Dayton

James P. Kaetz, Auburn University
Dayton is located in Marengo County, in the west-central part of the state.
History
Walton-Bruce Home in Dayton
The Dayton area was first settled in the early nineteenth century. The area was surveyed in 1832, then again in 1836; land could be purchased from the U.S. government at the time for $1.25 an acre. A post office was established in 1837, and the town incorporated in January 1844 (although one source cites 1872). The Dayton economy depended on agriculture, primarily corn and cotton at this time.
By the 1840s, Dayton had grown enough to support both a men's and women's academy, a hotel, and several stores. A tornado struck in 1852, followed by a typhoid epidemic in 1859, which in turn was followed by the Civil War and Reconstruction, all events that were severely damaging to the town's economy. In 1886, an investment group of local citizens made a failed bid to bring a railroad line from Faunsdale to Dayton.
Boddie Law Office
The town continued to revolve mainly around an agricultural economy and thus was dealt a double blow with the boll weevil infestation and the Great Depression in the early twentieth century. In 1900, the population was reported as 427, but by 1940 it was only 153. In 1991, the post office closed after the postmaster was murdered at work.
Demographics
According to 2020 Census estimates, Dayton recorded a population of 55. Of that number, 76.4 percent of respondents identified themselves as African American and 30.0 percent as white. The city's median household income was $38,750 and the per capita income was $17,855.
Employment
According to 2020 Census estimates, the workforce in Dayton was divided among the following industrial categories:
  • Manufacturing (31.6 percent)
  • Transportation and warehousing, and utilities (26.3 percent)
  • Retail trade (21.1 percent)
  • Educational services, and health care and social assistance (10.5 percent)
  • Information (10.5 percent)
Education
No schools are located within the Dayton city limits; students in Dayton attend Marengo County schools.
Transportation
State Highway 25 runs through Dayton roughly north-south, and County Highway 44 enters the town from the west.
Events and Places of Interest
The Half-Chance Bridge and the William Poole House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Dayton Town Hall (Boddie Law Office) is listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
Additional Resources
Marengo County Heritage Book Committee. The Heritage of Marengo County, Alabama. Clanton, Ala.: Heritage Publishing Consultants, 2000.
Published:  December 15, 2011   |   Last updated:  January 9, 2023