To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Lincoln Highway, a group of history buffs gathered and headed down US 50 to the historic town of Dayton, the first and oldest permanent settlement in Nevada (1851).

Dayton is a town of amazing milestones.  The oldest Nevada schoolhouse, still in its original location, was built here in 1865.  Today it houses the Dayton Museum where we met our docent, Patrick, and had a very informative tour.

Dayton's volunteer fire department, founded November 6, 1863, is one of Nevada's oldest.

This jail, in the firehouse, is from the 1860s and is a wrought-iron, mail-ordered cell used until 1966!  The wall is adorned with graffiti from some early inmates.  Super cool.

Odeon Hall was built in 1862, by the Odd Fellows, and is one of Nevada's earliest saloons and billiard parlors.  Upstairs, in the Grand Ballroom, dances and theatrical fare highlighted Dayton's social life.

This hotel (1870) boasted a two-story outhouse so the upstairs guests would not have to go to the street level.  History has some very funny facts.

No stop, on a history tour, is complete without a visit to the cemetery.  Established in the 1850s, this is one of the oldest constantly maintained cemeteries in Nevada and remains in active use.  The names of the characters buried here are documentation of an intriguing history.  What an incredible way to spend an afternoon!