Robert Finley Ewing

Founder of South Dayton

Mr. Ewing also helped to develop South Dayton. He laid out his 32 acres into plots of a good size with fifty feet of frontage and one hundred and fifty feet of depth. He planned wide streets and planted Maple trees on both sides of the streets on the lot lines and midway between them. During the succeeding years he built ten or more houses, three stores and numerous buildings such as barns, shops, etc. He was always among the first to aid in a public improvement, and gave material help in the building of the churches and school house. He did much by example and influence, toward the clearing up and improvement of the low-lying fertile lands of the valley.

As Road Commissioner, he was instrumental in laying out the highways which radiate in different directions from the village. His chief characteristic was perhaps his integrity; he would keep his word no matter what the cost and his statements could always be depended upon. He was faithful to his friends, a genial and good neighbor.

Mr. Ewings activities were varied, as he was engaged at different times in farming, merchandising, lumbering and milling, and civil engineering. He excelled as a locating engineer and made railroad engineering his profession and followed it during the greator part of his life.

He was born October 14 1823 at Victor, New York, The son of Samuel Ewing and Margaret Morford. He married Aurelia Culver on December 1 1854. They had three children; Emily, Robert and Charles. He died July 28 1897 at South Dayton and is buried at Coldspring Cemetery near Randolph.