Archives West Finding Aid

Ben Renner was born in Sladdock, Oklahoma in 1909. His parents were Russian immigrants who had come to America about nine years before. From 1913 until 1920, the family moved frequently; first to Alberta, then back to Oklahoma, to Texas and Montana before finally settling in Clayton, Washington in 1920. There, Renner's father bought a farm about two miles east of Clayton. The family lived there for sixteen years. When they arrived, Clayton had three general stores, among them Pope's General Mercantile and Pop Westby's Grocery Store. Dr. C. Wright was the local general practitioner, and Clayton also featured a butcher shop, a brick plant, and a terra cotta plant. From 1926 until about 1930 when it closed, Renner worked in the terra cotta plant. After that, he moved on to the brick plant, eventually becoming its superintendent. In 1958, the plant was bought and closed down by a large concern which wanted the area's clay deposits but not the plant. Since then, clay has been shipped for processing to Mica and Renton. The new owners offered Renner a job at their plant in Mica, which he declined as he didn't want to leave Clayton. After that, Renner was a carpenter until his retirement. When the brick plant closed, the town nearly declined. Many of-the plant's workers moved out of town, some going to work for the Deer Park Pine Company mill. The Clayton brick plant was originally owned by the Washington Brick and Lime Company. Hazel Renner's father was the plant superintendent before Ben Renner.