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Dayton

The Town of Dayton is on the western border of the Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County.  The Village of South Dayton is located within the town.

Two popular movies were partially filmed in South Dayton;  "The Natural"  in 1984 starring, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall and Glenn Close and  "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"  in 1987 starring Steve Martin, John Candy and Laila Robins.

The first settlers arrived around 1810, believing they were settling in Chautauqua County. The Town of Dayton was founded in 1835, formed from the Town of Perrysburg.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.0 square miles, of which, 35.8 square miles of it is land and 0.3 square miles of it (0.78%) is water.

New York State Route 353 and US Route 62 pass through the town.

Dayton, New York is a village on the original main line of the Erie Railroad, half way between Salamanca and Dunkirk. It was from Dayton on May 15, 1851 that passengers on the first train to traverse the entire length of the Erie caught their first glimpse of Lake Erie in the distance.

It is at Dayton that the Buffalo & Southwestern Railroad, on its way from Buffalo to Jamestown, crossed under the tracks of the Erie. For some unknown reason, the B&SW chose to tunnel through the fill supporting the Erie tracks rather than build a bridge for the Erie rails.

Dayton is served today by the New York and Lake Erie Railroad, a small freight and excursion line headquartered in Gowanda, New York, which occasionally runs excursion trains.

Learn more about Dayton, NY.

Places in Dayton

Come view items from 1865 onward.
Cheese, Cheese Curds, Ice Cream and more from an organic dairy farm!
A full service archery pro shop with indoor range
Delicious menu in a country setting.
Fully furnished house that can accommodate 12 or sleep 2 just as comfortably.
Generations have enjoyed good food, good spirits and good company at Zollinger's South Dayton Hotel.

Handmade knit, crocheted and sewn items. Handmade soap, key fobs and misc. items. They also have dip mixes, soups, bread & slushie mixes.

Maple products in South Dayton.

Tree farm that allows you to choose and cut your own christmas trees. Also pre made wreaths, christmas balls, and decorations available.

Go fishing on this man-made lake in the northwestern part of Cattaraugus County

Seasonal u-pick apple farm! You can also buy some already picked apples as well.

Experiences

Free Fishing Day in NY!

The NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation is hosting a FREE fishing day on February 17-18, June 29-30, September 28, and November 11th. There’s no fishing license required on those days for the fresh or marine waters of New York State, making it the opportune time for people of all ages to learn and enjoy the day. We especially encourage those with more experience to bring along the young people in your life to show them the value of patience, the anticipation of the bite and the exhilaration of the catch!