Dayton Historical Society
111 West Houston St., Dayton, Texas
Tour Locations of Dayton Stars
Museum
Society
City of Dayton
PROMINENT PEOPLE
As of July 2017, there are two museums within the city limits of Dayton - the Dayton Old School Museum and the Colbert-Rosenwald School Museum. Soon forthcoming are the Dayton Sports Hall of Fame Museum and the Dayton Police and Fire Museum. The Colbert-Rosenwald School Museum is open the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month from 10 am to 2 pm.
The Dayton Old School Museum consists of two buildings - the Old School which opened to the public in 2007 and the Log Cabin which opened to the public in 2017. Visitation hours are Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm.
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Texas governor Marion Price Daniel, Sr., was born in Dayton on October 10, 1910; his brother Bill Daniel, governor of the United States Territory of Guam from 1961 through 1963, was born in Dayton on November 20, 1915. The Daniel brothers were grandsons of General Sam Houston[7] who had led victory for the Republic of Texas independence in 1836. By 1910, the town had a bank, two cotton gins, a weekly newspaper, and 2,500 inhabitants. Dayton was recorded as an incorporated municipality on May 3, 1911. The mayor was W. M. Babcock, and aldermen were W. T. Jamison, J. H. Marshall, J. A. Coleman, and J. D. Spear. Town records indicate that the community was reincorporated in 1925. Oil development during the 1920s brought new industries. By 1940 Dayton reported 1,207 residents and seventy businesses and was listed as a railroad center. The population increased steadily from 3,367 in 1965 to 6,201 in 1988. In 1989 the largest school population in the county made the Dayton Independent School District the major employer in the city. At that time Dayton operated under a mayor-council form of city government. In 1990 Dayton had a population of 5,151, and in 2000 the population was 5,709.
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DAYTON OLD SCHOOL BUILDING
The original school was quite similar to the school museum, however, it did not have porches.
The school museum has a front porch and a back porch. It consists of a hallway and two rooms as well as a small restroom.
The room on the left of the hallway has a display case of Dayton history books for sale and a desk where the museum curator works. This room focuses on citizens of Dayton including authors, athletes, businessmen, farmers, ranchers, etc. A special display is setup in the center of the room. The subject matter of this display varies every few months.
The original school was quite similar to the school museum, however, it did not have porches.
Available at the Old School are several pamplets. The most comprehensive is entitled "Welcome to Dayton, Texas" that was produced by the Liberty County Historical Commission. It includes the "History of Dayton" and "Sites Around Dayton" such as historical markers, memorials, and cemeteries along with businesses and homes built prior to 1935 that can be used for a driving tour.
LOG CABIN BUILDING
Jamison log cabin before it was dismantled and moved to Dayton Old School Museum location.
Cabin was built in mid-1800s, was used by sharecroppers and became property of Jamison family when they bought the land. Click on Texas icon below to read sign content.
The cabin sits next to the restored Old School house and in the distance is the old rice dryer that has been a icon in Dayton for decades (since 1949).
Jamison log cabin before it was dismantled and moved to Dayton Old School Museum location.
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