[6] The Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail brought some of the first settlers through the Clayton region.

The Cimarron Cutoff went straight through the Clayton region where travelers used the Rabbit Ear Mountain as a guiding landmark.

Eventually travelers along the trail began to appreciate the rich soil around Clayton and the rolling green hills which were perfect for raising livestock.

[8] His range manager, John C. Hill laid out a town site, and named it in 1887 for Clayton C. Dorsey (1871-1948), son of Senator Stephen W. Dorsey of Arkansas, who had established the nearby Triangle Dot Ranch in Union and Colfax counties.

[11] Clayton was hit by a "black roller" (giant dust cloud) that measured 1500 feet high and a mile across on May 28, 1937.

[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12 km2), all land.

A carbon dioxide field called Bravo Dome can be found near Clayton and stretches nearly 1 million acres.

[14] Winter weather can vary greatly from warm and windy due to the influence of the chinook, to frigid and snowy when Arctic air moved southward from Canada.

Clayton was originally built up as a regional trading hub on the Santa Fe Trail.

The Herzstein Memorial Museum, run by the Union County Historical Society, is open without charge Tuesdays through Saturdays and by appointment.

[citation needed] An official interpretative center of the Santa Fe Trail, the Herzstein focuses upon county and regional history.

“The Mission style exterior, and the interior, with its Art Deco style touches, has been painstakingly restored and refurbished over the years, including all new projection equipment.” [20] Although refurbished, much of the design is original, with original seating, light fixtures, and ticket booth.

"Morris Herzstein built the theater and adjacent business block in 1916 after a disastrous fire wiped out his headquarters mercantile store... Before the Great Depression, the Mission Theater flourished and provided the magic of movies in Clayton, including memorable Christmas matinees offered free to children where Santa Claus would appear and give small presents to the crowd.” [21] In 1935, T.F.

[23] Clayton Municipal Airpark two miles east of town (KCAO, or FAA Identifier CAO), opened in December 1946, and features two runways the longer of which is 6,307 by 75 feet (1,922 by 23 meters).