Charles was one of ten children. The 1860 Kansas Federal Censes states that West Liberty was in Champaign County, Ohio. This is where he and his siblings were born.
After attending several colleges and teaching at several schools, Charles was appointed the Superintendent of Schools in Coldwater, Kansas. There he met and married his wife, Ellen in 1889. By most accounts, Charels was known as an eccentric. Shortly after his only child, Eunice, was born, he moved the family to Pomona, California, where he accepted a call to pastor a Unity Church. He left there because he became disenchanted with California ever becoming a populated and prosperous state. They moved back to Kansas where he was, again, a school superintendent and a truant officer.
When Charles was 38, he bought land and began operating a dairy, then at age 42 became a mail carrier, traveling about 25 miles each day. He believed that he was the first man to deliver mail on a motorized vehicle. This was a motorbike that was likely the very first to be seen in the area. Charles continued with many occupations - tax assessor, builder, stonemason, and Sunday School teacher. He taught to "standing room only" groups. He was interested in genealogy, tracing his family back to Governor William Bradford. His interests also included archealogy and often went on "digs" in western Kansas.
Charles wrote several books, including "Where Darwin Erred" and "God, Evolution and Mind Healing." He was the first owner of a radio in Wellington, Kansas, had a Victorla and a Model T Ford car, black, of course. He was a natty dresser and always looked distinguished. Charles was probably the only man in Wellington who owned a tuxedo and carried a beautiful ivory handled cane.
An interesting habit of Charles was that he smoked cigarettes. He cut them in two, saved the second half for later, put the half he wanted to smoke into an ivory cigarette holder and smoked every grain of the tobacco before discarding it.
The mausoleum which he and Ellen are buried in was made by Charles from the left-over stones from the old abandoned school house in Coldwater. Charles' wife was a very intelligent, popular woman. Perhaps his jealousy of this fact drove Ellen to withdrawal and an early demise. He lived for ten years after she passed away.
After attending several colleges and teaching at several schools, Charles was appointed the Superintendent of Schools in Coldwater, Kansas. There he met and married his wife, Ellen in 1889. By most accounts, Charels was known as an eccentric. Shortly after his only child, Eunice, was born, he moved the family to Pomona, California, where he accepted a call to pastor a Unity Church. He left there because he became disenchanted with California ever becoming a populated and prosperous state. They moved back to Kansas where he was, again, a school superintendent and a truant officer.
When Charles was 38, he bought land and began operating a dairy, then at age 42 became a mail carrier, traveling about 25 miles each day. He believed that he was the first man to deliver mail on a motorized vehicle. This was a motorbike that was likely the very first to be seen in the area. Charles continued with many occupations - tax assessor, builder, stonemason, and Sunday School teacher. He taught to "standing room only" groups. He was interested in genealogy, tracing his family back to Governor William Bradford. His interests also included archealogy and often went on "digs" in western Kansas.
Charles wrote several books, including "Where Darwin Erred" and "God, Evolution and Mind Healing." He was the first owner of a radio in Wellington, Kansas, had a Victorla and a Model T Ford car, black, of course. He was a natty dresser and always looked distinguished. Charles was probably the only man in Wellington who owned a tuxedo and carried a beautiful ivory handled cane.
An interesting habit of Charles was that he smoked cigarettes. He cut them in two, saved the second half for later, put the half he wanted to smoke into an ivory cigarette holder and smoked every grain of the tobacco before discarding it.
The mausoleum which he and Ellen are buried in was made by Charles from the left-over stones from the old abandoned school house in Coldwater. Charles' wife was a very intelligent, popular woman. Perhaps his jealousy of this fact drove Ellen to withdrawal and an early demise. He lived for ten years after she passed away.
Charles was one of ten children. The 1860 Kansas Federal Censes states that West Liberty was in Champaign County, Ohio. This is where he and his siblings were born.
After attending several colleges and teaching at several schools, Charles was appointed the Superintendent of Schools in Coldwater, Kansas. There he met and married his wife, Ellen in 1889. By most accounts, Charels was known as an eccentric. Shortly after his only child, Eunice, was born, he moved the family to Pomona, California, where he accepted a call to pastor a Unity Church. He left there because he became disenchanted with California ever becoming a populated and prosperous state. They moved back to Kansas where he was, again, a school superintendent and a truant officer.
When Charles was 38, he bought land and began operating a dairy, then at age 42 became a mail carrier, traveling about 25 miles each day. He believed that he was the first man to deliver mail on a motorized vehicle. This was a motorbike that was likely the very first to be seen in the area. Charles continued with many occupations - tax assessor, builder, stonemason, and Sunday School teacher. He taught to "standing room only" groups. He was interested in genealogy, tracing his family back to Governor William Bradford. His interests also included archealogy and often went on "digs" in western Kansas.
Charles wrote several books, including "Where Darwin Erred" and "God, Evolution and Mind Healing." He was the first owner of a radio in Wellington, Kansas, had a Victorla and a Model T Ford car, black, of course. He was a natty dresser and always looked distinguished. Charles was probably the only man in Wellington who owned a tuxedo and carried a beautiful ivory handled cane.
An interesting habit of Charles was that he smoked cigarettes. He cut them in two, saved the second half for later, put the half he wanted to smoke into an ivory cigarette holder and smoked every grain of the tobacco before discarding it.
The mausoleum which he and Ellen are buried in was made by Charles from the left-over stones from the old abandoned school house in Coldwater. Charles' wife was a very intelligent, popular woman. Perhaps his jealousy of this fact drove Ellen to withdrawal and an early demise. He lived for ten years after she passed away.
After attending several colleges and teaching at several schools, Charles was appointed the Superintendent of Schools in Coldwater, Kansas. There he met and married his wife, Ellen in 1889. By most accounts, Charels was known as an eccentric. Shortly after his only child, Eunice, was born, he moved the family to Pomona, California, where he accepted a call to pastor a Unity Church. He left there because he became disenchanted with California ever becoming a populated and prosperous state. They moved back to Kansas where he was, again, a school superintendent and a truant officer.
When Charles was 38, he bought land and began operating a dairy, then at age 42 became a mail carrier, traveling about 25 miles each day. He believed that he was the first man to deliver mail on a motorized vehicle. This was a motorbike that was likely the very first to be seen in the area. Charles continued with many occupations - tax assessor, builder, stonemason, and Sunday School teacher. He taught to "standing room only" groups. He was interested in genealogy, tracing his family back to Governor William Bradford. His interests also included archealogy and often went on "digs" in western Kansas.
Charles wrote several books, including "Where Darwin Erred" and "God, Evolution and Mind Healing." He was the first owner of a radio in Wellington, Kansas, had a Victorla and a Model T Ford car, black, of course. He was a natty dresser and always looked distinguished. Charles was probably the only man in Wellington who owned a tuxedo and carried a beautiful ivory handled cane.
An interesting habit of Charles was that he smoked cigarettes. He cut them in two, saved the second half for later, put the half he wanted to smoke into an ivory cigarette holder and smoked every grain of the tobacco before discarding it.
The mausoleum which he and Ellen are buried in was made by Charles from the left-over stones from the old abandoned school house in Coldwater. Charles' wife was a very intelligent, popular woman. Perhaps his jealousy of this fact drove Ellen to withdrawal and an early demise. He lived for ten years after she passed away.
Family Members
Siblings
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William Francis "Will" Clayton
1845–1907
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Benjamin Franklin Clayton
1848 – unknown
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Anna Ruhama Clayton McIlvain
1849–1919
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Thomas Cowgill Clayton
1851–1939
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Eliza Jane "Jennie" Clayton McGinnis
1853–1945
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Eunice Ellen Clayton Kinley
1855 – unknown
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Henry Clay Clayton Sr
1857–1928
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Elmer Grant Clayton
1862–1865
