Dayton, Alabama was incorporated as a town on January 13, 1844. Miles Green Askew (1807-186?), originally from Georgia, opened a dry goods store in Dayton later that same year. In 1855 Askew entered into business with Robert D. Gilbert, a druggist, also from Dayton. Thomas S. locke, brother in-law of Miles, began to operate a grocery store around the same time period, which he managed until the 1880s. Following the Civil War, Miles' younger Brother Hillard J. Askew (1811-1889) operated a General Store in Dayton until the late 1880s. The family store was passed down to L. T. Askew prior to the turn of the century and was in operation until 1925. Junius K. Conner (1849-1928) is believed to have briefly operated a dry goods store in the early 1870s.