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History · Dayton

Dayton dates to 1832, and 45% of its homes were built before 1940

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 1 buildings. Below: 17 old photos and papers, maps from 1968 on, and the census since 1870.

1832founded
1on the National Register
45%homes built before 1940
17old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Dayton’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Dayton began

When was Dayton founded?

1832

Dayton dates its founding to 1832 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 426 in 18702020 census: 28194 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1837.The full story ↓

What stands out about Dayton’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A town in old photos17 old photos, postcards and papers.Deep rootsEstablished in 1832: 194 years of Dayton.
★ What stands out · By decade

Dayton, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s14 items
BARN (WEST, FRONT) - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,2-141933BARN (WEST, FRONT) - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25…CABINS TO REAR OF HOME - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,2-121933CABINS TO REAR OF HOME - Magnolia Grove, State Highwa…CLOSE UP OF FRONT, FACES WEST - Walton-Bruce House, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,3-41933CLOSE UP OF FRONT, FACES WEST - Walton-Bruce House, S…CLOSE- UP OF FRONT ENTRANCE - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,2-11933CLOSE- UP OF FRONT ENTRANCE - Magnolia Grove, State H…CLOSE- UP OF NORTH END OF FRONT ELEVATION - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DA…1933CLOSE- UP OF NORTH END OF FRONT ELEVATION - Magnolia …DOOR IN SO. WALL OF S. W. BED ROOM, SECOND FLOOR - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS AL…1933DOOR IN SO. WALL OF S. W. BED ROOM, SECOND FLOOR - Ma…EAST ELEVATION (REAR) - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,2-21933EAST ELEVATION (REAR) - Magnolia Grove, State Highway…FRONT (W) AND NORTH SIDE - Walton-Bruce House, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,3-11933FRONT (W) AND NORTH SIDE - Walton-Bruce House, State …FRONT ELEVATION (WEST), SOUTH SIDE - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,2-51933FRONT ELEVATION (WEST), SOUTH SIDE - Magnolia Grove, …FRONT GATE - Walton-Bruce House, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,3-51933FRONT GATE - Walton-Bruce House, State Highway 25, Da…GENERAL VIEW OF FRONT ELEVATION SHOWING FENCE AND GATE - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL H…1933GENERAL VIEW OF FRONT ELEVATION SHOWING FENCE AND GAT…HALL (SOUTH END) ON SECOND FLOOR - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,2-91933HALL (SOUTH END) ON SECOND FLOOR - Magnolia Grove, St…LOOKING NORTH EAST AT WELL - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,2-161933LOOKING NORTH EAST AT WELL - Magnolia Grove, State Hi…LOOKING SOUTH EAST AT SMOKE HOUSE - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,2-131933LOOKING SOUTH EAST AT SMOKE HOUSE - Magnolia Grove, S…
1940s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Date unknown3 to date
Dayton-City-OH-OutlineDate?Dayton-City-OH-OutlineHOUSE IN REAR OF HOME (FRONT (W) AND N, SIDE) - Walton-Bruce House, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS A…Date?HOUSE IN REAR OF HOME (FRONT (W) AND N, SIDE) - Walto…INTERIOR VIEW OF FRONT HALL DOOR, FIRST FLOOR - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,4…Date?INTERIOR VIEW OF FRONT HALL DOOR, FIRST FLOOR - Magno…
Today1 recent
ALMap-doton-Dayton2004ALMap-doton-Dayton
Timeline

Dayton, 1832 to 1968

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1832
    FoundingDayton is established
  3. 1837Post officeThe Dayton post office opens
  4. 1843Born hereRichard Henry Clarke is born here
  5. 1877Born hereSarah B. Askew is born here
  6. 20th century
  7. 1933In the archiveBARN (WEST, FRONT) - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS AL…
  8. 1968On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
The story

How Dayton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Dayton.

Read it all →

Dayton began to be settled in the early 19th century, with a town survey done and a "public well" established in 1832. The post office was established in 1837. It was incorporated on January 13, 1844. A devastating tornado hit the town in 1852. By 1860 the town had male and female academies, a hotel, cotton gin, oil mill, blacksmith shop, tavern, cabinet shop, drug store, and several general merchandise stores. The town also had several large homes, though most are now gone. One of the survivors, the William Poole House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The decrease in agricultural activity over the last century has reduced the population to a fraction of what it once was.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

On the map

Dayton on the map, 1968 to 1986

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Dayton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Dayton on the 1968 USGS mapDayton on the 1986 USGS map1968Thomaston West sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Dayton.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

BARN (WEST, FRONT) - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,2-14
Retake this viewBARN (WEST, FRONT) - Magnolia Grove, State Highway 25, Dayton, Marengo County, AL HABS ALA,46-DAYT,2-14, 1933

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Dayton’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

1 historic place in Dayton

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1994
William Poole House
William Poole House
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
William Poole HouseGreek Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Dayton, census by census

010020030040050018801900192019401960198020002020Peak: 473

Between 28 and 473 people in every census since 1870.

16 censuses, 1870–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Dayton’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Dayton

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Richard Henry ClarkeAmerican politician · b. 1843
Sarah B. AskewAmerican public librarian · b. 1877
Help out

Finish Dayton’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo3 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewBARN (WEST, FRONT) - Magnolia Grove, St…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Dayton’s history

What year was Dayton founded?

In 1832, according to Wikidata. Dayton’s post office opened in 1837, and the census of 1870 counted 426 people here.

What is on the National Register in Dayton?

One place: the William Poole House (listed 1994).

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (18), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.