1984: City Of Naylor Acquires Clutter's Blacksmith Shop

As Naylor hosts its annual Heritage Day celebration on Saturday, Oct. 2, let’s take a look at the beginning. On Aug. 20, 1984, the city council accepted the donation of Clutter’s Blacksmith Shop and an adjoining residence (pictured above at the time of the donation) from J.C. and Ruby York of Sayre, Okla. For 54 years (1916-70), John and Luella Clutter operated their blacksmith shop in Naylor. As The Prospect-News reported at the time, 'In every nook and cranny of the shop lies the history of Naylor, preserved in John’s tools, records, signs and hardware. The double brick forge dominates the shop and stood near the narrow doors that admitted many Model T’s and farm wagons for repairs.' The hardware area was cordoned from the rest of the shop by the fancy oak and wrought iron teller cages of the Naylor State Bank, which closed during the crash of 1929 and never reopened. In order to finance and develop the shop into a museum, the City of Naylor opened a trust fund to receive donations. A board of directors was formed to advise the city council in managing the project. The first major fundraising event planned was the Second Annual Pioneer Heritage Day held on Oct. 6, 1984. Thirty-seven years later, Clutter’s Museum still welcomes visitors during Heritage Day.