Dayton Pioneer Settler Morton Stiles Lives, Thanks to Archival-Saved History
Few people, young or old, would remember when Morton Stiles called Dayton home. His story was discovered on Feb. 5, 2016, at the Nevada State History archives by Karen Howe, a Dayton resident and member of the Historical Society of Dayton Valley. Karen enjoyed and spent years learning about Dayton’s earliest settlers. She is retired today but the historical information she saved in binders will be remembered and used by locals and out of state families for years to come.
I would like others to know that early-day residents’ history is available for families to research now in Carson City and soon to be at the Dayton Museum. Following is the history of a man that would surely have been forgotten without Karen’s interest and research.
Karen sent me an email years ago when I asked her about Morton’s obituary. She wrote: “I was at the Archives today—I hadn’t gone earlier this week. While some days feel like hard labor, today was not one of them. I revisited the Lyon County Times, starting with 1904, and carefully reread all the Dayton obituaries and local news.” While reviewing the 1905 issues, she found a brief note that read, “Grandpa Stiles is ill and not expected to recover.”
Karen also noted: “According to the Lyon County Times, Morton was born in Pennsylvania on March 24, 1823, and died in Dayton on March 3, 1906, at the age of 82 years and 11 months. He went to sea at an early age and was present with Commodore Sloat when the American flag was raised at Monterey, Calif., in 1846. After the Mexican War, he left the sea and spent many years mining in California. When silver was discovered on the Comstock, he moved to Nevada, where he lived for the rest of his life.”
Styles was described “as a man with a kindly disposition and so lived until death came to him at an advanced age and he had no enemies. He was buried in Dayton on Tuesday under the auspices of the Dayton Lodge #5, of which he had been a member in good standing for more than 51 years.”
Although they did not divorce, Morton and Mary Malinda lived in separate households from 1880 on. She was living with her sons Ruel and Welcome in the 1880 U.S. Census and later with another gentleman in a separate household. Mary Malinda is buried in the Lothrop family plot in Dayton and Morton is buried in a separate plot. Her role in the historical settling of Dayton, Nevada, is extremely interesting and will be provided next week.
