Dayton Historical Society

West Liberty becomes Dayton - 1831-1880s, First railroad track & city name change

The French Cemetery - Est 1835, French Cemetery, aka Pruett Family Cemetery

Crossroads Military Memorial - Est 9/11/2007, City of Dayton honors U.S. Military 

Parker Park - Est 1932, funded by John Parker’s will using funds left to Priscilla Club

Historic Homes - Est 1896, oldest home in Dayton built by Edmund Pruett

Black Cloud & Green’s Ferry - 1827-1873, Captain A.B. Hardin, Reason & Martha Green

Runaway Scrape & Texas History - 1820-1836, Texas Revolution, Alamo, Republic of Texas, Trinity River

Linney Cemetery - 1850s, 13 acres, oldest marked grave - Joseph Monroe Linney

Dr. Ernest Rowland Richter - (1912-1980), Dayton doctor 1936-1980, Richter Elementary

Black Gold, Texas Tea - 1901 Spindletop, Texaco, Gulf, Humble/Exxon, E. B. Picket, Esperson Dome

Dayton Police Department - 1940s, City Marshal J. S. Flowers, Frenchy Cashat, Police Chief Ken DeFoor

Fredda Alice Nottingham - (1904-1993), Stilson 1 room school, 45 years as teacher, 37 years as principal

Stilson Community - Est 1896 by O. H. Stilson, settled by Swedish immigrants (Seabergs, Nelsons)

Origins of Eastgate - 1859 I. J. Gallia advertised to Czechs, 1907 BSL&W Railroad via Eastgate

Dayton Public Schools Evolution - 1836 TX Declaration of Independence – Mexico failed to provide education

Dayton Rotary Club - 1926 Dayton Rotary admitted to Rotary International, who’s who of Dayton

Ripkowski Memorial - WWII – 9 sons served in WWII war zones, 2 sons in Korean War, 1 peacetime

Rice Farming Legacy - 1949 Iconic rice dryer built, 1909 - 8,000 acres farmed in Dayton

Depot Street - 1860 established with T&NO Railroad, train depot bldg. used until 1970s

Priscilla Club - Est 11/4/1910 – oldest chapter in Texas, built 1st city park on Winfree St.

What’s in a Name? - 2014 book “The Streets of Dayton, Texas” published by C. Wadzeck

Daniel Family Legacy - 1910 home built on S. Church St., Daytonite News, TX State Rep, Guam Gov.

Railways & Lumber - 1904 Dayton Lumber Company pine mill built; TV&N railway to Cleveland

Pioneer Pruetts Profile - 1824 Kenefick, lineage to Linneys, Dugats, Everetts, Greens, Munsons, Days

Dayton-Goose Creek Railway - 1917 Ross S. Sterling, TX governor, president of Humble Oil, railway charterer

Dayton Lumber Co. Operations - 1906 Owned 23,000 acres of yellow pine+ west of Trinity and saw mill

The First Bank - 1907 Dayton State Bank established 7 March 1907

First Newspaper & Its Owners - 1909 The Daytonite newspaper, owner M. P. Daniel sold to Walter Neel

Akokisa Indians - 1700s Indian relics discovered in Dayton (Jamison Hill) and Liberty (Daniel site)

Navratil Cotton Gin (Dayton) - 1926-1965 Last remaining Liberty County cotton gin of 9 built

The Price of Freedom - Commemorating Memorial Day, streets named for Dayton WWII casualties

Military Service Memorials - Memorial markers that identify Dayton citizens who served in armed forces

Old Spanish Trail & Old Liberty Rd - Dayton Crossroads moniker, history of OST and OLR

Winfree: People, Place, Streets - Old River Winfree town, Dayton evangelist/preacher Zachary Winfree, streets

The Munson Saga: Elizabeth - 1824-1840 widow, Day Lake league owner, mother of Martha Munson-Day

The Munson Saga: Martha - 1823-1860 widow of Edmund Pruett and William Orr, wife of Isaiah Day - Dayton's namesake

River of the most Holy Trinity -  Named Rio del Oro and Rio de la Santissima Trinidad by Spanish in 1600s

Martha (the town) - 1908 Shipping railroad stop near Hwy 321 railroad overpass, canning/pickling

Atascosito - 1756 Spanish military post near Trinity River within Atascosito District

1956 Bicentennial Celebration - Event to celebrate 200th anniversary of Atascosito outpost (Liberty Co.)

Greens & Grants - 1800s First grants allocated by Mexico north of West Liberty (Kenefick)

Richard Green Jr. - 1764-1834 Richard Green (Old Fogy) biography

Reason Green - 1800-1867 Reason Green bio – known for ferry/facilitating Runaway Scrape

Cynthia Prewitt-Everett-Green - 1812-1871 Cynthia Prewitt bio – daughter of Beasley Prewitt/Pruett

Jerusha Hardin-Green - 1834-1883 Jerusha Hardin bio – daughter of Augustine Hardin & Maria Dever

Dr. Claxton Reginald Wilson - 1920-1028 Dr. Wilson’s bio – Liberty High graduate, Dayton Doctor as of 1947

Historic Downtown Dayton - Buildings classified as historic in Dayton (built prior to 1950)

Faith in New Spain - Catholicism vs. Protestantism – forced use of Catholic priests by colonists

140 Years – First Baptist Church - Established 1878 – multiple names at multiple locations 

100 Years – St. Anne’s Catholic - Established 1918 – multiple names at multiple locations

Dayton Historical Society - Established 1983 – initial focus on historical markers, saving the Old School

Lambda Alpha Sigma & Library - 1961 vision for a public library; multiple sites over time

Dayton Future Farmers of America - 1938 – establishment of Dayton ISD FFA chapter, L. J. Chachere

East Texas Colonization - 1825 – Liberty County Empresario Joseph Vehlein 

East Texas – Roots of Revolution - 1831 – Francisco Madero, Mexico Land Commissioner; Law of 1830

First Land Owners - 1831 – List of Vehlein domain to whom land titles were issued

Colonists Letter to Mexico - Nov 1827 – Letter defending validity of settlement of Libertad properties

William “W.T.”  Jamison Sr. Family - 1878-1962 – WT bio, born in Angleton, working at Dayton St. Bank by 1918

James Robert “Bob” Jamison - 1930-2012 – Bob’s bio, born in Dayton, author of book about Dayton

Santa, His Reindeer Airplane, … -  Excerpt from book written by Bob Jamison

Jamison Log Cabin - 1878-1962 – WT bio, born in Angleton, working at Dayton St. Bank by 1918

James Robert “Bob” Jamison - 1930-2012 – Bob’s bio, born in Dayton, author of book about Dayton

Santa, His Reindeer Airplane, … - Excerpt from book written by Bob Jamison

State Rep Charles Sumner Brown - 1857-1945 – C. S. bio, Dayton state rep from 1918-1920

75th District Judge Rusty Hight - 1946-2012 – Rusty bio, 75th District Court Judge (2002-2010)

Governor Marion Price Daniel Sr. - 1910-1988 – M.P.’s bio, Texas state rep, governor, … (born in Dayton 1910)

Old Spanish Trail - 16th century – a 700-mile Spanish trade route; 2,750 coast-to-coast highway

OST 10th Anniversary - 1938 – Dayton high school band travels/performs, sponsor W. T. Jamison

Band Composition - 1937-1938 Dayton high school band photo, individual names and instruments

Linney Cemetery, Assoc, Family, … - Linney heritage – cemetery, assoc., family, town, creek, streets, subdivision

Linney Lineage - 1800-1871 – Michael Linney settles in Liberty County

Making History - Linney & Acie Cemeteries – fence removal

Acie Cemetery - Historic gravesites – Henderson Day (1855-1940) & wife Melinda (1856-1894)

Anniversary Edition - Origin of Dayton History News pamphlet

Test Your Knowledge - 30 multiple choice questions for past issues of Dayton History News articles

Making The News - Daytonite – Dayton’s first newspaper & owner/publisher Walter Neel

Daytonite News Article - 1916 – Excerpt from front page of Feb. 24, 1916 issue of Daytonite News

Daytonite Printing Press & News - Donation of Daytonite printing press and newspapers to Old School Museum

Pomella’s Recollections (3 pages) - Excerpts from speech by lifelong citizen Pomella Moran (1904-2004)

Lewis, Daniel Sr. & The Daytonite - 1910 Houston Post article written by Judd Mortimer Lewis (1867-1945)

Memoirs of Pomella Eaton - Continuation of speech by lifelong citizen Pomella Moran (1904-2004)

Memoirs of John Hlavaty - History of Dayton schools by lifelong citizen John Hlavaty (1893-1980)

Historic Drug Stores - Heal’s Drugstore bought by McGinty brothers; serviced Dayton for 75 years

Memoirs of John Hlavaty - Reprint and continuation of History of Dayton schools written by Hlavaty

History of Dayton Public Schools I, II - 1952 speech by Katy Griffiths at Woodrow Wilson school dedication

History of Dayton Public Schools III - Biography of Katy Griffiths, conclusion of her speech at Woodrow Wilson

Traversing America via the OST - Article about November 2020 Old Spanish Trail anniversary parade

Lester Ray Wisegerber – Family Roots - Bios of local Wisegerber & Griffith ancestors – Dayton/Old River/Mt. Belvieu

Aaron Chester Holbrook Sr. - Excerpts from six 1945 issues of Liberty Vindicator about Chester Holbrook

The Holbrook Family Lineage - Bios of local Holbrook ancestors – Dayton, Pasadena

Holbrook Street - Excerpt - Excerpt 2014 book “The Streets of Dayton, Texas” published by C. Wadzeck

The Legacy of Boyd Arnold - 1928-2017 – Biography of Boyd Arnold (2 pages)

Arnold Family Legacy - Bios for Boyd’s father thru 5GGF Arnold ancestors

The Legacy of Bill Moreau - Bio of Bill Moreau

Leo and Maydee Moreau - Bios of Bill’s parents

Clayton Street Honoree - Excerpt 2014 book “The Streets of Dayton, Texas” published by C. Wadzeck

More About Bill - Continuation of Bill Moreau biography

William Lewis Duncan - 1786-1836 – Bio of Duncan from Dayton grant allocation by Madero to death

William Berry Duncan - 1818-1867 – Bio of Duncan’s son, renown from book “Moss Bluff Rebel”

Gillard-Duncan House - Info about 1848 Gillard-Dillard house at Sam Houston Center/Library

Brighteyes Legacy - 1897-1977 – Bio of Eric Neuman Sr.  born in Wallisville, in Dayton 47 years

Eric Neuman, Jr. (1932-2016) - 1932-2016 – Bio of Eric Neuman Jr. born in Dayton

Newman/Neuman American Heritage - France and Louisiana origins of Neuman family; “Brighteyes” middle name

Westel Theron Ford Legacy - 1829-1913 – Bio of Westel Theron Ford; 1888-1967 Bio of Westel Ford Sr.

Milo Westel Ford Sr. Legacy - 1888-1967 – Bio of Milo Ford Sr. (continued)

Milo Westel Ford Jr. - 1918-2014 – Bio of Milo Ford Jr.

Pruett-Ford Home - Pruett home on S. Winfree purchased by Milo Sr. Ford in 1924

Frank Norcross & Lucy Tilton Legacy - Bio for Frank (1879-1951) & Lucy (1882-1970) and Frank’s ancestry

Stephen & Selina Brashear - Bio for Lucy’s maternal grandparents (parents of her mother)

John Tilton Sr. & Effie Brashear - Bio for Lucy’s parents

Charles Tilton & Annie Barber - Bio for Lucy’s grandparents

Tilton Legacy - 1953 obituary for Lucy’s mother – Effie Sophia Brasher-Tilton

City of Dayton – Origins - Basic history of Dayton from settlement with focus on first city hall

1st & Only Police Officer Death - 1889-1950 – Event for death of Louis Cashat Sr.

1st Fire Department of Dayton - Events in history of fire department

1st Public Library - Events in history of public library sites and supporters

Mayor Walter Neal  - Bio for Walter Neel from 1912 arrival in Dayton

The Entzminger Legacy - Bio from 1904 arrival in Dayton

Ben & Jessie Entzminger - Bio continued

George & Salome Entzminger - Bio of Ben's parent

History of School Superintendents

Lloyd Gilbert - Bio (1904-2000)

Kenneth Almond - Bio (1929-2013)

Will Moore - Bio (1932-2005)

Jessica Ford - Bio (1959-Present)

DHS 1955 graduation - The Dayton News (May 19, 1955) excerpt

Hwy 90 paved from Dayton to Harris County line

Dayton Schools receive fans for school rooms

Lakata Club donates fence for city swimming pool

Campus Capers by Wilda Meacham

Dayton Firefighters Win Trophy

Hold The Line - Old Fort St. Louis (French vs. Spanish)

Atascocito Outpost - Spanish settlement

El Orcoquisac Outpost - Spanish fort/mission

Champ d'Asile Settlement - French Bonapartist veterans

Camp Liberty - 800 WW2 German prisoners 

Trinity River Indian Tribes - Overview

Akokisa (Atakapan) Indians - Overview & Attributes

Bidai (Hasinai) Indians - Overivew & Attributes