Page 46 - 2005 DT 12 Issues

June Clayson, continued from p.1 today. Of the fifty persons listed on the
1910 Census transcript with Frank and
Desk Schedule Clayson. He also found cousin Frank’s his family, only one of the adults was
granddaughter, Marsha Sue Stewart native to Nevada. That might not be
surprising for 1910, but even today in
Wed/1 V. Sperry R. Augulis Clayson (born in 1942), who currently my own neighborhood, I’ve yet to meet
Thur/2 J. Botsford J. Barrett lives in Long Beach, Calif. My Dad and a native Las Vegan over the age of eight.
I. Grieco Marsha provided most of the necessary Frank’s neighbors and mine also came to
information for this story.
1
Fri/3 J. Fazio Open Frank Clayson was born in Redwood the valley from all over the nation and
Sat/4 W. Barbuck W. Barbuck Falls, Minn. in April 1872, one of five other parts of the world. My immediate
Sun/5 N. Hanson Open siblings to Walter Clayson. Young Frank neighbors include two Filipino-Ameri-
Mon/6 R. Linsmeier F. Rhea lost his first wife in 1898, leaving him to can families, Hawaiians and a Russian
Tues/7 M. Slagle J. Geier raise his two-year-old son on his own. immigrant couple who moved to Las
Vegas from Chicago. Frank’s neighbors
J. Helpin W./I. Baumann Frank remarried in 1905 to Elizabeth included people native to other parts of
Wed/8 Open D. Powers Taylor Fraser, a Canadian immigrant the U.S., as well as Germany, Denmark,
Thurs/9 J. Fazio J. Botsford who gained her U.S. citizenship in 1890. Ireland, Sweden and Japan.
Fri/10 I. Grieco N. Kresge Frank moved his family west that year, While it’s obvious to point out the
Sat/11 P. VanDooremaal W./I. Baumann but the couple separated. Elizabeth many changes that have taken place in
Sun/12 N. Hanson Open moved to Riverside, Calif., presumably the past century in and around the valley,
Mon/13 J. Fazio S. Stenzel to live with family while Frank set up it’s interesting to discover that the Las
a business in the recently incorporated
A. Berg little town of Las Vegas, Nev. He and his Vegas of cousin Frank’s day had paral-
Tues/14 V. Sperry J. Geier partner, Edward W. Griffith, opened a lels to my own experience. In a way,
M. Slagle thriving general store on Fremont Street we’re both pioneers. G
Wed/15 J. Helpin D. Powers in 1905. Cousin Frank and his partner
Thur/16 M. Andrews Open sold whatever the public demanded and (Endnotes)
Vernon Clayson and Marsha Stewart
1
J. Botsford also tried their hands at undertaking and provided much of the information for
Fri17 Open E.Schliepp selling feral burros as draft animals. this story. Other sources include the
Sat/18 J. Kissosondi Open Elizabeth gave birth to Frank’s second Las Vegas Age (16 February and 6 April
Sun/19 Open L./M. Utah child in 1907 in Riverside and joined 1907); handwritten transcripts from the
Mon/20 S. Stenzel R. Linsmeier Frank in Las Vegas sometime prior Thirteenth Census of the United States:
Tues/21 I. Grieco J. Geier to 1910. 1910 – Population (found on ancestry.
According to the 1910 Census,
E. Schliepp Frank and Elizabeth lived at 278 Fourth com); Joan Whitely, “Young Las Vegas:
Wed/22 V. Sperry C. Gilmore Street with their sons Harold, 14, and Before the Future Found Us,” Chapter
J. Helpin Robert, 3. Harold was enrolled in school 4, Las Vegas Review Journal (20 March
Thurs/23 J. Botsford J. Barrett and all in the family except young Rob- 2005), K1 (Whitely seemed unaware
of Frank Clayson here, referring to the
M. Andrews ert could read and write. The family owners of the general store on Fremont
Fri/24 Open N. Kresge owned both their share of the business Street as “Edward W. Griffith and his
E. Schliepp and their home free of any mortgage. partner”); and William B. Lapham and
Sat/25 Open Open With stereotypes of the mythical “Old Oliver B. Clason, Clason Memorial:
Sun/26 B.Saperstein L./M. Utah West” lodged in my imagination, it is Stephen Clason of Stamford Connecticut
N. Hanson remarkable to me that Frank’s life in the in 1654 and Some of His Descendents
Mon/27 S. Stenzel N. Kresge first decade of the twentieth century and (Augusta, Maine: Kennebec Journal
Tues/28 V. Sperry D. Powers mine in the twenty-first actually have Print, 1892). A branch of the family
Wed/29 L. Eaton C. Gilmore much in common. changed the spelling of the surname from
My wife and I live, as did Frank
J. Helpin and his family, in a recently constructed Clason to Clayson sometime in the late
19 century.
th
Thurs/30 J. Botsford J. Barrett house on a street that was not yet paved
M. Andrews five years prior to moving in. The people Editor’s Note: Dr. Clayson teaches
Frank shared early Las Vegas with were history at the Community College of
Changes? Call Gina Mele, 515-5355 a diverse bunch, much like my neighbors Southern Nevada in Las Vegas.
Page 6 FORRC/June 2005