Clays Corner

Clay's Corner is west of Lazbuddie in southeastern Parmer County. A gin was operating nearby when in October 1953 Herbert and Vera Clay moved from Lamesa and established a grocery and general merchandise store for rural residents at the junction of Farm roads 145 and 214. As modern irrigation increased, several more farmers moved to the vicinity of the Clay store, among them James Robinson, noted for his champion greyhounds. In 1955 the Clays added a cafe and a hardware store to their growing business. A Farmers' Co-op elevator was erected nearby, probably in the early 1960s, and a fertilizer business was added to the community in 1961. During this time the Clays hosted annual Thanksgiving dinners and Easter egg hunts. The Clay establishment was a local gathering place and a refuge in time of foul or threatening weather. The population was fifteen in 2000.