Dayton in Rhea County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Site of Rhea County High School

Scopes Trial Trail

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 25, 2021

1. Site of Rhea County High School Marker

Inscription. On the north side of this site, 75 yards south of the creek, was the school where in 1924-25 John T. Scopes coached football, basketball, and baseball as well as taught mathematics, physics, and chemistry. The building was used by Bryan University from 1930 to 1935.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Law Enforcement. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.

Location. 35° 29.7′ N, 85° 0.57′ W. Marker is in Dayton, Tennessee, in Rhea County. It is on 4th Avenue south of Church Street, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 224 4th Avenue, Dayton TN 37321, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: W.C. Bailey Boardinghouse (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); McKenzie Law Office (about 700 feet away); The Scopes Trial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rhea County Veteran's Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rhea County Courthouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); William Jennings Bryan (approx. 0.2 miles away); John Morgan Furniture (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bailey Hardware (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dayton.

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Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 25, 2021

2. Site of Rhea County High School Marker

Rhea Central High School image. Click for full size.

via Tennessee State Library & Archives

3. Rhea Central High School

The school closed in 1931 when a new school was built, and razed sometime afterward. A community center and government offices now occupy the site.

John T. Scopes image. Click for full size.

Watson Davis via Smithsonian Institution, September 23, 2008

4. John T. Scopes

Scopes was charged with violating a state law by teaching Charles Darwin's theory of evolution in a biology class here. He was convicted after a celebrated show trial and fined $100. The law ultimately was overturned.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 28, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 644 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 28, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.