Dayton, Wyo.

The town of Dayton, Wyo., frames U.S. Highway 14 as it enters the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains in northwestern Sheridan County, approximately 17 miles from the county seat of Sheridan.

Incorporated in 1906, the town has a strong agricultural history. Fertile land and abundant water from the Tongue River attracted many ranchers and farmers to the area. Timber harvested in the mountains above Dayton was hewn into railroad ties and floated to Dayton and points beyond via a wooden flume, and the Dayton Flour Mill provided the first electric power in the area. The former home and store of Susan Wissler, Wyoming’s first woman mayor, 406 Main Street, is privately owned.

The U.S. Census Bureau counted 757 people in Dayton in 2010; its population has grown as families move to the area seeking a more relaxed, rural lifestyle. For more information visit the website linked above or call the town offices between 9 a.m. and noon or 1 and 4 p.m. weekdays at (307)655-2217.