More historic than 12% of U.S. towns · #448 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Dayton was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2000. Below: maps from 1927 on and the census since 1870.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1839.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Dayton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Dayton is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #448 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Dayton’s overall grade.
Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Dayton’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (34% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1831.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Dayton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Dayton was historically also called West Liberty, Day's Town, Days Station, and Dayton Station. It was founded in 1831 as West Liberty, situated three miles west of the Trinity River, with Liberty on the east bank. It had a West Liberty post office from 1839–1841 and a Dayton post office, starting in 1877. Dayton was originally a part of the City of Liberty, but voters petitioned and voted to separate from the City of Liberty in 1898. Dayton incorporated in May 1911. A fire that devoured the center of town in late August 1911 was followed a few days later by a vote to disincorporate. Dayton voted to reincorporated on November 28, 1925.
In 1831, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Dayton’s post office opened in 1839, and the census of 1870 counted 230 people here.
How does Dayton rank for history?
Dayton is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #448 of 642 in Texas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Dayton?
2% of Dayton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 2000.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (4), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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