Page 152 - History of UB Church in Hburg Region
P. 152
History of U.B. Churches in Harrisonburg-Staunton Region December 26, 2024
day Main Street in 1831-32. The company was chartered in 1829 to construct a road between these two
towns, passing through Miller’s Iron Works, but chose a different route through Dayton, just east of the
old road.
Following the completion of the Harrisonburg-Warm Springs Turnpike, the state legislature
established the town of Dayton on March 6, 1833. Dayton was one of the oldest inland towns in the
county and the first town to be established along the turnpike in Rockingham County. The tract, “not
more than 35 acres,” was listed as the property of “Daniel Rife and others” and included 26 houses. An
1844 town record lists the following streets: High Street, formerly the “Main Road,” and now called
College Street; Broadway Street, that part of the turnpike passing through town; Bowery Street, now
called Mill Street; King Street; and St. James Alley, now Walnut Lane.
Although still described as a “small place” by Henry Howe, a traveler through Rockingham
County in 1845, Dayton continued to grow during the years before the Civil War. Milling and textiles
proved to be two of its biggest industries during these years. The town boasted two gristmills, the
“Lower Mill” east of the present intersection of Mill and Main streets, and the “Upper Mill” located
north of town along Silver Lake. An 1829 trust deed for 30 acres here along Cooks Creek between
Daniel Rife and Henry Gambrill mentions two “carding masheens [sic] attached to the premises.” In
1840 Michael Clinedinst had a wool-carding business in Dayton, and the Blossers were involved in silk,
cotton, and wool dying. Textiles became one of Rockingham County’s leading exports in the early 19th
century, and the county ranked third in textile production in the state in 1810. Dayton also contained
various numbers of smaller enterprises associated with local towns at this time, such as Isaac Stone’s
cabinetmaking shop in the 1850s.
Several pieces of state legislation in the 1850s reveal the growth of the town during these years.
In the 1850-51 legislative session, an act provided for the annual election of trustees and gave the town
the authority to open a new street. On March 20, 1852, the town became incorporated, adding a mayor
to its local government. By this date, the 4-mile stretch of the turnpike from Dayton to Harrisonburg
had been macadamized, providing the potential for further growth, and the town meeting minutes
revealed this optimistic feeling.
Although little fighting actually occurred in the Dayton vicinity during the Civil War, the town
felt the impact of the Civil War as did many of the Shenandoah Valley towns. Several small skirmishes
occurred in the area, and local homes were occasionally raided for food. Despite threats to burn the
entire town, no such action ever occurred.
Local communities recovered from the war and experienced a boom in the late 19th century. In
1880 Dayton was reincorporated, changing the structure of local government from trustees to a town
council of seven elected officials. The legislative act for the reincorporation mentioned several
improvements by the town, including planting shade trees, establishing a fire department, and adding
road taxes to aid the new overseer of roads and streets in his work. Dayton’s boundaries were also
enlarged in the reincorporation, including additional land to the west and the Dayton cemetery to the
north.
In the 1880s the town opened a number of new streets and alleys, filling out the new boundaries.
The 1880 council minutes list four streets, many of which were renamed, including the Warm Springs
Turnpike, called Main Street; Seminary Street, formerly High Street and now College Street; Mill Street,
formerly Bowery Street; Willow Street, along Cooks Creek; and Water Street, now Bowman Road. In
addition, the town contained a number of both short and longer alleys. Many alleys were created or
improved during these years, most notably St. James Alley, now Maple Lane, which was extended to
Bowman Road in 1880, and Church Alley, now Dingledine Lane, which runs behind the east Main
Street lots. In 1884, the first, or south, block of present-day High Street was laid out, and a few years
II.B.14 Dayton U.B. Church and SCI 138
day Main Street in 1831-32. The company was chartered in 1829 to construct a road between these two
towns, passing through Miller’s Iron Works, but chose a different route through Dayton, just east of the
old road.
Following the completion of the Harrisonburg-Warm Springs Turnpike, the state legislature
established the town of Dayton on March 6, 1833. Dayton was one of the oldest inland towns in the
county and the first town to be established along the turnpike in Rockingham County. The tract, “not
more than 35 acres,” was listed as the property of “Daniel Rife and others” and included 26 houses. An
1844 town record lists the following streets: High Street, formerly the “Main Road,” and now called
College Street; Broadway Street, that part of the turnpike passing through town; Bowery Street, now
called Mill Street; King Street; and St. James Alley, now Walnut Lane.
Although still described as a “small place” by Henry Howe, a traveler through Rockingham
County in 1845, Dayton continued to grow during the years before the Civil War. Milling and textiles
proved to be two of its biggest industries during these years. The town boasted two gristmills, the
“Lower Mill” east of the present intersection of Mill and Main streets, and the “Upper Mill” located
north of town along Silver Lake. An 1829 trust deed for 30 acres here along Cooks Creek between
Daniel Rife and Henry Gambrill mentions two “carding masheens [sic] attached to the premises.” In
1840 Michael Clinedinst had a wool-carding business in Dayton, and the Blossers were involved in silk,
cotton, and wool dying. Textiles became one of Rockingham County’s leading exports in the early 19th
century, and the county ranked third in textile production in the state in 1810. Dayton also contained
various numbers of smaller enterprises associated with local towns at this time, such as Isaac Stone’s
cabinetmaking shop in the 1850s.
Several pieces of state legislation in the 1850s reveal the growth of the town during these years.
In the 1850-51 legislative session, an act provided for the annual election of trustees and gave the town
the authority to open a new street. On March 20, 1852, the town became incorporated, adding a mayor
to its local government. By this date, the 4-mile stretch of the turnpike from Dayton to Harrisonburg
had been macadamized, providing the potential for further growth, and the town meeting minutes
revealed this optimistic feeling.
Although little fighting actually occurred in the Dayton vicinity during the Civil War, the town
felt the impact of the Civil War as did many of the Shenandoah Valley towns. Several small skirmishes
occurred in the area, and local homes were occasionally raided for food. Despite threats to burn the
entire town, no such action ever occurred.
Local communities recovered from the war and experienced a boom in the late 19th century. In
1880 Dayton was reincorporated, changing the structure of local government from trustees to a town
council of seven elected officials. The legislative act for the reincorporation mentioned several
improvements by the town, including planting shade trees, establishing a fire department, and adding
road taxes to aid the new overseer of roads and streets in his work. Dayton’s boundaries were also
enlarged in the reincorporation, including additional land to the west and the Dayton cemetery to the
north.
In the 1880s the town opened a number of new streets and alleys, filling out the new boundaries.
The 1880 council minutes list four streets, many of which were renamed, including the Warm Springs
Turnpike, called Main Street; Seminary Street, formerly High Street and now College Street; Mill Street,
formerly Bowery Street; Willow Street, along Cooks Creek; and Water Street, now Bowman Road. In
addition, the town contained a number of both short and longer alleys. Many alleys were created or
improved during these years, most notably St. James Alley, now Maple Lane, which was extended to
Bowman Road in 1880, and Church Alley, now Dingledine Lane, which runs behind the east Main
Street lots. In 1884, the first, or south, block of present-day High Street was laid out, and a few years
II.B.14 Dayton U.B. Church and SCI 138
