Author Archives: daytonunknown

Dayton’s Mummy

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Did you know Dayton has a mummy in residence?

Daytonian Joseph Morton Howell was born on a farm in 1863. He had a prosperous career in medicine specializing in childhood diseases. His interest in Egyptology led to Dayton getting its own mummy in 1926. Howell gifted the mummy of Nesiur (pronounced Nessy-ur) to the Dayton Society of Natural History, who displayed Nesiur in the Dayton Museum of Natural History (predecessor of Boonshoft Museum of Discovery).

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Do you have any spooky Dayton stories/experiences?

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Hey all! Sara is writing another book – hopefully coming out in time for Halloween 2023!wp-1659548820843
Do you have any experiences with urban legends, hauntings, cryptid sightings, or spooky stories from Dayton and the Dayton area? Share with us!

You can email Sara directly at authorsarakaushal@gmail.com, or send your story through our Contact Us page!

August 4, 2019 – We are still Dayton Strong

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Three years ago today, Dayton faced something we never had before. After the tragedy in the Oregon District on August 4th, 2019, our city rallied together in a beautiful way to stay strong and to connect and grieve with each other.

Dayton Unknown is so grateful to be a part of this wonderful city and community. Last year we created this memorial video for the nine people who lost their life that day. iHeartRadio put together a beautiful tribute to the nine victims using for King & Country’s song, “God Only Knows” and if you haven’t heard it, a clip is used as the background music for our video.

More Wright Brothers Facts

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Here are a few more interesting facts you may not know about the Wright Brothers!

  • The first woman to fly was Mrs. Hart O Berg. Mrs. Berg and her husband often accompanied Wilbur to various flying fields where he demonstrated his machine.
  • The first flight in Dayton occurred on September 22nd, 1910, as part of Aviation Day in Dayton. Orville flew from Huffman Prairie Flying Field in a Wright Model B flying machine. He circled the city and returned to the starting point. There were over 100,000 people to witness the flight, which lasted 33 minutes and spanned 25 miles.
  • After achieving the first flight on December 17th, 1903, Wilbur and Orville’s brother Lorin presented the story to Dayton Journal representative Frank Tunison. Tunison blew off the story, stating that a 19 second flight was not newsworthy. The first story to be run was an inaccurate piece which appeared in the Virginian Pilot and was reprinted in the Cincinnati Enquirer and the New York American. Later that day, Dayton Daily News ran an accurate story of the flight, and the Dayton Herald summarized the inaccurate version. The brothers’ flight finally made the pages of the Dayton Journal on December 19th.

Sara Spoke at the Miamisburg Historical Society!

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This past Tuesday, Sara spoke at the Miamisburg Historical Society! She gave a fantastic presentation, and had a good discussion with the audience. If you’re interested in Sara giving a presentation about her book (or any other Dayton topics), you can reach her through our contact us page, or directly at authorsarakaushal@gmail.com

You can also buy Sara’s book here!

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The Chinese Tong Murder

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Located on Third Street across from Wayne Avenue sat a small laundromat run by Foeng Yuen. The laundry was a quiet, unnoticed spot until the afternoon of October 11, 1924, when a shot rang out, breaking the silence. A young man delivering for Western Union heard the gunshot then saw a man running out of the laundromat toward downtown. Hearing a gunshot then seeing a man fleeing, he realized what must have happened and gave chase. He followed the running man on his bike into downtown and eventually pointed him out to a policeman, who promptly arrested him. The man, named Gin Hung Lim, was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The trial was a circus of cultural fascination. As many in Dayton knew nothing of the Chinese culture, they were fascinated by the coverage of the trial over the following three weeks. Each day, the trial uncovered more fascinating tidbits of a culture they never knew before. To add to the allure, both the victim and the suspect were presumed to be part of rival Chinese gangs, also known as Tongs. Gin Hung Lim was from a majority Tong, shooting minority Tong member Foeng Yuen over territory disputes, as the rumor went.
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4th of July Celebrations

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If you’re looking for something to do for the 4th of July, look no further!

  • Dayton – Lights in Flight Festival: A street festival at RiverScape on Sunday, July 3rd at 5pm, then the Lights in Flight fireworks show at 10pm.
  • Beavercreek – 2022 Fourth of July Celebration: A parade at 6pm on Monday, July 4th, along Dayton-Xenia Road from Meadow Bridge Drive to Beavercreek High School. The fun then continues at Rotary Park, and ends with a 10pm fireworks show!
  • Kettering – Go 4th!: Monday July 4th, from 6pm-10pm at Delco Park with food trucks, live music, a kids’ zone, and fireworks at 10pm!
  • Centerville – Americana Festival: The 50th Americana Festival starts on Sunday, July 3rd at Centerville High School with a festival, then continues on Monday, July 4th with a 5K run, parade, street fair, and more!
  • Huber Heights – Star Spangled Heights: A full day of celebration starting at 10am on Saturday, July 2nd, at Thomas Cloud Park with festivities, then fireworks at dusk!

Wright Brothers – Did you know?

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There is so much known about Dayton’s own flying brothers, but did you know:

  • When Wilbur knew he was dying of typhoid fever, he called his lawyer, Ezra Kuhns, to make his Last Will and Testament. To his father Milton, he left $1,000. To his brothers Reuchlin and Lorin and his sister Katharine, he left $50,000 each. The remaining balance, which was over $100,000 (plus patent rights and shares) were left to Orville. Wilbur wrote in his will that he was sure Orville would use the money in very much the same manner as they would together if they were both to live to old age.
  • Also in his will, Orville left $300,000 to Oberlin College following the fulfillment of the following lifetime annuities: Lorin was to receive $4,000 per year, Reuchlin’s Widow Lulu was to receive $500 per year, Orville’s secretary Mabel was to receive $3,000 per year, and a few staff members received a yearly stipend as well. The files, notes, and other flight memorabilia were to be dispersed to museums and institutes.
  • The Wright Special, one of the brands of bicycle the brothers created, did not sell many units. According to the financial ledgers, only eight were sold.
  • Hawthorn Hill, site of the Wright House, was named so because of the Hawthorn trees growing on the land.