Early ranching family's paintings displayed, holes and all

Hanging in the Dayton Museum are a number of paintings from the Fannie Gore Hazlett collection. The paintings hung on the walls of the Randall family, early-day Dayton settlers. They later decorated the Reno home of Dixie Randall Layman then were donated by her to the museum.

One oil painting of two deer contains two small holes. I heard stories as to how the holes got there. Recently, I was able to confirm one story's validity.

The deer painting hung in the bedroom of Richard Randall and his brother, Fannie Hazlett's son-in-law. (Fannie is Dixie's grandmother, who settled in Dayton in 1862). It seems, as boys often get bored, Richard and his brother used the painting as a dart board.

Richard visited the museum one day and, with a chuckle, told me how he and his brother did indeed deface the painting. It will always have holes in it - the history of the Hazlett-Randall families is important to Dayton, and the holes enhance the town's historic past.

The Randalls first settled in Dayton about 1860, ranching in the area where the Dayton Golf Course is now. They were Lyon County's lawmen, with the elder Randall elected the county's first sheriff, and his son and brothers following the same lawman careers.

Much of the museum is filled with memorabilia associated with the Randall family's history, with all items donated by Dixie before her death a number of years ago. Dixie remained spry well past 90 years of age.

Ruby McFarland is a 17-year resident of Dayton, a board member of the Dayton Historical Society and a docent at the museum.