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John Clay: The Scottish Farmer Who Became the Dean of American Stockmen

From a tenant farm on the River Tweed to a Chicago commission house, John Clay spent more than sixty years in the American livestock trade.

Who Was John Clay?

John Clay worked in the American livestock industry for more than sixty years and was called the dean of American stockmen in his later life. Wikipedia's biography describes a Scottish-born cattleman and financier who managed ranches, ran a major commission house at the Chicago stockyards and lent money to ranchers across the West.

His reach was wide. He led the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, founded the International Livestock Association and wrote a long autobiography, My Life on the Range.

From the River Tweed to Wyoming

Clay was born around 1851 at Winfield near Berwick in the Scottish Borders, the son of a tenant farmer at Kerchesters, a large farm on the River Tweed, according to Wikipedia. Hired by Scottish and English investors who wanted to put money in American cattle, he traveled to the United States in 1874 and lived for a time in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

In 1879 he went to Canada to manage the Canada West Farm Stock Association, and in 1882 he returned to inspect land holdings and visited Montana for the first time. He moved permanently to the United States in 1883 and opened a Chicago office on May 1.

Taking Over the Swan Company

In 1888 Clay replaced Alexander Swan as head of the Swan Land and Cattle Company after Swan's firing. WyoHistory.org says Clay cut costs, closed the Cheyenne office and rented out ranches during his years, 1888 to 1896, and that he also earned commissions as the company's livestock sales agent through his own firm. He was dismissed in 1896 and returned to the board from 1912 to 1934.

The Encyclopedia of the Great Plains entry describes Clay as a harsh critic of Swan's management. Wikipedia says he moved the company's emphasis from cattle toward sheep, a change that continued into the early 1900s.

The Commission Firm and the Banks

In 1886 Clay opened the first office of Clay Robinson at the Union Stock Yards in Chicago. Over time it became John Clay and Company and then the John Clay Livestock Commission, with branches in eight cities that had major stockyards, including Denver, Kansas City, Omaha, Sioux City and South St. Paul. Wikipedia counts it among the largest livestock commission firms in the country.

Clay also started moneylending in 1883 and ran the John Clay Company from Chicago's Rookery Building. He is said to have controlled a network of nearly 25 banks, though the exact size is unknown because few records survive.

The Key to Clay's Success

Clay's record shows a manager and financier who earned money from other people's capital and cattle. His success lay in sitting between investors and the range.

The same record includes conflicts of interest and controversy. His own firm earned commissions from a company he managed, and Wikipedia says he was suspected of involvement in the 1891 Johnson County Invasion, which he denied, and later helped participants avoid punishment. It also says he hired Tom Horn as a stock detective in 1892.

  • He knew the investors' language, arriving in 1874 on behalf of Scottish and English backers.
  • He controlled the sales channel, opening Clay Robinson at the Chicago stockyards in 1886.
  • He cut costs ruthlessly at the Swan company, closing the Cheyenne office and renting out ranches.
  • He used credit as a business, lending money from 1883 and eventually buying bank stock.
  • He took industry leadership, serving as Wyoming Stock Growers president from 1890 for six years and leading the International Livestock Association from 1923 to 1933.
  • He wrote down his experience in an extensive autobiography.

Johnson County and the Range Wars

The Johnson County Invasion of 1891 and 1892 pitted big cattle operators against small settlers. Wikipedia says Clay was suspected of involvement and denied it, but later helped participants avoid punishment. It also says he hired Tom Horn as a stock detective in 1892.

These items sit awkwardly beside his reputation as the industry's elder statesman. The sources I opened treat them briefly, and they do not give detailed evidence either way.

Late Life, Honors and Books

Clay retired in 1933, and Henry W. Marshall succeeded him at the International Livestock Association. He died of heart disease at his Chicago home on March 17, 1934, at age 82. Livestock markets in the cities with his firm's offices paused business for fifteen minutes at the time of his burial in Woodstock, Ontario, per Wikipedia.

He was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1961, and L. Milton Woods wrote the biography John Clay, Jr.: Commission Man, Banker, and Rancher in 2001. For more, see the ranching section of farm.FM and a farm.FM story about the stockyards.

Timeline

  1. 1851Born near Berwick, Scotland (approximate)
  2. 1874Travels to the United States and lives for a time in Cheyenne
  3. 1883Moves permanently to the U.S. and opens a Chicago office
  4. 1886Opens the first Clay Robinson office at the Union Stock Yards
  5. 1888Replaces Alexander Swan as head of the Swan Land and Cattle Company
  6. 1890Elected president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association
  7. 1923Becomes president of the International Livestock Association
  8. 1934Dies in Chicago on March 17

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Clay?

John Clay (about 1851 to 1934) was a Scottish-born cattleman, financier and livestock commission merchant who managed the Swan Land and Cattle Company and was called the dean of American stockmen.

What was Clay Robinson?

Clay Robinson was the livestock commission firm John Clay founded at the Chicago Union Stock Yards in 1886. It was later renamed John Clay and Company and had branches in cities with major stockyards.

What did John Clay do at the Swan Land and Cattle Company?

He replaced Alexander Swan in 1888, cut costs, closed the Cheyenne office, rented out ranches and shifted the company toward sheep. He was dismissed in 1896 and returned to its board in 1912.

What book did John Clay write?

Clay wrote an extensive autobiography, My Life on the Range, and a compiled family history. A later biography by L. Milton Woods was published in 2001.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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