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The first known European-American settler in the area was Sinnett Triplett, who arrived around 1812. He set up camp near Sinnett Branch, south of present-day Clay. Later, David McOlgin became the first permanent settler, living on the north side of Elk River where Clay would later be. By 1839, 28 families lived in the area, and they survived by farming, hunting, and logging. Log rafts were often floated down the Elk River to sell in Charleston, with settlers walking back home afterward.
