The Historical Society of Dayton Valley is moving fast not only to preserve Old Town Dayton, but to showcase it.
The society has put together a new brochure that gives a great deal of information as well as directions to the area's historic structures.
The large, fold-out walking tour brochure includes a timeline of important events in Dayton, from the early beginnings to the new millennium, photos of old structures and relevant history, and information on descendants of pioneers who still live in the area.
Mabel Masterman, Linda Clements and Laura Tennant spent a year working on the brochure, designed to give residents and visitors a sense of what life in Old Town was like in the 1800s.
"This project has been one of life's most rewarding experiences for me," Masterman said. "Boy did I ever learn a lot. It is our very first, colorful, professionally designed pamphlet. We're so proud. We plan to distribute it everywhere we can."
The society obtained $12,000 in room tax money to create, print and distribute the brochures, which are available at the Dayton Museum on Shady Lane in Old Town, with copies also available at the Virginia City visitors center.
The brochure includes an item honoring local resident Del Minor, a longtime Dayton resident who was one of the founders of the Dayton Museum. Masterman said the passage about Minor was kept a secret from her until the unveiling.
And of course, the society included Dayton's reasons for staking its claim as a contender for Nevada's earliest settlement, continuing a dispute with Genoa that shows no signs of abating.
The brochure is only part of the aggressive action taken by the historical society to preserve Old Town's history.
They have recently signed a 10-year agreement with Lyon County to serve as stewards of the Carson & Colorado Depot at Highway 50 and Main Street.
The depot was first built on Railroad Street, and moved to its current location when the Highway 50 replaced the old Lincoln Highway. The Historical Society will care for the building, which the county purchased from developer Jim Bawden with grant money.
Bawden originally bought the building to protect it from being replaced by commercial development, and always intended to sell it back to the county.
Once the building is ready, space will be leased with the funds going to a separate account designed for that restoration.
The depot isn't the only building the Historical Society is responsible for, just the most recent.
The society also serves as stewards of the 1865 schoolhouse which serves as the Dayton Museum and the 1870s firehouse with a mail-order two-cell jail in the back room.
The firehouse is slated for foundation work, paid for by grant money.
• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-7351.