Museum working to bring past to present

Every week on Saturday at 11 a.m., there is a class at the Dayton Museum for new docents or for people interested in learning more about Dayton's fascinating history.

It's an ongoing lecture series offering interested folks a chance to learn more about Dayton and associated museum exhibits. Recently, we devoted a couple of Saturdays to reviewing what is in each display, while writing a short description so we can publish a pamphlet for self-guided tours of the museum. I challenged trainees to write no more than three lines to describe each display. They are doing great.

As soon as summer ends, we will resume asking people who know the history of Dayton to give Saturday lectures. Subjects for some of these lectures include schools, newspapers, farming and mining equipment. We also hope to sponsor field trips before winter.

We have many folks living in this area to draw on to offer interesting talks on the aspects of life in early Dayton. Some of them have lived the history and knew the folks years ago.

In addition to our Saturday lectures, we are making arrangements to have evening lectures. I've just scheduled a lecture to be given by Paiute Mike Williams, of Fallon, an expert in making the ancient tule ducks and other survival tools and items used by local American Indians.

Mike's lecture and demonstration is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Dayton Senior Center, Old Dayton Valley Road and Breakwater Drive. Examples of his works are exhibited in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

If people continue to show interest, the evening lecture series will become an ongoing monthly event, as long as we can find folks willing to teach us about our wonderful state of Nevada and the northern region around Dayton. Our May lectures were a huge success. We plan to have programs to amuse and amaze you.

Keep in touch for future lectures. You may call the museum at 246-6316 on weekends for more details. Maybe you would like to join our docent program. We welcome all ages and would like to work with high school students needing to do community volunteer service.

The Dayton Museum is on Shady Lane and Logan Street in Old Town Dayton. It's open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and 1- 4 p.m. Sundays.

Check the Web site: daytonnvhistory.org. Group tours are available. Call 246-5543, 246-0462 or 246-0441. The Historical Society of Dayton Valley meets the third Wednesdays at noon at the Dayton Valley Community Center. Visitors are welcome.

• Ruby McFarland has lived in Dayton since October 1987. She serves as a board member of the Dayton Historical Society and a docent at the museum.