Clayton, Polk County, Wisconsin
| Clayton | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Clayton
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| Coordinates: 45°19′26″N 92°10′15″W / 45.32389°N 92.17083°WCoordinates: 45°19′26″N 92°10′15″W / 45.32389°N 92.17083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Polk |
| Area | |
| • Total | 33.8 sq mi (87.6 km2) |
| • Land | 33.2 sq mi (86.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 912 |
| • Density | 27/sq mi (10/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Area code(s) | 715 & 534 |
Clayton is a town in Polk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 912 at the 2000 census. The Village of Clayton is located within the town. The unincorporated communities of Joel and Richardson are also located in the town.
Clayton was first settled by logging families in the 1870s. In 1874, the railroad arrived, connecting logging camps within the area. The railroad ended near Lake Camelia at a sawmill owned by Humbird and Rogers. The town was named after Clayton Rogers, the boss of the sawmill, for his service during the Civil War. The village of Clayton was incorporated in 1909.
Scandinavian, German, and Russian families who settled here turned to dairy farming. The many small creameries and cheese factories that sprang up in the area were purchased by Stella Cheese Company in the 1930s. During the 1960s, the Stella factory became the largest producer of blue cheese in the world. The Clayton Lions Club called Clayton “The Blue Cheese Capital of the World” to promote the town. To this day, the town celebrates Cheese Days on Father’s Day weekend in June. The Wisconsin Dairies Cooperative bought the cheese factory in the 1980s. Today, it is known as Foremost Farms and produces pizza cheese.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.8 square miles (87.6 km²), of which, 33.2 square miles (86.1 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (1.80%) is water.
As of the census of 2010, there were 571 people, 360 households, and 263 families residing in the town. The population density was 27.4 people per square mile (10.6/km²). There were 412 housing units at an average density of 12.4 per square mile (4.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.97% White, 0% Native American, 0% Asian, and 1.93% from two or more races. 2.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
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