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Barclay Nevada

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Barclay Nevada

Barclay Nevada Overview

Barclay is a town in Lincoln County, Nevada which was originally a Mormon settlement in the late 1860s with that later became a siding for the Salt Lake Railroad in 1904.

Known initially as Clover Valley the name was changed by Union Pacific Railroad when they laid the track through the area. When the railroad company was lying the tracks, they encountered very hard clay soil that could only be penetrated by crowbars, hence the name “Barclay” but pronounced “bar-clee.”

It has few residents and remnants are still around in the town including an old Mormon cemetery, a one-room schoolhouse, and an abandoned Post Office, the latter being one of the few remaining buildings in the town along with the original Barclay Ranch, which was settled in 1898. 

There are multiple ranches in the area, with one of them being owned by the National Mustang Association which serves as a sanctuary for wild horses.

You will need permission from the landowners to explore the ranches and some points of interest in the area.

Year Established/Founded

1897 

Barclay Nevada History

The early Indians of the area left only a small trace of their existence with a few findings of pottery, flint chippings, and some arrowheads. In two areas surrounding the valley petroglyphs can be found.

In the North end of the valley at Cave Springs, the University of Nevada Reno excavated in the 1970s and found evidence of six different Native American Cultures that had existed in the small caves.

In April 1899 the Barclay Post Office was established and the siding of the Salt Lake railroad, built through here in 1904, took the same name. Later another settlement named Joseco had a post office here for most of the time from 1916 to 1943. 

Timeline

  • 1849 – The first white people of record traveled through Clover Valley.
  • 1857  – A group that was known as the White Mountain Camp from Parowan, Utah came through Clover Valley following the same route as the 49er group. This was an exploring party sent out by Brigham Young to find a place of refuge for the Mormons in the event that they would have to flee due to the approach of Johnston’s Anny.
  • 1860s – Mormons settled in Clover Valley during the late 1860s, farming and raising stock there.
  • 1864 – Several families led by Bishop Edward Bunker settled Clover Valley as a result of a severe drought along Santa Clara Creek in Utah. Because of limited land and the settling of the Swiss people in Santa Cara, most of the old settlers decided to move to Clover Valley.
  • 1864 – 1866 – Twelve of the settlers’ babies died from some sort of plague.
  • 1871 – A post office was established in 1871
  • 1885 – The railroad was under construction through the Valley.
  • 1898 – The School/Church House was built by Lyman L. Woods and his son-in-law George Edwards. 
  • 1899 – The community had been renamed Barclay.
  • April 1899 – Barclay Post Office opened
  • 1904 – When the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad (later Union Pacific) was constructed, a siding was established at Barclay. 
  • 1905 – Lincoln County took possession of the railroad grade due to the lack of payment of taxes and after many troubles with funding, the railroad was finally completed.

Post Office

Clover Valley Post Office

  • April 10, 1871 – November 5, 1887 (I found a reference that the date was 1877 too)

Barclay Post Office

  • April 24, 1899 – April 29, 1905
  • December 16, 1907 – January 14, 1910

GPS Coordinates

37°30′48″N 114°15′06″W

References Used

Barclay Nevada