John Claybrook

John C. Claybrook (June 11, 1872 - July 21, 1951) was a logger, farmer and businessman in the United States.[1][2] He owned property in Arkansas.[3] He owned a semi-professional baseball team and developed Claybrook, Arkansas.

He was born in Florence, Alabama.[4] He received a William E. Harmon Foundation Award for Distinguished Achievement Among Negroes.

He cut timber, acquired land, grew cotton, and developed a timber industry town of Topaz into what became known as Claybrook with a boarding house and mill. Ernie Pyle wrote a column about him in the Memphis Commercial Appeal June 18, 1936 (republished in 1947 in Pyle's Home Country.[1] His semi-professional baseball team the Claybrook Tigers played in the Negro Southern League, winning a couple of championships with Ted Radcliffe.[1]

He married, became a widower, remarried, and had a son John Claybrook Jr. and three daughters with his second wife Emma G. Claybrook.[1]

He retired to his home in Memphis and is buried at Elmwood Cemetery (Birmingham, Alabama).[1]

The documentary film Swingin' Timber by David D. Dawson was made about him and his baseball team.[5][6]

References
  1. "Film "Swingin' Timber" will be shown at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center today at 3pm". July 6, 2019.
  2. "The story of Mr. John C. Claybrook - Saturday, March 5, 1938. "An outstanding business man of his race", March 5,1938 | Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History". aafa.galileo.usg.edu.
  3. "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
  4. Kirk, John. "African American Businessmen- John C. Claybrook". www.ualrpublicradio.org.
  5. Singleton, Nichole. "John C. Claybrook Archives".
  6. "Culturalist: July 2019". Arkansas Online. 2019-07-25. Retrieved 2021-10-12.
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