte Road opposite the high school football field. Under his plan he would offer this property to the Christian Church in exchange for its present location.
He explained to city officials that if this deal could be arranged, he would build a new store for Von's Shopping Bag supermarket on the church site and offer the present land occupied by Von's to the May Company. This was the dickering behind the recent City Council action which gave an option to Clayton under the name of the Elrovia Church. City Council agreed to sell to Clayton at $1.68 a square foot, somewhat lower than had been offered for the parcel by a developer.

The Galveston Daily News (Galveston, TX.), P. 51, Col. 1 & 2
Sun. morning, Feb. 18, 1973
Excerpt from Noah's Ark Is Top Attraction Sea Arama Marineworld - a fun place to visit - will offer even more entertainment this year.
The newest star at Sea Arama is not live marine life, but a 103-foot two-masted wooden schooner, the Southward.
The Southward sank during a Galveston storm in November 1971, while being outfitted for a cruise to the Virgin islands. Moore negotiated a settlement to acquire the sailing yacht, and work this past year began to completely refurnish her topside. During 1973-74, plans are to re-outfit her below and establish a floating museum of her history.
The Southward has a long and colorful history and she was commissioned the Sartartia in Boothbay, Maine, in 1929 by Houstonian Benjamin Clayton.
Some famous masters have ruled the Southwind's decks; producer Jack L. Warner (and three others). But, her most famous master was Errol Flynn. During the 1940's when Warner owned the yacht, he allowed Flynn to use her.

The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA.), P. 21, Col. 1 & 2
Thu., Nov. 16, 1978
Hinshaw Chairman Dies at 96
Funeral services are scheduled Friday for Benjamin Clayton, chairman of the board of Hinshaw's Department Stores, who died Sunday at the age of 96.
A resident of Pasadena and Houston, Clayton was founder of the Clayton Foundation for Research at the University of Texas. He developed a patented process for refining vegetable oil during his years as a Southern California businessman.
Clayton leaves three grandchildren, William Clayton Jr., Julianne Clayton Jordan and Hubert Millar Walker and five great grandchildren, all of Southern California.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m., Friday in Wee Kirk o'Heather, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.

According to Benjamin Clayton's Texas death certificate, he died of ischemic heart disease. He was a widower and his usual occupation was listed as Partner in a Cotton Brokerage business. He died in Houston, Texas, where he was a 23 year resident.

*Note: Benjamin Burns Clayton is buried between his first wife, Julia and his second wife, Laura. The three graves are located at the top of the hill overlooking the mortuary at the entrance to the cemetery.

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