The Dayton Theatre opened on Oct. 12, 1948, with a splashy grand event that included the mayor. Floyd Willert, the Dayton postmaster, and his wife Elizabeth, built the theater on the corner of Ferry and 4th in downtown Dayton. The building was constructed to include other business space, as well. The theater space measured 35x80 feet, with a sloping floor and over 300 red leather seats, a Western Electric sound system, and two projectors to accommodate multi-reel programs. "Modern restrooms" and a cry room were included in the design.
The opening day program featured Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay, a Disney cartoon, and "swell short subjects."
The Dayton Theatre operated with a robust program of Hollywood features showing nightly at 7:00 and 9:15 pm. Their grand opening newspaper advertisement teased coming attractions for the rest of the month.
After less than a year, the Willerts sold the theater to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ratliff of Spokane, Washington, who changed the name to the Daytona. The building later became a Catholic church.
