Dayton celebrates 100th birthday

There's some debate over how many candles should be on the cake, but either way this weekend marks a big birthday for the community of Dayton.

Depending on who you ask, this is either its 100th or 110th anniversary of the town's origin.

Linda Gore, a resident and local history buff who is pulling together an exhibit on the town's history for the annual Dayton Daze celebration Saturday, says it's both.

Dayton was originally where Proctor is now. That started 110 years ago, she said. When the area was opened up for homesteading, the post office for Dayton opted to move and relocated to present day Dayton. In 1910, the town site was laid out and the plat was made.

"When it was opened up for homesteading, there was a lot more traffic," Gore said. "As people started to come, the town began to grow."

There wasn't a road to Dayton from Polson or other places along Flathead Lake in those days. Traffic came through boats. The town was a site for lumber activity. It served as a timber drop-off site for logs brought down from the Lake Mary Ronan area. The logs were then towed or floated to mills in Polson, she said.

It's year of origin at it's current town site and the first few years to follow became key to the development of the town, Gore said. The school began to be built that first year and was put to use in 1911, making it the oldest school building in the state to be continuously used, she said.

"The school has been the center of the community," Gore said.

In the first 10 years of its history, Dayton had a hotel, a blacksmith shop, two banks and a much larger population that it does today, Gore said.

"What an active little town it was once," Gore said. "There isn't really the same indication of that any more."

National events as well as a fire started shrinking the community early on. The Depression and World War II reduced the number of people who were vacationing and recreating on the Lake.

"It just didn't happen any more," she said.

Also in the 1920s, a fire took out the hotel and a number of other structures in what was the center of the town, now where the public park is today. They were never rebuilt, she said.

Though some was good and some was not as good, Gore will be putting this history on display at Dayton School from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. as part of the celebration of both its 110th and 100th birthdays during Dayton Daze on Saturday, Sept. 11.

Other events will include the annual Dayton Presbyterian Church Ladies Aid Bazaar from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in conjunction with many other activities as part of the annual event.

The bazaar features craft items, baked goods, attic treasures and lunch. Lunch is from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., with chili, chili dogs, hot dogs, sloppy joes, potato salad, homemade pies and beverages being served. For more information, contact Sharon Bain at 849-5674.

During the day will be sailboat rides 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Dayton Yacht Harbor marina, wine tasting 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Mission Mountain Winery, and the pig roast to benefit the fire department at the Idle Spur beginning at 4:30 p.m. and including live music.

The parade begins at 3 p.m., and children's games, face painting and other activities will be occurring at various times during the day.

The raffle drawing for $300 and $200 of fuel and other miscellaneous items for the benefit of the Chief Cliff Fire Department will take place between 4 and 5 p.m. during the pig roast at the Idle Spur. Tickets will be available during the day, or can be obtained by contacting Martha Brown at 849-5511.