In 1664, Major William Phillips purchased from the sagamore the land which would become Little Falls Plantation—today the towns of Hollis, Dayton and part of Limington.

In 1728, a stockaded fort which contained a trading post was built a half mile below Union Falls.

A sawmill and gristmill were erected at Union Falls (then called Hopkinson's Mill) in 1806.

In 1798, Little Falls Plantation was incorporated as Phillipsburg, in honor of Major William Phillips—but only until 1810.

Considered difficult to pronounce and write, the Phillipsburg was changed to Hollis.

Then, in 1854, the southern part of Hollis petitioned the state legislature to become a separate town.

Permission was granted, and the community was named Dayton after Thomas Day, who submitted the petition.

The span was blown up in 1921 by the Clark Power Company, an event filmed as part of a melodrama by the Pine Tree Moving Picture Corporation of Portland.

The Great Fires of 1947 destroyed two-thirds of Dayton, including 27 homes, four barns and the town hall.

With the submergence of the gorge, the road that ran perpendicular to the covered bridge was cut off.

The town borders Lyman, Hollis, and Buxton, as well as the cities of Saco and Biddeford.

15.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.