William Pratt Claybourn ("Bill") was born in Jefferson County, Illinois, on 25 December 1844. On 12 August 1862, at the age of 18, he enlisted to fight in the Civil War with his brother James Harrison. The two brothers enlisted with Co. H. of the 80th Illinois Infantry and served in that organization until the close of the war in 1865. Bill's description as it appears on his record is 5'6" tall, with auborn hair, hazel eyes, and fair complexion.

Bill married (presumably after the War) to Mary Jane Cornelius McMillan (11 May 1848 - 5 December 1918). By 1877 he was managing the agency for Studebaker wagons at Foxville, Illinois, near Walnut Hill. Joseph Monroe Claybourn, his brother, lived with him and worked for him. In about 1881 Bill moved to a small farm near Mt. Vernon. His wife's health failed, and about in 1884 they, with Sally and Newt Hawkins and about six other families, went in covered wagons to Kansas where they homesteaded about 30 miles south of Garden City.

William Boyer, Claybourn's son-in-law, went to Butte, Montana, which was booming at the time. He sent for the others and returned and removed the families about 1888 or 1889. All of Bill Claybourn's immediate descendants except two lived in or are buried in Butte. Boyer and Bill Claybourn were carpenters.

						Joshua Claybourn (Clibborn) 1758 - 1799
				Ephraim Claybourn 1788 - 1850
						Sarah
		William Divine Claybourn 1819 - 1896
				Mary "Polly" Browning 1792 - 1874
						Sally Browning
William Pratt Claybourn 1844 - 1900
				Reuben Hawker b. 1794
		Frances Alla Hawker 1820 - 1863
				Nancy Hawker b. 1796

Descendants

1. Iva A. Claybourn was born on 29 July 1867 and died in 1869.

2. Zorah F. Claybourn Boyer was born on 25 September 1869. Zorah married William St. Clair Boyer (born 9 August 1863); more on William's heritage can be found here. The couple had ten children:
   1. First born died at birth.
   2. Pearl Boyer was born on 19 December 1888 and died on 6 August 1923. Pearl married Walter H. Smith (born 12 February 1888 at Christ's Church, New Zealand) and the couple had four children:
      1. Wallis St. Clair Smith, born on 14 September 1908.
      2. John Henry Smith, born on 18 May 1914.
      3. Zorah Pearl Smith, born on 4 September 1916.
      4. Myrtle Rosena Smith, born on 6 February 1919.
   3. Lewis Pratt Boyer was born on 16 July 1890. Lewis married a women named Norah and the pair had a son.
   4. Blanche Boyer Martin was born on 23 March 1892. Blanch married Charles Stapp Martin (born 25 January 1890), but the couple had no children.
   5. Lester St. Clair Boyer was born on 5 April 1894.
   6. Orval Francis Boyer was born on 27 March 1897.
   7. Muriel Boyer Buckley was born on 12 June 1899. Muriel married James Raymond Buckley and the couple had two children:
      1. John Raymond Buckley, born on 26 June 1918.
      2. James Otto Buckley, born on 30 May 1931.
   8. Everett Roosevelt Boyer was born on 29 May 1901. Everett married Mary Farren (born 4 April 1905) and the couple had two children:
      1. Everett Richard Boyer was born on 1 October 1925.
      2. William St. Clair Boyer was born on 9 August 1929.
   9. Mellville Norris Boyer was born on 25 December 1906.
   10. Zorah Genevieve Boyer was born on 17 May 1909. She had at least one daughter and son. The daughter, Helen Blanche Murrish, was born on 23 March 1941.

3. Robert E. Claybourn was born on 27 August 1871 and died in 1873.

4. John (Jack) Scott Claybourn was born on 9 April 1874 and died on 5 December 1919. Jack married, but had no children.

5. Archabel A. Claybourn was born on 7 July 1877, but died the same year.

6. Myrtle Pratt Claybourn Daniels was born on 7 July 1877 and died about 1945. Myrtle lived in Oakland, California and married on 9 July 1917 to John (Jack) Daniels, who was born in Wales.

7. Harry Lester ("Les") Claybourn was born on 11 February 1880. He was an avid baseball player and, according to a newspaper article written after his death, Les started playing when he was old enough to handle a bat. He was a star on the Butte Reduction Works team. After the team was disbanded, Les went to work as stage carpenter at the old Grand Theater. Later he was property man at the Broadway and Empress Theaters. He constructed the ring at the Empress that was later by the Manhattan Athletic Club. Harry married (1st) Mae Harrington, and they had at least two children:
   1. Elton Claybourn, who lived in Oakland, California.
   2. Thelma Claybourn Dunn was born on 27 December 1902. She married Frank Dunn, and they had six children.
      1. Thelma Dunn, born on 3 September 1924.
      2. Jennie Dunn, born on 14 July 1926.
      3. Frank Dunn, born on 24 June 1928.
      4. Margie Dunn, born on 6 October 1930.
      5. Eddie Dunn, born on 15 May 1933.
      6. Leona Dunn, born on 7 August 1935.
   Les later married (2nd) Mrs. Everett E. Claybourn (his sister-in-law), and they had at least one child:
   3. Myrtle Claybourn

   Les died in 1922 at the age of 41 years old while living at 2721 Goodwin St., Floral Park. A local news article recounts his death - which occurred on the bench during a baseball game - in great detail. Click here to read the article. It notes that Les was survived by five children, so he had at least two more children than are listed here.

8. Everett Elton Claybourn was born on 19 April 1883 and died on 15 April 1915. Everett married Maggie Sennet, but the couple had no children. As noted above, Maggie would later marry her brother-in-law Harry. Everett was rated a very good soft shoe dancer.