Dayton, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Dayton is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Lyon County
, Nevada
, United States
. The population was 5,907 at the 2000 census
.
. Immigrants stopping there for water would consider whether to follow the river south or continue west, giving the location its first name, Ponderers Rest. In 1849, Abner Blackburn, while heading for California, discovered a gold nugget in nearby Gold Creek, one of the tributaries of the Carson River.
By 1850, placer miners settled at the mouth of Gold Canyon, working sand bars deposited over the millennia along the path of the creek. Because many Chinese immigrants eventually lived there, some called the community "Chinatown," but it also went by several other names. In 1861, the town officially adopted the name Dayton, after John Day, a local surveyor.
Throughout the 1850s, Dayton served as the commercial hub for miners working in the canyon. With the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode
, newly-founded Gold Hill
and Virginia City
, six miles to the north, assumed prominence. Dayton prospered by milling ore, using water from the Carson River.
In 1861, Dayton became the governmental seat for Lyon County. Its 1864 courthouse was one of the first in Nevada. The 1869 opening of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad shifted ore processing upstream to Brunswick Canyon, but Dayton continued to serve as a center of commerce and government.
During the 1860s, the community's population eventually surpassed one hundred and finally reached a peak of nearly 600 in 1910. In 1909, fire destroyed the Lyon County Courthouse. Residents of the growing agricultural community of Yerington to the south called for a shift of the Lyon County seat. This occurred in 1911, leaving Dayton with a shrinking economy and population. By the 1920s, the Lincoln Highway was bringing some tourists to Dayton, but the town remained a quiet reminder of a time when Nevada's gold and silver strikes captured national attention.
In 1961, Dayton won fame as a setting for John Huston
's film, The Misfits
, the last movie appearances of Clark Gable
and Marilyn Monroe
. Beginning in the 1990s, Dayton experienced phenomenal growth as residential development expanded on the east side of the Carson River. The historic part of Dayton is within the Comstock Historic District, featuring a small but impressive main street, the monumental Odeon Hall, and a fine local museum located in an 1865 schoolhouse.
Dayton claims the designation of Nevada's oldest settlement, a title disputed by the residents of Genoa
. Miners residing at the mouth of Gold Canyon noted Colonel Reese and his party passing along the Carson River as they headed for the Sierra foothills to establish Mormon Station, later called Genoa. Today's residents of Genoa point to the region's first post office and several other attributes of stability, correctly noting that their community deserves the title of "Nevada's first town."
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 31.7 square miles (82.1 km²), of which 31.7 square miles (82.1 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (0.06%) is water.
of 2000, there were 5,907 people, 2,198 households, and 1,674 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 186.3 people per square mile (71.9/km²). There were 2,322 housing units at an average density of 73.2 per square mile (28.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.42% White, 0.36% African American, 1.03% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 3.84% from other races
, and 2.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.80% of the population.
There were 2,198 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples
living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $43,599, and the median income for a family was $46,859. Males had a median income of $33,038 versus $26,140 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $18,417. About 5.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Lyon County
Lyon County, Nevada
Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat is Yerington.-History:...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,907 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
History
Dayton is at the western end of the Twenty-Six Mile Desert at a bend in the Carson RiverCarson River
The Carson River is a northwestern Nevada river that empties into the Carson Sink, an endorheic basin. The main stem of the river is long....
. Immigrants stopping there for water would consider whether to follow the river south or continue west, giving the location its first name, Ponderers Rest. In 1849, Abner Blackburn, while heading for California, discovered a gold nugget in nearby Gold Creek, one of the tributaries of the Carson River.
By 1850, placer miners settled at the mouth of Gold Canyon, working sand bars deposited over the millennia along the path of the creek. Because many Chinese immigrants eventually lived there, some called the community "Chinatown," but it also went by several other names. In 1861, the town officially adopted the name Dayton, after John Day, a local surveyor.
Throughout the 1850s, Dayton served as the commercial hub for miners working in the canyon. With the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
, newly-founded Gold Hill
Gold Hill, Nevada
Gold Hill is a community in Storey County, Nevada, located just south and downhill of Virginia City. Incorporated December 17, 1862, in order to prevent its annexation by its larger neighbor, the town at one point was home to at least 8,000 residents. Prosperity was sustained for a period of 20...
and Virginia City
Virginia City
Virginia City is a city located in Storey County, Nevada.Virginia City may also refer to:* Virginia City, Montana* Virginia City, Nevada* Virginia City, Virginia* Virginia City , a 1940 film starring Errol Flynn...
, six miles to the north, assumed prominence. Dayton prospered by milling ore, using water from the Carson River.
In 1861, Dayton became the governmental seat for Lyon County. Its 1864 courthouse was one of the first in Nevada. The 1869 opening of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad shifted ore processing upstream to Brunswick Canyon, but Dayton continued to serve as a center of commerce and government.
During the 1860s, the community's population eventually surpassed one hundred and finally reached a peak of nearly 600 in 1910. In 1909, fire destroyed the Lyon County Courthouse. Residents of the growing agricultural community of Yerington to the south called for a shift of the Lyon County seat. This occurred in 1911, leaving Dayton with a shrinking economy and population. By the 1920s, the Lincoln Highway was bringing some tourists to Dayton, but the town remained a quiet reminder of a time when Nevada's gold and silver strikes captured national attention.
In 1961, Dayton won fame as a setting for John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
's film, The Misfits
The Misfits (film)
The Misfits is a 1961 American drama film written by Arthur Miller, directed by John Huston, and starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift, Thelma Ritter, and Eli Wallach. It was the final film appearance for both Gable and Monroe...
, the last movie appearances of Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
and Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
. Beginning in the 1990s, Dayton experienced phenomenal growth as residential development expanded on the east side of the Carson River. The historic part of Dayton is within the Comstock Historic District, featuring a small but impressive main street, the monumental Odeon Hall, and a fine local museum located in an 1865 schoolhouse.
Dayton claims the designation of Nevada's oldest settlement, a title disputed by the residents of Genoa
Genoa, Nevada
Genoa is an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. Founded in 1850, it was the first settlement in what became the Nevada Territory. It is situated within Carson River Valley and is about south of Reno....
. Miners residing at the mouth of Gold Canyon noted Colonel Reese and his party passing along the Carson River as they headed for the Sierra foothills to establish Mormon Station, later called Genoa. Today's residents of Genoa point to the region's first post office and several other attributes of stability, correctly noting that their community deserves the title of "Nevada's first town."
Geography
Dayton is located at 39°15′6"N 119°33′43"W (39.251707, -119.561943).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 31.7 square miles (82.1 km²), of which 31.7 square miles (82.1 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) (0.06%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,907 people, 2,198 households, and 1,674 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 186.3 people per square mile (71.9/km²). There were 2,322 housing units at an average density of 73.2 per square mile (28.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.42% White, 0.36% African American, 1.03% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 3.84% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.80% of the population.
There were 2,198 households out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $43,599, and the median income for a family was $46,859. Males had a median income of $33,038 versus $26,140 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $18,417. About 5.3% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.