By Dianne Ruud
Today’s column marks the fifth and final segment of the fabulous “Daniel Dayton Family Story,” authored by my good friend “Flip” (Brian) Huggenvik!
Last week we enjoyed seeing family pictures of Aaron and Rosalie Dayton and their children, Emily and John. We left off as Flip was giving many details of the Dayton family members lives as they matured and moved into their chosen life paths. Continuing on:
Photo courtesy of The Fillmore County History Center
“Emily Dayton lived with her mother Rosalie in the Preston house for 43 years. Emily also kept up the educational Dayton family tradition by becoming a school teacher. She started teaching at the Hutton Country School in 1904 and was paid $25 a month. Emily rode the train every day from Preston to Hutton for 20 cents – round trip! She later attended Winona Teachers College and received her degree.
Zara’s son Daniel married an Iowa girl, Lizzy Armstrong. He became a pharmacist and ran a drugstore in Lime Springs, Iowa, until it burned in 1901. They had enough of the Midwest winters and moved to California. He died in 1918 at the age of 53 and was buried in California.
Zara and Carrie ran the farming operation and lived in the stone Ravine House until they were too old to handle things. They moved in with daughter DeOrra Clair in Decorah where Carrie died in 1920 and Zara died in 1927. Zara died in 1927 at the age of 95 years. De Orra Clair Dayton Boice died in 1931.
Rosalie died in 1945. Emily Dayton was the last of the Dayton line. She died in 1973. All of the Daytons but Daniel, Jr. are buried in the Big Spring Cemetery.
Zara Dayton passed his Dayton farm to daughter De Orra Clair, who later sold it to Clarence Hegg. It has been farmed by Clifford Hegg, Curt Hegg, and now Cody Hegg.
Aaron passed his Dayton farm to kids John and Emily, who sold it to Orlando Grove. Mainord Simon bought the farm, then sold it to son Jug Simon, and it is currently farmed by Josh Simon.
This is a typical story of a Minnesota pioneer family. An extraordinarily, tough family, whose work ethic and hardships are barely imaginable. Like so many of our early ancestors… they certainly did persevere.”
Fillmore County
Historical Center
Fountain, Minn.
Compiled by: Flip Huggenvik – Big Spring, Minn.
Thank you Flip for sharing this outstanding story. I love all of the details that you included about the daily lives of these brave pioneers! It is a fabulous story to say the least!
Last week I asked my readers to remember “Emily Dayton’s name,” as I promised a picture of the beautiful home she lived in on Spring Street in Preston until her death in 1973. I never knew Emily personally, but I remember my mother mentioning her from time to time. I remember her house very well. It wasn’t often that I ever drove by it, but when I did I was always struck by the way it was so well maintained and looked as though it probably never changed in appearance from the time it was built decades ago. Little did I know that I was very correct in thinking that!
Photo by Dianne Ruud
When Flip shared all of the amazing Dayton photographs and pulled out the picture of the house when it was obviously newly constructed, I was amazed to see that it had hardly changed at all. The house stands stately today on the northeast end of Spring Street in Preston. It is owned by John Shaw who kindly let me take a photograph of it to share with all of you. Thank you John!
Spring Street has many other beautiful older homes. One of them incorporates a beautiful, free standing, circular staircase right in the center of it!
And then there is that “other” older home – the one that was once owned by a high school classmate of Ethel Mars, the wife of Frank Mars, the founders of the Mars Candy Company. . . Yes, the company that went on to invent a myriad of sweet treats including: Milky Way, Snickers, Three Musketeers, Mars Bar, Dove Chocolates, Ethel M Chocolates, and many others!
But that… is another story that will be coming to you soon, so please stay tuned!
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