Dayton is a city and county seat in Rhea County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 7,065. The Dayton Urban Cluster, which includes developed areas against the city and extends south to Graysville.

Dayton was the site of the Scopes Trial in 1925 dealing considering the creation–evolution controversy.

The community was originally settled circa 1820 as Smith’s Crossroads. In 1877, the town was renamed Dayton, after Dayton, Ohio. The town was incorporated in 1903. Early industry included build of pig iron.

In 1925, the well-known Scopes Trial was held in Dayton and, for a mature of time, filled the town past hucksters of all description and journalists from on the world. The participants included William Jennings Bryan in the role of prosecutor and Clarence Darrow as the principal explanation counsel. The dealings was on peak of the event of whether progression should be taught in public schools. John T. Scopes, the defendant in the trial, was a local science learned who was recruited by George Rappleyea to begin to tutor evolution in his science class, and at the annoyance of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), despite it being against Tennessee con at that time. Rappleyea believed that this case would create an immense amount of publicity for the town, and he was proven correct. The town bustled with commotion as people began to flock from close and far to listen the verdict upon this controversial issue.