(Photos Courtesy of The Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society.) Another Landmark from the Smith Crossroads Days The Author of This Article Means No Disrespect In The Mention of Race If you are one of the few people to remember Otto Daniel’s “Open Door Cafe” down in the Goose Pasture, then I’m certain that you…
Dayton
Morgan Furniture Company Established 1909
One of Dayton’s longest standing landmarks is still doing business daily in downtown Dayton. Morgan Furniture since 1909 has been a cornerstone of the downtown area. The family-owned business was started by John Morgan back in the days when deliveries were still being made by horse and wagon. Morgan also started a furniture factory over…
Mansfield’s Restaurant Building -Then and Now
I am certain many of us have memories of some great meals here in the old Mansfield’s Restaurant located on the corner of Market St. and 1st Ave., which is shown above in the late 1960’s. In the 1940’s, the restaurant was located on the south-west corner of Market St. and 2nd Ave where the…
Parham’s Drug Store 1920’s
Very little information is known about this drug store. I am told that it was on Market Street across from the old Abel Hardware Store, in the same building where Hodge’s Jewelry Store was later located. This is very different looking from our modern drug stores of today. However, this was modern to the people…
The Dayton Rifles Band 1889
This portrait is of a traveling group from the Dayton Concert band who were known as the “Dayton Rifles”. This band often traveled throughout the area’s communities performing in parades and other various public gatherings. The only identities known are Nick Purser back row 4th from left and Bert Purser center in the derby hat.…
Historic Dayton Print
This is a Historic Print of Dayton, Tennessee done by Robert Thompson, a retired NASA Illustrations Chief. This was a limited edition print, “Beautiful Historic Dayton, Tennessee” with only 200 signed and number released. The print was sold by numerous Dayton businesses and organizations. This is print number 115 of 200. (Date of release is…
Jeanette’s Beauty Bar
Jeanette’s Beauty Bar, shown in the feature photo above from the early 1970s, was located off of Main Street to the rear of the former location of Pruett’s Food Town (current location behind the District Attorney’s Child Support Division). Jeanette’s Beauty Bar was owned and operated by Jeanette Byrd Arnold of Dayton. In 1982 she…
Farmers Milling Company
This view of the Farmers Mill was taken in the late 1960’s. (Courtesy Glass Family Collection) The old Farmers Milling Company was on the property now occupied by the Dayton Post Office at the corner of 1st Ave & Railroad Street. In a 1972 newspaper article, a reference to this mill showed that Mrs. Barry…
Mayors of Dayton Tennessee
Dayton’s current Mayor Hurley Marsh elected in 2021. (Photo Courtesy City of Dayton) City of Dayton Tennessee Historical List of Mayors 1885………………………..T.N.L. Cunnyngham 1886………………………..Nathan D. Reed 1887…………………………R.N. Magill 1888………………………..Nathan D. Reed 1889………………………..T.N.L. Cunnyngham & W.F. Lones 1890-1899………………See Note at Bottom 1900……………………….Robert M. Sherman 1901……………………….Nathan D. Reed 1902……………………….J.W. Hudson 1903-1906……………..R.M. Sherman 1907-1908……………..James L. Miller 1909……………………..J.A. Whitner…
Dayton Street Scene 1950
The photo above appeared in the “Pennsylvania Motorist” publication promoting Dayton. The Dayton Coffee Shop is shown on the left and the Robinson Drug Store is shown on the right. Robinsons moved to this location in 1928, which had been just three years after the famous Scopes Trial. It was in the original Robinson’s Drug Store,…