Clayton Blossomed Around Courthouse (Spoiler: No Overnight Campout)

A forthcoming history book titled "" is written by St. Louis Beacon reporter Mary Delach Leonard and commemorates Clayton's 100 years as a city.

Leonard worked with her daughter, historian Melinda Leonard, on the book. The two began by reviewing previously published material, including accounts in weekly newspapers and Dickson Terry's book "".

"It offered a good place to start," Leonard said. They also spoke with many people familiar with the city's history.

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It's not the first history Leonard has written. Her commemorative book "Animals Always: 100 Years at the St. Louis Zoo" published in 2009, and she previously wrote historical articles as a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"After a while, you kind of learn your way," she said. Leonard said she approached the book as a museum exhibit. It focuses little on the history of St. Louis County and heavily on the growth of over time. She hopes people walk away from the book with a sense of the city's overall story; she knows full well that each chapter could be a book on its own.

The Clayton history begins with an examination of the city's early years as it transformed into the hub of county government. The county and St. Louis city divorced in 1876. Ralph Clayton and the family later donated land that became the foundation for the city, which incorporated in 1913.

It is evident civic leaders were concerned about Clayton's annexation by University City and other neighboring municipalities before the city incorporated, Leonard said.

But those anxieties spawned some legends that are impossible to tie to documentation. For example, one dramatic story claims Claytonites camped out overnight in the county courthouse so they could file incorporation papers before being annexed by University City. Leonard said several papers followed the incorporation process closely, including the Post-Dispatch and a Clayton publication called the Watchman-Advocate. None of them include references to an overnight campout, she said.

Clayton's downtown grew as more and more people needed county services. For many, getting to the courthouse took a day's trip. So hotels and taverns sprang up to house and feed them.

Several key moments followed close on the heels of incorporation in 1913: World War I, the Great Depression and World War II among them.

"These were turbulent times," Leonard said. During the Depression era, Mayor Charles Shaw helped develop Shaw Park. After World War II, Clayton experienced a suburban boom: The central business district developed with shopping and retail, and skyscrapers sprouted.

Being progressive while preserving history and heritage has been a real focus in Clayton, Leonard said.

In addition to its historical narrative, the book contains numerous fact boxes, profiles and vignettes.

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