Clayton

Clayton, New Mexico is the first town on the Santa Fe Trail in the land of Enrichment. It is close to the base of the Rabbit ear Mountains, a major landmark on the Santa Fe Trail. Those first outcroppings of the rocky Mountains were named for the sixteenth century Cheyenne Chief, Orejas de Conejo. He was killed in a battle on the slopes of the mountains and buried on the larger of the two peaks. Clayton has long been a major stop on the trails of the west. Coronado passed through there on his way to Kansas. The Goodnight-Loving Trail, with its large cattle drives, used Clayton for a rest stop and resting place for the many herds of cattle driven over the famous trail.