California Biographies, San Bernardino County and Riverside County

History of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties 
By: John Brown, Jr., Editor for San Bernardino County 
And James Boyd, Editor for Riverside County 
With selected biography of actors and witnesses of the period 
of growth and achievement.
Volume III, the Western Historical Association, 1922, 
The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, ILL

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

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DUDLEY G. CLAYTON 
 
           A county official who proved his worth to the citizens of Riverside
City and County in other positions of trust before his election to his present
office, Dudley G. Clayton created confidence in himself, won by his ability
and successful administration of all offices he held. A citizen of Riverside 
for over thirty years, he has served it well, both as a business man and as an
official. Mr. Clayton was born in Keswick, New Brunswick, October 19, 1867, 
the son of J. P. and Lucy A. (Golder) Clayton, also natives of New Brunswick. 
J. P. Clayton was of English descent, grew to manhood on a farm and followed
this occupation for many years, but at the same time acquired many valuable
lumber interests. He came around the Horn in 1867 and went to Sacramento,
where he assisted in painting the capitol building. He was there for a year
and then went back to sell the farm, but was induced not to do so. His son, 
John Clayton, who came with him around the Horn in 1867, remained in San
Francisco and followed the occupation of ranching in the northern part of
California until his death in December, 1888. In 1880 J. P. Clayton moved
with his family to Missoula, Montana, and there carried on a lumber
business until he retired. His wife was the daughter of Daniel Golder, her 
mother being the daughter of Captain Strange, captain of a vessel in the 
West Indies for the British government. An only child, she was born on
board a man-of-war and was a small child when her father settled in New
Brunswick. He chose this place for a home, although he owned a large
grant of land on the site of Philadelphia. He neglected this latter property,
however, and allowed it to pass from his possession, as he had other
interests that represented considerable money and which engrossed his
attention at that time. Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Clayton were the parents of eight
sons, of whom all but one attained mature years. They were: John, who 
died in San Francisco; Daniel and James, farmers in New Brunswick; 
William A. and Charles G., who died in New Brunswick at the respective
ages of twenty-seven and twenty-one; W. E., a dentist in Los Angeles; and 
Dudley G. Clayton. Dudley G. Clayton lived in New Brunswick until he reach-
ed the age of sixteen, and then went to Waterville, Maine, where he clerked
for a year. He then returned home, and while there settled up the business
of his father, who had then decided to remove to Montana. Dudley G. joined
the family in Montana in 1887 and engaged in the lumber business with his
father. In 1889 he came to California and selected Riverside as his perm-
anent home. His first venture into the business life of the city was by means
of the purchase of the interest of Mr. Zimmerman in the Park (now Holy-
rood) Hotel. In a year he sold out and accepted a position in the improving
of Evergreen Cemetery. He became a stockholder in the company and was
made superintendent in February, 1891. When he took hold of the work no
improvements had been attempted, but under his able direction it was en-
larged and beautified until it assumed the appearance of a lovely park. He
continued in this for twelve years and in 1902 he went into the undertaking
business, under the firm name of Clayton & Flagg, on the corner of Eighth
and Orange Streets. Later he bought Mr. Flagg's interest and continued 
alone for a short time, and then sold the business and went into the office 
of Sheriff P. M. Colburn as under sheriff on November 1, 1904. He next went
into the police department as deputy chief marshal under M. R. Shaw. 
Following this, when in May, Captain Johnson was appointed chief of 
police, he was re-appointed deputy, when the charter was adopted. He
continued in this position until the death of the chief, when he was appointed
chief, in 1908. He continued in the police department as its chief until
shortly after Mayor Evans assumed his office. He then acted as deputy 
chief until the following May, when he went back as under sheriff, this time
under Sheriff F. P. Wilson. He resigned from this position July 27, 1918, to
enter the race for county clerk, in which he was successful. This position he 
now holds most ably, and he was elected for the four year term. Mr. Clayton
is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees and has served as secretary
of the local tent continuously since 1893, and also as its commander. He is a 
member of the Yeomen for ten years. In politics he is a strong republican, 
and always takes an active part in all party affairs. In religious faith he is
affiliated with the Baptist Church, of which he has been a member since 
1883. He was its treasurer for some time and is now a trustee. Mr. Clayton
married on January 16, 1889, at New Brunswick, Miss Bertha J. Dunphy, a 
native of Keswick, New Brunswick, where she resided until her marriage to
Mr. Clayton. She is the daughter of Frederick Dunphy, a farmer by occupation.
They are the parents of one daughter, Inez E., now the wife of Everett J.
Horsley, the proprietor and publisher of the Daily Herald at Anaheim. The
Herald is one of the brightest, most up to date live wire papers in the state,
ably edited and extensively circulated.
 
 
Pages 1109 to 1110.
 
Transcribed and submitted by Sally Kaleta, February 2010.