Dayton, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dayton
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 Dayton
Location in California
Dayton
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Butte County |
| Elevation | 141 ft (43 m) |
Dayton is a small, quiet place in Butte County, California. It's not a big city or a town with its own government. Instead, it's an unincorporated community. This means it's part of the county, but it doesn't have its own mayor or city council.
Dayton is located south of a larger city called Chico. It sits at an elevation of about 141 feet (43 meters) above sea level. In the past, Dayton was known by other names like Day Town and Grainland.
Discovering Dayton's Past
Dayton has a cool history, even though it's a small place today. It started way back in 1859.
How Dayton Began
The story of Dayton began when two people, Samuel Van Ness and Joseph Wiggins, arrived in 1859. They decided to set up a trading post here. A trading post is like a general store where people can buy and sell goods. Soon, other shops opened up too, and a small community started to grow around them.
The Post Office Story
Having a post office was a big deal for a community back then. Dayton got its first post office in 1867. It was called "Grainland" at the time. However, it closed later that same year! It reopened in 1873, but then closed again in 1892. It opened one more time in 1893, but finally closed for good in 1902. Today, people in Dayton get their mail from the post office in nearby Chico.
Grain and the Railroad
Dayton was once a very important place for shipping grain. Farmers would grow crops like wheat and bring them to Dayton to be sent out. This was a big part of the local economy. But things changed when the railroad was built. The main railroad lines were put in a different area, not directly through Dayton. This meant that other towns became more important for shipping goods, and Dayton's role as a major grain shipping point slowly faded away.
