Dayton banjos were designed and patented in October 1920 by Charles B Rauch who established the Dayton String Instrument Company, in Dayton Ohio and was running  a successful teaching business there and conducted the Dayton Mandolin Club.  In addition to banjos Rauch made and sold most fretted instruments.                

In 1922 the Dayton range of banjos was improved by having hoops of curly and birds eye maple.

Subsequently Rauch launched the “New Construction Dayton Banjos” which had 12" hoops and were fitted with a round metal perchpole and an extension fingerboard.  The 5 string hoops were turned from 12 wood blocks glued in 3 layers.

Instead of the normal banjo pegs they were fitted with machine heads as per the guitar.

An advertisement of the time mentions a “fine line of tenor banjos, mandolin banjos, guitar banjos, cello banjos and ukulele banjos in this new construction".   In 1925 Thomas J Armstrong wrote “Dayton banjos are high in favour”

It is not known when the company ceased trading.

For more information and pictures go to Tim Canuelle's site "Dayton String Instrument Co."