The Dayton Public Library, also known as the "Mary Gilkey City Library" was founded in 1923.
The library was first housed at the Methodist Church, which is now known as the Pioneer Evangelical Church. When the library opened there were more than 1000 volumes on the shelves! The library was moved to City Hall in June of 1935. In 1996, the old Fire Hall bays adjacent to the City Hall were remodeled and the Library was moved out of City Hall to the space it currently occupies.
The library was named at a dedicatory service for Mary Ann Robinson Gilkey, who was the first girl child born in Yamhill County of pioneers.
Mary Ann Robinson was born March 7, 1846 on her fathers's land claim in the Webfoot district. She passed away February 21, 1931 at the age of 84. She attended Willamette University, where she graduated in 1866. She taught school for 14 years and was married in 1880 to William Gilkey.
It is rumored that Mary Gilkey donated the land that City Hall now sits on with the condition that a Public Library would always be open to the people of Dayton.