By George Chatham

First of all my apologies to the “Wondering, Banished, Exiled, and Lost Souls of Baca County, Colorado” (Facebook)group since most of this post took place across the county line in Powers County.

I spoke of the “Clay Creek” place in the previous post. The “Clay Creek” place Fred & Ethel Chatham moved to with Vela was the “Carlton Place” which Fred rented. It is located in Powers County two miles west of US Hwy 385/287 on L Rd and about two miles north via “cow trail” on private land. When I visited the “Clay Creek” site in August of 2001, most of the sand rock walls of the house, barn, chicken house, and some of the corrals were still standing. The house and out buildings were located on the west side of “Clay Creek”. At the time the Fred Chatham family lived on Clay Creek, the area was pretty much “open range”. It had not been broken out, so there was still good grass for the cattle. There was also “live water” in several watering spots along “Clay Creek”. Most of the water holes were only a foot or two deep, but there was one watering hole 3 or 4 miles further north up Clay Creek that was ten or twelve feet deep. The family lived on “Clay Creek” for 3 years.