CLAYTON M. RALSTIN was the first county attorney who ever performed the duties of the office in the county. He was appointed to fill the position in the spring of 1870 and served until Frank Willis was chosen at the regular November, 1870, election. Mr. Ralstin was a notable and highly esteemed man among the early pioneers of the county. He was born in Brown County, Ohio, November 14, 1840, and afterward moved to Fulton County, Ill., where he lived on a farm and was educated at the High School at Lewistown in that county, and afterward read law at the same place in the offices of Judge Hope and I. C. Judd. He was then, in May, 1863, admitted to practice law at Springfield, Ill.

The next year, and on December 15, 1884, he began the practice at Prescott, Ariz., and remained there till 1869, when he came to Independence, and was the first attorney here. He remained here until in April, 1890, when he moved with his family to Stillwater, Oklahoma Territory, where he was admitted to practice law in April, 1891, and died at that place January 2, 1892.

Mr. Ralstin was a man of medium height and slender build and wore an immense beard. He was very active and industrious and had a varied experience in life. He had been a farmer, a merchant, a real estate agent, an abstractor, a lawyer and an_ official, and, at times, pursued more than one of these useful vocations at the same time.

He had practiced law and farmed in Arizona, at Independence he dealt in lumber and hardware and pursued his profession; and at the same place was at one time Register of the United States Land Office, and at times farmed, made abstracts and bought and sold realty. In a closely contested suit Mr. Ralstin was a valuable man on account of his ability to look up and arrange the evidence in the case. Few, if any, members of the bar ever excelled or equalled him in learning the facts pertaining to the controversies in the courts. He was also a most genial man and the hospitality of his home was ever open to his many friends.