Dayton Lime Works

As early as 1864, lime from a travertine deposit south of Dayton was used to construct early brick buildings in the area (most notably in building the Lyon County Courthouse). In 1875, H.C. Blanchard established the Dayton Lime Works and built three 60-foot kilns. PiƱon wood for the kilns was acquired from the surrounding Pine Nut Mountains, and the kilns operated around the clock producing a glow visible from Dayton at night. In addition, Blanchard built a boarding house for his 12-15 workers and a pipeline to provide water from a nearby spring. At the peak of operation, some eighty tons of lime was produced per week. Much of the product was used on the Comstock Lode, and especially in the reconstruction of Virginia City after the Great Fire of 1875, which required about 4-5 thousand tons of lime per month.

It is unknown when the lime works ceased operation, but they were listed in 1909 and 1913 on the tax roll; deliquent on the latter. Shoutout to Tami of Nevada Ghost Towns & Beyond for her thorough work in locating the kilns' history - without her, they would just be another 'History Unknown' spot on the map.

Bibliography