August 18, 2023
The Pioneer • www.pioneerpublishers.com
Page 9
Eucalyptus trees, mostly gone now, iconic of early Clayton the south, Marsh Creek Road (formally Swann Street) on the east and Morris Street on the west. Joel Clayton was the primary landowner in the earliest days of the town. After he died in 1872, his son sold the lots facing Morris Street to John Henry Keller, who owned a butcher shop in DEBBIE EISTETTER Concord. Keller built his home, a barn, a butcher shop THE WAY and slaughterhouse on the WE WERE present site of Village Market and the parking lot at Clayton’s grove of eucaMain and Morris. lyptus trees was the most Carey Mitchell was deeddistinctive landmark of this ed the property in 1908 for little town for more than 100 $10 in tax payments, years. But by 1992, the prompting one citizen to call remaining trees suffered the Mitchells “squatters.” from disease and were Carey’s brother, Leslie removed to create The “Doug” Mitchell, lived in the Grove park we know today. old Keller house until his Presently, Village Market death in 1972. He enjoyed and a bistro join the park in telling folks he was born the comprising downtown Block same year as the planting of No. 3 as it was first recorded the eucalyptus seeds. on the 1858 official plat map Neighbor Norma of the town. Bloching remembered him as The block still has the “respectable and generous to same borders shown on that everyone. We loved him, historic map: Main Street on needless to say.” the north, Center Street on
Doug was always up for a chat or a game of horseshoes and allowed the Blochings to corral their horses on his land for seven years in exchange for improvements Norma’s father made to the barn. The Scammons family owned the neighboring four lots fronting Main Street until the 1890s. They were responsible for planting eucalyptus seeds in 1878, but they never developed the property. Further down Main on the corner of Swann Street, another Mitchell brother, “Buck,” and G. Schwartz operated a saloon in the late 1880s until it burned down in 1905. Two old cypress trees in the park mark its former location. For many years, parents worried about the old foundation collapsing on their curious children. By the early 1900s, Block No. 3 was primarily covered by eucalyptus, locusts and trees of Heaven, but some open areas remained where community activities could
be enjoyed. There was a popular open air dance platform made of wood called “the plaza,” a dirt go-cart track in the 1950s and varied community events like the Fourth of July holiday featuring music and contests such as a greased piglet chase for the children and greased pole-climbing for the men. The 38 diseased eucalyptus trees removed in 1992 were 114 years old, more than 100 feet high and in danger of falling over at any time. The city of Clayton purchased Block No. 3 from private investors in 1999 and dedicated The Grove park in June 2008. Debbie Eistetter is a board member of the Clayton Historical Society. For more information or to become a member, visit claytonhistory.org. The Clayton Museum is open 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays at 6101 Main St.. Photo courtesy Clayton Historical Society Admission is free. Retired Clayton teacher, Dick Ellis took this photo in 1978 of the Mitchell cabin, currently the site of Clayton’s Village Market.
Support is essential for nonbinary people; be an ally MILO KNIGHT
ALL THE COLORS Non-binary Awareness Week is an annual event that takes place in the week that surrounds International Nonbinary People’s Day on July 14. This week celebrates and brings visibility to the diversity of gender identities/expressions that exist outside of the gender binary of man and woman. Non-binary Awareness Week also provides a platform to elevate the stories and experiences of non-binary people. In my experience, the non-binary community is made up of some of the most creative and visionary people that I’ve ever met. Every day, non-binary people transcend what many of us have been taught about who to be, what to look like and how we are supposed to go through life. As a nonbinary dancer and choreographer, I have found that being expansive around my gender brings creativity to my art and movement. It inspires me to “think outside of the box” – literally. Historically and presently, creative expression through dance is a powerful instru-
ment for storytelling, community building and social change for intersectional LGBTQIA+ communities. In a time where LGBTQIA+ dancers, artists and drag performers are met with violence and hate crimes, it is essential to create safe and inclusive spaces where all LGBTQIA+ people can express themselves authentically. Hiring, paying and protecting local LGBTQIA+ performers – especially Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) – is an important way of affirming and supporting the authentic expression of queer and trans people. Non-binary Awareness Week also highlights the importance of youth advocacy and creating youth spaces where all gender identities are respected, included and celebrated. In 2020, the Trevor Project collected data from an online survey of approximately 35,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13-24 across the United States in which 1 in 4 LGBTQ youth identified as non-binary. Non-binary youth often experience exclusion, stigmatization, houselessness and violence. Due to these experiences, non-binary youth are at a higher risk of suicide. According to the 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, nearly 1 in 5 transgender and nonbina-
ry youth attempted suicide last year. Non-binary allyship can include: • Utilizing inclusive language and pronouns. • Educating family and friends about the spectrum of gender identities that exist. • Advocating for genderaffirming legislation and accessible health care. • Creating safe spaces for art and expression (like dance). • Building gender inclusive bathrooms. • Supporting LGBTQIA+ affirming schools. • Donating to LGBTQIA+ organizations like Rainbow Community Center. Rainbow Community Center provides extensive programs and services that support the wellbeing of nonbinary youth, adults and families, including social and support groups like Trans Teen Talk Group, Gender Voice and Parents and Guardians of Trans and Gender Nonconforming Children. Rainbow also provides wrap-around services focusing on mental health, housing for transitional age youth, LGBTQIA+ educational trainings, HIV support, adult programming and so much more. To learn more about Rainbow’s programs or to share a donation to support our com-
prehensive LGBTQIA+ services, please visit rainbowcc.org. Milo Knight (they/them) is a non-binary and queer educator, activist and advocate for intersectional queer and trans liberation, and the director of Operations, Wellness and Culture at Rainbow Community Center. Email comments or questions to milo@rainbowcc.org.
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