The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - The new "Welcome to Dayton" sign next to Highway 12 at Dayton's west end was dedicated in a special ceremony Tuesday. State Representative Terry Nealey, awarded plaques to several people who were instrumental in making the sign a reality.

The sign was a project of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, and was placed in October 2013. It replaced a wooden sign that was destroyed by an errant driver in 2012.

A committee of Chamber board members

- Nealey, Bette Lou Crothers and Dan Andrews - worked for about a year, planning and commissioning the new sign. The beautiful brick and concrete structure is much stouter than the previous structure and is set back farther from the highway.

The sign was made possible by the following contributions:

The Walla Walla Foundry created a mold and cast the concrete center section of the sign. (A second casting was also made, and will be used in a second sign on the west end of town.) The castings were donated by Foundry owner Mark and Jay Anderson.

A laser-cut steel replica of the Columbia

County Courthouse cupola was created by David Larson, of David's Aquacut and Builders in Walla Walla.

Jim Erskine, his wife, Lolita, and son, Dustin, owners of Dayton's JDL Construction, designed and constructed the concrete base and brick side pillars. All of their labor was donated, along with materials.

Steve Brenner, owner of Dayton Electric, donated material and labor to bring power to the sign for lighting.

Dayton Tractor owners Jerrod Culley and Jeff Heinrich have committed to provide power from their shop at the Port of Columbia, which is adjacent to sign.

According to Andrews, who is Dayton Chamber Board President, the second welcome sign will be placed at the east end of town, along Highway 12, in the spring. It will be at the location of the current wood entry sign, just north of Patit Creek Restaurant.