Cleator General Store (Cleator)

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The railroad reached the small settlement of Turkey Creek in 1902. At the same time, an entrepreneur names Leverett Nellis also arrived in town. He purchased land in Turkey Creek and opened a general store, saloon, restaurant, freighting business, and cattle ranch. In 1909, James P. Cleator arrived in town and became partners with Nellis in the general store. Nellis and Cleator worked hard promoting the town of Turkey Creek, even going so far as to advocating for a branch line from Turkey Creek spur to Phoenix. In 1909, the business partnership was amicably dissolved. Nellis remained active in the cattle ranching business, which had been taking more and more of his time, and Cleator became the sole owner of the store and saloon. The restaurant and freighting business had outlived their usefulness by this time and were discontinued. Though the saloon remained, it was only opened on request. In 1913 Cleator consturcted a new building for his general store in Turkey Creek. The false-front proclaimed "James P. Cleator General Merchandise/" The town phone and post office were moved into the new store, and Cleator became the postmaster. In 1919, Nellis retired and left the community. James Cleator made a request to the Post Office Department and to the railroad to have the name of the community officially changed to Cleator. The government granted his request in May 1925, and the railroad did likewise in November 1926. The rails left in 1932. In 1949, James Cleator put the community up for sale, but no buyer was ever found. Today the town remains with the Cleator family. Today the general store still stands south of the roadbed.