JAMES A. CLAYTON
The Pioneer, published San Jose, California, Saturday, January 28,
Surnames:: Clayton

Contributed by jchavnar

Was born in England, October 20, 1831, and came to the United States with his parents, in 1839, who settled in the lead mines in Iowa county, Wisconsin, in 1840. In company with his brother, Joel Clayton, he crossed the plains to California, and arrived August 3, 1850. He passed a few days at the mines, and on the 25th of the same, took up his residence in Santa Clara, where he was employed as clerk to his brother, Charles Clayton who had been a resident of the valley since 1848. Here our subject sojourned until February, 1851, when he returned to the mines and worked there until November, at which period he went to Australia, and tried his luck at the diggins there. In August, 1852, he came back to California, and, for a space, resided in Stockton, San Joaquin county, but again returned to Santa Clara, being engaged in clerking until his settling in San Jose, in January, 1856. He now purchased a photograph gallery, located where Fisher's store now stands, on Santa Clara street, and afterwards moved to Spring's Corner. This concern Mr. Clayton owned about thirteen years. In 1861 he was elected County Clerk, and re-elected in 1863. In 1867, he established a real-estate office, and has continued in that business until the present time. He married in 1860 and has a family of six children.

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