440George Alexander Bushnell
George A. Bushnell and Edward W. Fox operated the first store in Clayton. George came from Cheltenham, England, and was a graduate of Oxford University. His father was an Episcopal Vicar as were several of his ancestors. They ranked high in English society.
George came to America in 1880 as an auditor for the Maxwell Cattle Company. This company was formed in London by the Most Noble William Frago Montague, the Duke of Manchester, the Earl of Rosslyn, Right Honorable Francis Robert St. Clair, John Guthrie Smith, William B. Strong and William Dowd. George lived in Cimarron where the company had established headquarters. Business took him to Springer and Raton where he met Minnie Boone Boggs, daughter of Thomas O. and Romalda Luna Boggs. They were married December 9, 1884, in Springer.
Mr. Bushnell was a polished gentleman and one of the most universally admired and respected men in the Territory. He and Mr. Fox were partners in a profitable mercantile business in Raton but they believed the new town of Clayton would offer larger opportunities. They were the first merchants to establish a business there. Trade was excellent. After several years, Bob Ervien and John Hill organized a corporation to develop the Fox Brothers & Bushnell enterprise. The name was changed to Clayton Commercial Company. Mr. Bushnell lived only a short while after this merger. He was stricken with pneumonia. His death was a shock to the entire community and his loss irreparable.
George Bushnell was connected with the history of Clayton from the earliest days of its development. He was devoted to the public interest, fostering every object calculated to promote education and general welfare. Esteemed for his genuine worth and sincerity of purpose, his passing left a place no one else could fill.
Clayton, the Friendly Town in Union County, New Mexico, Authors Mrs. Harry Thompson, William H. Halley, A.B.M.D. Collaborator: Simon Herstein
Submitted by Gary R. Hawpe -- GRH9999@aol.com