Thanks so much for the encompassing description of Dayton, Patricia. It is
exactly what I needed to know to get the "flavor" of where my relatives were
living ca 1880. Marjorie.
-----Original Message-----
From: Patricia A. Scott [mailto:legacy@comnett.net]
Sent: September 2, 2002 7:07 PM
To: NEVADA-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: [Nevada] Town of DAYTON
Dayton, one of the oldest towns in the state, is at the end of the TwentSix
Mile Desert, across the Big Bend of the Carson River. Emigrant parties,
undecided whether to follow the river south or to continue westward, called
the campsite "Ponderers Rest". In 1849, gold was first discovered in Nevada
by one of these parties in Gold Creek, which flowed from Gold Canyon to the
Carson River, near the present site of Dayton. At some time prior to June of
1853, Spafford Hall of Fort Wayne, Indiana, established a permanent station
erecting a substantial log house near the mouth of Gold Canyon, called Halls
Station or Gold Creek Station. Hall sold the station to James McMarlin who
had come across the plains with him and the post became known as McMarlins
Station.
On October 27, 1855, John Reese and others of Mormon Station (Genoa) were
given a franchise to build a ditch to take water from the Carson River for
use in Gold Canyon for mining and other purposes. Chinese, imported to work
on the ditch, made up a majority to work on the ditch, made up a majority of
the population. At times more than two hundred Chinese were at work at Gold
Canyon Flat Diggings. The site became known as Chinatown in 1856. Although
non-Chinese residents objected to the name and adopted Mineral Rapids and
Nevada City as more suitable designations, Chinatown is the name appearing
on the 1859 map for wagon routes in Utah Territory and on R. M. Evans'
official map Washoe Mining Region, published in 1860. It was also known as
Clinton at one time.
The town was officially named Dayton as a result of a meeting held by the
citizens on November 3, 1861. The name honors John Day, a surveyor who
agreed to plot the town on the condition that the citizens would name it for
him. John Day was elected Surveyor General of Nevada in 1868, 1870 and 1874.
Dayton was the county seat of Lyon County until February 10, 1911. The Post
Office was established in 1862. During the bonanza days, a toll road ran
from Gold Hill to Dayton, which was also a station on the former C and C RR.
Chinatown, Dayton, and Gold Canyon are alternate names for Silver City
Mining District nine miles northeast of Carson City on the southeast slope
of the Virginia Range.
Compliments of Helen Carlson's Nevada Place Names.
Patricia A. Scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "M Hankins" <mandf.hankins(a)sympatico.ca>
To: <NEVADA-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 2:39 PM
Subject: [Nevada] Town of DAYTON
Could someone please tell me about the town of Dayton? I have located it
on
the map, near to Lake Tahoe and the California border. It looks
like it
was on a main road, but I am wondering if it was a mining town, trade
centre or what?
Some early ancestors lived in Dayton some time after 1872, but I have not
been able to locate them in 1880. When did it become a ghost town? Why?
Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Marjorie.
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