Author Archives: daytonunknown

Hometown Eats – Part 5

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Try these delicious restaurants in Dayton!

  • Pasha Grill – Turkish
    – 72 Plum Street, The Greene
    – Try the hummus!

  • George’s Family Restaurant – Diner
    – 5216 North Dixie, Dayton
    – Friendly service and great food!

  • Smokin Bar-b-que
    -200 East Fifth Street, Dayton
    -The pulled pork and Southern Style greens are delicious!

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Prominent Local Figures: Jonathan Dayton

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JDaytonJonathan Dayton (Source)

Although he is not from Dayton, and had never actually visited Ohio, we owe our city’s name to a relatively unknown historical figure, Jonathan Dayton.

Jonathan Dayton was born in Elizabethtown (presently named Elizabeth), New Jersey in 1760. His father, Elias Dayton, was a storekeeper and active in local and state politics. Jonathan entered into the Continental Army after graduating from the College of New Jersey, which was later renamed Princeton.

Dayton served under his father, General Elias Dayton, and became Captain by the age of 19. Some of the men serving under him were Israel Ludlow, James Wilkinson, and Arthur St. Clair, who would later purchase the land that bears his name.

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Bess Little

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By all accounts, Bessie Little lived a life full of ups and downs. Born as Tressie Doty and orphaned, she was adopted at the age of two by Peter and Elizabeth Little from the Miami County Infirmary in Troy.

She was known to be a sweet girl, studious and kind. She was a regular at her church, and a beauty to everyone who knew her, including Albert Franz.

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Dayton Sideshow

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Sideshow 11

When: Friday May 13 from 5pm to 1 am and Saturday, May 14 from 3pm to 1 am

Where: Old Yellow Cab Building, 700 East Fourth Street, Dayton 45402.

This weekend is Sideshow 11, Dayton’s community arts festival. You will see paintings, sculptures, and art installations and hear live musical acts. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. This is a family friendly event, so bring the kids along as you explore different styles of art and self-expression. Food trucks and local brews will be available as well, so make a night of it.

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Dayton Firsts Parts 1

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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.

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Lib Hedges

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Everyone knew about Pearl Street in Dayton’s Red Light District, but nobody admitted so.

“Most of the houses were ornately trimmed; each had the name of the proprietor, a single woman posted in the door glass or permanently etched there, and at night, in the window on a table sat a red lamp, spreading its cheery invitation to all.  Within the houses many women followed a profession dignified only by its extreme age.”

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The Man who Danced his Way to the Noose

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Sunday, February 16, 1863 – The body of farmer George Lindemuth is found by a pedestrian taking a short cut. His throat had been slashed from ear to ear, and he had been robbed of all valuables.

Police learned that two days prior, Lindemuth had been seen in the company of John W. Dobbins, a well-known troublemaker in the area. Lindemuth had come to Dayton to sell some of his tobacco crop and decided to stay and have some fun before he returned to his farm. He met with Dobbins in a saloon and the two made their rounds in Dayton’s saloons and bars. One bartender reported seeing Lindemuth count his money and remark that he had just over $40 cash. He then asked Dobbins to go with him to the riverbank, where a house of ill-repute was operating. Lindemuth and Dobbins were seen walking toward Water Street (now Monument Avenue) and Jefferson Street.

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