The area was settled as a German colony, approximately five miles east of Elkader.

In April 1856, the land was surveyed by Lewis Brockman, who established the location as the "southeast quarter of section 8, township 93 north, range 3 west.

"[1] Clayton Center was then platted on June 27, 1857, by Fred Hartmann.

[5] Students were previously zoned to Garnavillo schools.

This article about the geography of Clayton County, Iowa is a stub.