A history of Clayton,
since 1887
Postcards, papers and photographs of Clayton from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story so far
from Wikipedia & the U.S. CensusClayton is a borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 8,807, an increase of 628 (+7.7%) from the 2010 census count of 8,179, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,040 (+14.6%) from the 7,139 counted in the 2000 census. Jacob Fisler purchased much of the area that is now Clayton, acquiring 6,500 acres (2,600 ha) of land after the American Revolutionary War. A settlement named Fislertown developed and grew to 36 families by 1812. A glass factory was established in Clayton in the 1850s by one of Fisler's descendants, which contributed to Fislertown's growth. What is now Clayton was formed as Clayton Township o…
Clayton was established in 1887. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 8,179 to 8,807 (+8%). Half of its homes were built before 1975.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Clayton yet — the old photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Intro from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Population and housing: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Clayton’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
2 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewNoon hour. Moore Bros. Glass Co. …, 1909: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Clayton, decade by decade
1990s
Then & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Noon hour. Moore Bros. Glass Co. Clayton, N.J. All are workers. Location: Clayton, New Jersey (1909) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (5) and the Library of Congress (7). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.