Dayton is a city located in Rhea County, Tennessee. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,180. It is the county seat of Rhea County.

Dayton was the site of the Scopes Trial in 1925.

Geography

Dayton is located at 35°29'34" North, 85°0'47" West (35.492840, -85.013000)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.5 km² (6.4 mi²). 15.9 km² (6.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.62% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 6,180 people, 2,323 households, and 1,558 families residing in the city. The population density is 389.3/km² (1,007.9/mi²). There are 2,492 housing units at an average density of 157.0/km² (406.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 90.70% White, 5.26% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.75% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 3.12% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 2,323 households out of which 31.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% are married couples living together, 15.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% are non-families. 29.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.40 and the average family size is 2.95.

In the city the population is spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 16.0% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $26,542, and the median income for a family is $33,149. Males have a median income of $30,521 versus $22,144 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,946. 16.9% of the population and 13.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.0% of those under the age of 18 and 16.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

History

The community was originally settled in c.1820 as Smith's Crossroads and was renamed Dayton after the Ohio city in 1877. Early industry included manufacture of pig iron. The town was incorporated in 1895.

In the year 1925, the famous Scopes Monkey Trial came to Dayton, and for a period of time, filled the town with hucksters of every description and journalists from around the world. Although this trial is often represented as being pivotal in the movement to allow evolution to be taught in US schools, it actually marked the beginning of a major decline in the teaching of evolution which didn't start to recover until the early 1960s.

(Likewise the Butler Act, which Scopes was supposed to have violated, though it was never invoked again, remained on the statute books until the late 1960s.)

Today the city is a small manufacturing center whose products include furniture, clothing, automobile parts, and air conditioners and heating units. It is also home to Bryan College, a four-year Christian liberal arts school named in honor of William Jennings Bryan, who died in Dayton five days after the Scopes Trial ended.

External links

• Tennessee Strawberry Festival
• Bryan College