Curious about the early days of Dayton? Here’s a little more information:

First Surveyor – Daniel C. Cooper, of New Jersey. He laid out lands now embraced within the city of Dayton.
    
First Blacksmith – The first blacksmith to open up a shop in Dayton was John Burns. Others opening in competition with him were Obadiah Conover, Jacob Kuhn and James Davis.

First Road – Opened from Dayton and headed north to Livingston along the east bank of the Miami river for a distance of 13 miles.

First Assessor – James Brady made the first property assessment, receiving the sum of $5.20 for his services.  He assessed the entire township, then known as “Dayton tp.” in the year 1797.

First School – Opened by Benjamin Van Cleve in a room of the Newcom cabin in 1799.
     
First Girl Baby – Jane Newcom was born in her father’s cabin at head of Main st. on April 14, 1800.  She married Nathaniel Wilson, spending her entire life on Main Street and dying in the 75th year of her life at her home on the northeast corner of Fifth and Main.

First Shriners – The first temple of Shriners was Antioch, and it was instituted here on June 9, 1898 by B. Frank Kuhns, Thomas DeArmon, John R. Fletcher and John R. King.

The First Automobile – The first automobile was brought to Dayton in March, 1900 by Carl L. Baumann.  It was made by the Haynes-Apperson Company, of Kokomo, Indiana, and was known as a “Doctor’s Phaeton” model.

First Judge – Honorable Francis Dunlavy, serving in the first district, came to Dayton from Cincinnati and officiated at the first session of court.