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History · Dayton

Dayton dates to 1867, and 18% of its homes were built before 1940

1867founded
0on the National Register
18%homes built before 1940
Quick answers

How Dayton began

When was Dayton founded?

1867

Dayton dates its founding to 1867 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1881.

2020 census: 510159 years
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1881.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.

★ What stands out · Help out

Start Dayton’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Dayton’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
The story

How Dayton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Dayton.

Read it all →

In 1867, Joseph Chadwick and his family settled on Five Mile Creek and built a log cabin. In one room he had a supply store to accommodate the few settlers and freighters. He was followed by Peter Poole, Robert Taylor, Stephen Callan, George Mendenhall, Richard Wickham and their families. The locality was originally known as Franklin Meadows. It was later known as Five Mile Creek, then Chadville, and in 1890 Card. In 1906 William B. Preston gave it the name of Dayton. Fred Jenson was the first Mormon Presiding Elder.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Dayton, 1867 to 1900

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1867
    FoundingDayton is established
  3. 1881Post officeThe Chadville post office opens
  4. 1882Post officeThe Chadville post office closes
  5. 20th century
  6. 1900Post officeThe Dayton post office opens
By decade

Dayton, decade by decade

Famous people

Famous people close to Dayton

Nobody well known was born in Dayton itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Places that used to be

Lost post offices and burying grounds

Dayton’s post office has been open since 1900. Another post office, Chadville, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Chadville
1881–1882
Dayton
1900–today
18801950today
1cemetery inside Dayton
Dayton

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Dayton’s history

What year was Dayton founded?

In 1867, according to Wikidata. Dayton’s post office opened in 1881.

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 (1), 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.