Clay county was originally attached to the West end of Pierce county, but around the Legislature of the Territory of Nebraska around 1867 moved Clay county to its present location. In 1879, the voters in the county selected a location in the center of the county as the county seat and gave it the name Clay Center. Once this occurred several businesses were established, Clay Center was incorporated and a railroad line between Alma and Stromsburg ran through the town giving rise to a business district with many shops and professional offices. The U.S. Meat Animal Research Center occupies close to 35,000 acres near Clay Center and has research programs using a female breeding population of 6,500 cattle of 18 breeds, 4,000 sheep of 10 breeds, and 700 swine litters per year.