Town file
Clayton, Georgia
Clayton, Georgia (Rabun County, Georgia) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 431, "My Daddybrother Did It" (12 October 2023). Clayton is a small town in Rabun County in the north-east corner of Georgia, about an hour and forty-five minutes from Atlanta and five hours and fifteen minutes from Savannah.
- Town
- Clayton
- County
- Rabun County
- State
- Georgia
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 431
- Approximate location
- 34.877, -83.403
Episode 431 / 12 October 2023 / 173 min / full
My Daddybrother Did It
"Clayton, Georgia, in northeast Georgia, about an hour forty five from Atlanta, in Rabun County." about 0:06:45
The case: Murder of George Hunt (May 1976); Murders of Roger and Kathy Hayes (December 9th, 1997). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2023
- Population
- 2,157
- Median age
- about 44
- Median household income
- $46,875 a year
- Median home value
- $339,300
- Two-bedroom rent
- $870
- Cost of living
- 88
- Religious
- 82.9%
- Property crime
- ▼ about one third over
- Violent crime
- ▼ about 25% below
History, in brief
- Originally called Claytonsville; the name was shortened to Clayton when it was incorporated in 1823. about 0:07:13
- Founded in 1821 as the seat of Rabun County. about 0:07:13
- Named after Augustin S. Clayton, a lawyer, congressman and judge who served in the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate and two terms as a U.S. representative. about 0:07:33
- In 1824, 67 acres were bought for $150, and a courthouse site, streets and Main Street were laid out. about 0:08:50
- In 1936 Clayton recorded 30 inches of snowfall, the highest annual total for anywhere in Georgia. about 0:09:14
- Part of the Disney film Old Yeller was shot in Clayton in 1957. about 0:10:43
- The B-movie Grizzly was filmed on location in the 1970s with local residents in supporting roles; production was around Thanksgiving 1975. about 0:11:14
- Grizzly was released in May 1976 and became the most financially successful independent film of its time, holding the record until Halloween in 1978. about 0:11:33
- Billy Redden, the actor who played the banjo player in Deliverance, is from Clayton. about 0:12:22
The reviews read out
5 stars
"Come visit this wonderful, gorgeous Hallmark town; well-maintained views, hiking, whitewater rafting, biking and farm-to-table restaurants."about 0:13:11
4 stars
"A great town surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, with hiking on Black Rock Mountain, kayaking on the Chattooga River and plenty of great places to eat."about 0:14:02
"Lived in the county twelve years full-time and thirty-one part-time; beautiful but governed by locals and hard to break in, with builders and conservationists in conflict, county commissioners filled with relatives, lake areas suffering from county neglect, and newcomers needing to care about county government and taxes."about 0:14:26
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Townville, South Carolina36 miles
- Easley, South Carolina47 miles
- Cherry Log, Georgia56 miles
- Traveler's Rest, South Carolina56 miles
- Tellico Plains, Tennessee61 miles
- Cosby, Tennessee64 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.