Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Clayes, Levi M 1808 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 4, 2007, 9:30 pm Author: Portrait & Biographical Album, 1890 LEVI M. CLAYES. This name represents one of the oldest living pioneers of Will County. He came to this region as early as 1832, when the present site of Joliet was covered with weeds fifteen feet high. The main thoroughfare through this part of the country terminated at Lockport, which was a hamlet of half a dozen shanties located near the river. Mr. Clayes took up a tract of Government land in the vicinity of Lockport, and after making some improvements left it and went to Chelsea, now Frankfort, where he established a store of general merchandise, having mostly the red men of the forest for his customers. Mr. Clayes likewise was one of the first Postmasters in Will County, and conducted the office and his store until failing health compelled him to a change of occupation. He then turned his attention to farming on the section of land of which he was the owner and became well-to-do, bringing a large portion of his land to a good state of culivation and putting up fine buildings. He also set out an orchard with numbers of other fruit and shade trees, while about one mile south grew up by degrees the town of Frankfort. In March, 1868, Mr. Clayes sold out and removed to another farm belonging to him and located in the same section. There also he operated a steam sawmill and in this manner disposed of about eighty acres of oak and walnut timber. The Rock Island Railroad furnished him abundant shipping facilities and he realized from this venture handsome returns. He remained there until wisely deciding to lessen his labors and cares, and in 1873 removed to Joliet and erected a large fine house at the intersection of Scott and Webster Streets. This forms one of the most attractive homes of the city. The dwelling stands back from the street and in front of it is an extensive lawn while the general surroundings of the place indicate the cultured tastes and ample means of the proprietor. Mr. Clayes is the owner of other valuable city property and a farm in Green Garden Township, besides real estate in Wilmington. He has accumulated his possessions by his own industry and economy, having at the start no resources but those with which nature had endowed him. He has had little time to meddle with political matters, aside from giving his unqualified support to the Republican party. During his younger years Mr. Clayes enjoyed in more than an ordinary degree youthful pleasures and recreations, and in company with Mr. Stillman, inaugurated the first ball ever given in the county. The invitations were gotten up in fine style, the paper being embellished with the United States coat-of-arms and the American engle. They were headed "Union Ball" and read as follows: "The managers present their compliments and respectfully solicit the company of — at the Joliet Hotel, Thursday, the 24th inst., at 3 o'clock, P.M., fall of 1834. O. W. Stillman, J. W. Brown, O. T. Rogers, L. M. Clayes, S. S. Chamberlain, C. Sayre, A. Castle, R. Nixon, S. Munson, Managers. O. W. Stillman, L. M. Clayes, Floor Managers." The subject of this notice was born February 8, 1808, in New Hampshire, and is the son of Peter and Lois Clayes, who were natives of Scotland and Massachusetts, respectively, and spent their last years in Frankfort, Will County. Peter Clayes was the original manufacturer of the Chickering Pianos at New Ipswich, N. H. L. M. when a young man removed to Pittsford near Rochester, N. Y. When reaching manhood he repaired to Pittsburg, Pa. and subsequently to Louisville, Ky., in both of which places his brother-in-law, Sylvanus Lathrop, was engaged as a builder and contractor, mostly of bridges, and put up several large structures of the kind at both places. He came to Illinois when about twenty-three years old and was subsequently married in Mokena, Ill., November 21, 1858, to Miss Parthena F. Benedict. This lady was born in Colborne, Canada, June 29, 1832. Of this union there are two daughters, viz.: Hattie A., the wife of C. H. Talcott, Cashier of the Will County Bank, and Louise B., who remains at home with her parents. The parents of Mrs. Clayes were Amzi L., and Lucy (Hoyt) Benedict, natives of Connecticut and New Hampshire, respectively, now deceased. Additional Comments: Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/clayes1297nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 5.0 Kb