In the immediate future you will be reading and hearing a lot more about the Carson-Colorado Railroad Station in Dayton. The Dayton Valley Historic Society are the stewards of the building at the corner of Highway 50 and Main Street in Dayton.
Right now the Old Station is hidden behind the trappings that made the station a residence for Chester & Helen Barton. It was moved from its original location in 1954. Chester bought the building from Tom and Wilma Allingham in 1950 for $2,000.
The new highway through Dayton would have made it necessary to tear down the building, so it was moved.
The old alignment of Highway 50 through Dayton followed Pike Street to Main Street up to River Street and on toward Carson City.
Right now there is a movement a foot to restore the Old Station to its original condition as the C&C Railroad Station.
It's going to be an asset to Dayton. In the near future you will see a lot of action around the old building.
Anyone wishing to help in restoration or cleaning up the property can call one of the numbers at the end of this article for more information.
We need all the help available. Money donated will also go towards restoration as well. Watch for fundraising opportunities. We need to save all of our old buildings in Dayton. The depot will act as the gateway to Dayton and the Comstock.
The Carson-Colorado Railroad ran from Mound House to Keeler, Calif.
It was a narrow gauge railroad, meaning that the rails were only 3 feet apart, not the standard 4.5 feet.
Some of the names of the developers of the road were Henry M. Yerington, Duane L. Bliss, Captain S.P. Smith and the major financer William Sharon, mine owner in Virginia City. He also was co-founder of the Bank of California.
The railroad ran from April 18, 1881, until 1934 when most of the rails were removed through Dayton. Although a couple of our HSDV members have walked or driven the old rail bed, little of it is visible to people passing by.
One of the reasons it closed was that it never produced what was expected and also the closing of the many mines along the way.
The Dayton Museum is located on Shady Lane and Logan in Old Town Dayton. The Web site is daytonnvhistory.org. Group tours are available. Call 246-5543, 246-0462 or 246-0441.
• Ruby McFarland has lived in Dayton since October 1987, she serves as a board member of the Dayton historical society and a docent at the museum.