California Biographies, Kern County
JOHN H. CLAYMAN

History of Kern County, California, with biographical sketches 
of the leading men and women of the county who have been 
identified with its growth and development from the early days 
to the present.

Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company, 1914
History by Morgan, Wallace Melvin

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


JOHN H. CLAYMAN. — An honored place among the pioneers of Cali- 
fornia is held by John H. Clayman, who has been identified with the devel- 
opment of the commonwealth for a period covering more than fifty years 
and meanwhile has himself been a large contributor to the industries of 
agriculture, horticulture and stock-raising, besides aiding in the expansion 
of the public-school system and in other projects indispensable to permanent 
prosperity. It is to such pioneers as he that the state owes its remarkable 
growth in years past and they laid well the foundation for future continued 
prosperity, so that it may be safe to predict that the development of the 
past is but the precursor of similar advances in years to come, for all of 
which due credit must be given to the pioneers. 

Much of the active life of John H. Clayman was spent upon the then 
frontier, and it was not until 1910 that he relinquished agricultural activi- 
ties, disposed of his ranch and came to Bakersfield to enjoy in his declining 
days the fruits of lung-continued labors. His parents, Benjamin and Per- 
melia (Randall) Clayman, were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and 
Ohio, and during their early married years lived upon a farm in Marion 
county, Ohio, where occurred the birth of John H. Clayman March 11, 1842. 
In 1845 the family removed to the then frontier of Indiana and settled upon 
a tract of unimproved land in Elkhart county, where the most arduous labor 
was necessary to improve a productive farm. The mother died in that 
county. Of her seven children three are now living, John H. being the 
fourth in order of birth. In 1853 the family followed the tide of migra- 
tion still further toward the setting sun and established a home on the 
desolate prairies of Nebraska. The claim which they pre-empted was 
wild land and the task of developing the property proved so formidable that 
in 1859 the father with his family crossed the plains with wagon and ox- 
teams to California and were only thirty-six hours behind the Mountain 
Meadow massacre. Accompanying them was John H., then an energetic. 
capable youth of seventeen years, ready and willing to do a man's work 
and eager to see the vast region west of the mountains. With the hopeful 
spirit of youth, he tried his luck in placer mines in Shasta county. The 
success of the experiment was so gratifying that he continued for eight 
years and at the expiration of that period had accumulated an amount 
sufficient to enable him to invest in land. 

Securing a raw tract of land in Tehama county four miles east of Red 
Bluff, Mr. Clayman at once began the task of making the property pro- 
ductive and remunerative. At first he engaged in grain-raising and in the 
stock industry, but having ascertained that certain varieties of fruit would 
thrive in the region he planted a large orchard of apples, prunes and peaches. 

In some years the fruit brought him a very large income, so that he pros- 
pered beyond his early expectations. The entire estate of one hundred 
and sixty acres was placed under cultivation and when eventually sold to 
other parties brought a great advance over the original purchase price. 
Meanwhile Mr. Clayman had interested himself in movements for the 
material upbuilding of his township and county. At the time of the build- 
ing of the schoolhouse in the Antelope district he served as member of 
the board of trustees and his counsel and progressive spirit proved of great 
assistance in the enterprise. Since coming to Bakersfield he has built three 
residences on the corner of Fourth street and Chester avenue and two of 
these he rents, occupying the third for a home for himself and wife. 

The marriage of John H. Clayman and Catherine Elizabeth Worley was 
solemnized at Red Bluff, Cal., November 14, 1874, and was blessed with 
five children, named as follows : Carrie, now a teacher in Tehama county ; 
Elmer, a resident of Bakersfield ; Zola, wife of Joseph Percy Freear, of 
Bakersfield; Crim and Mrs. Bessie Hosmer, also of Bakersfield. Born 
in Washington county, Iowa, Mrs. Clayman is a daughter of the late James 
and Elizabeth (Albaugh) Worley, natives of Ohio and pioneer farmers 
of Washington county, Iowa. During 1859 the family crossed the plains 
with an expedition of wagons drawn by ox-teams. For a time Mr. Worley 
engaged in teaming in Shasta county, but later he took up farm pursuits in 
Tehama county, where he resided until death. There were two sons and 
one daughter in the Worley family and of these Mrs. Clayman was the 
eldest. In religion she was reared in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, to which she since has adhered with earnest sincerity. Politically 
Mr. Clayman is a Republican. Fraternally he has been connected with the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with his wife holds membership 
with the Rebekahs.