Have you ever heard of the town of "Clay"? Well it once was one Galt's neighboring towns. Where is Clay? Clay, along with several other small pioneer towns, is in the Herald area, northeast of Galt. Like the others, Clay is lost to the all-encompassing name of "Herald". There was a time, however, that the town was known as "Clay Station", since it had a train station where folks could catch the Ione train into Galt to shop or to connect with the train to Sacramento.
The first settler in Clay was Thomas Steele, who settled in the area in 1858. He built a store in 1875, and was the postmaster and Wells Fargo agent there. In 1884 he had a brick two-story home built, sold his store to his nephew, and became a realtor.
The first woman in Sacramento County to "prove up" on government land was Elizabeth Lewins. Elizabeth's husband was an experienced cabinetmaker who had worked for Brigham Young. While in Salt Lake City, he took some boards from his wagon and made a cabinet for Brigham Young. That cabinet is on display at the Museum in Salt Lake City. When Mr. Lewins died, Elizabeth and her five daughters managed the ranch at Clay Station. Elizabeth later married Curtis Bolton. They had three more children. A daughter, Isabelle, married Volaske Quiggle. A granddaughter, Cora Belle, married William Bottimore. Their descendants reside in the Herald and Galt areas today.
The soil of this area is a mixture of gravel and adobe with considerable red loam and sandy soil. Because of this, the area was called "Clay Station." There was once a creek filled with water coming from Amador County, known as Laguna Creek. In winter it often overflowed its banks half a mile wide. Reservoirs and water diversion have cut back the flow to a small amount of water today.
Although it is close to Galt, the people of Clay are not a part of the incorporated city. They are a part of the Sacramento County area that is northeast of Galt. In recent years, families seeking a quiet rural life have built their homes in that area. Their children attend Arcohe Elementary School and are currently bussed into Galt to attend Galt High School.
Galt Area Historical Society Home page
Last edited 27 February, 2005