Category Archives: Local Businesses

The Future of A World A’Fair

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This time of year, we would normally be sharing all about A World A’Fair and how excited we are to attend.

Unfortunately, the event has been cancelled for the third year in a row. According to a statement on their website:
“Unfortunately, due to the uncertainties surrounding Covid-19 and its variants plus uncertainties surrounding the Convention Center’s new ownership and management, the festival board has decided to cancel the May 2022 festival and study revamping the festival, pretty much from scratch. We have formed a committee to study what our options might be and as any decisions are made they’ll be presented here.”

We hope to see the festival return in the future! Here are some pictures from past years.

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Sara is Speaking at Wright Library!

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Have you had a chance to hear about Sara’s book? If you’d like to hear some background info and purchase the book from Sara, come see her Author Visit at Wright Library!

Where:
Wright Memorial Public Library
1776 Far Hills Avenue
Oakwood, Ohio 45410

Whene:
Wednesday, May 11th
7pm-8pm

As always, Sara’s book is available to purchase online as well! You can get an autographed copy directly from Sara or from the sites listed on our Where to Buy page!

Benjamin Robbins

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Benjamin Robbins is one of the founders of Centerville, along with his brothers-in-law, Benjamin Archer, and Aaron Nutt, Sr..

Robbins was born in New Jersey in 1760 and was a surveyor and farmer. He married Bathsheba Nutt (Aaron’s sister) in 1782. Throughout their marriage, they had a total of 12 children:

  • Nancy (1783-1858)
  • Richard (1784-1837)
  • Abigail (1787-1854)
  • Elizabeth (1790-1879)
  • Benjamin (1791-1792)
  • Rebecca (1793-????)
  • Samuel (1795-1862)
  • Aaron (1797-1825)
  • Levi (1800-1866)
  • twins Mary (1803-1833) and John (1803-1805)
  • Bathsheba (1806-1845)

Continue reading →

Sara was on a Podcast!

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Sara was a guest on the local podcast An Hour of Your Life to talk about her book!

An Hour of Your Life was a finalist for the 2019 Best Local Podcast, and Sara had a great time chatting with Steve and Kim Harmon. You can listen to Sara’s episode here.

Check out An Hour of Your Life’s Facebook, or follow them anywhere you can listen to Podcasts – Amazon, Apple, etc..


The Tragic Life of Enos Doolittle and his Doolittle Tavern

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In 1820, Enos Doolittle arrived in Centerville, where he quickly rented a building and opened a dry goods store. Two years later, Enos married Bathsheba Robbins, the youngest daughter of one of Centerville’s founders, Benjamin Robbins.
In the same year, Enos started buying several lots of land, and in 1823 he eventually built a two-story stone building and opened the Doolittle Tavern where the current Town Hall stands. According to The History of Montgomery County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County from 1882, the Doolittle Tavern was known as the best place to stop west of the Allegheny Mountains. Continue reading →

Edith Deeds

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Edith Deeds was born in Spring Valley in 1869, to Samuel and Mary Walton, and was the older sister of William Walton. In her early life, Edith studied music, painting, and languages at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. Though her father Samuel was a Quaker, the family attended the First Baptist Church after moving to Dayton. It was there that Edith met Colonel Edward Deeds. Edith and Edward married on June 5, 1900. Throughout their marriage, Edith assisted her innovative husband and the infamous Barn Gang by performing office work and participating in the development of the automobile self-starter.
Continue reading →

Upcoming Holiday Bazaars and Craft Shows

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So many of our favorite events have been cancelled over the past year or two, but there are still so many events going on for the holidays!

    • Old Fashioned Holiday Bazaar
      When:
      Saturday, November 6
      9am-3pm
      Where:
      Holy Trinity Church
      Trinity Center
      266 Bainbridge Street
      Dayton, Ohio 45402
    • Holiday Arts & Craft Show
      When:
      Saturday, November 13th
      9am-4pm
      Where:
      Kettering Recreation Complex
      2900 Glengarry Drive
      Kettering, Ohio 45420
    • St. Helen Christmas Bazaar
      When:
      Saturday, December 4th
      9am-3pm
      Where:
      St. Helen Catholic School
      5086 Burkhart Road
      Riverside, Ohio 45431

More Fun Dayton Facts

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Here are some more Dayton fun facts!

  • In 1920, Dayton had no unsolved murders.
  • During WWII, Lieutenant Harry Zavakos was reported MIA and presumed dead after his plane was shot down over China. He was actually found by the Chinese and slowly moved across the country to be returned to his unit. During the time the Chinese transported Zavakos, they continually fed him fried chicken.
  • Flight personnel gave Dayton the moniker “The Popcorn City” due to the popcorn sold at Wileswood Country Store. Some ground crews would refuse to work on aircrafts if the flight crews did not return from a trip to Dayton with “Dayton popcorn.”
  • In 1979, while excavating for the Gem Savings headquarters, the skeleton of an adult male was discovered. The site was originally the location of Dayton’s first cemetery. Since the bodies had never been moved from the location, one theory is that this particular skeleton was John Davis, an early Dayton pioneer.
  • Dayton’s most successful professional sports team was the Dayton Gems, a hockey team that played in Dayton from 1964 to 1977.
  • Electricity was introduced in Dayton in 1882, when the first electric light turned on in the Dayton Morning Journal office.
  • Ponderosa Steakhouse, which was founded in Indiana, moved its headquarters to Dayton in 1968, where it flourished for decades.
  • During WWII, there was such a drastic labor shortage in Dayton, that a job draft was considered to fill the positions.

Oktoberfest is back for 2021!

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The Dayton Art Institute’s Oktoberfest is back for 2021! This year Oktoberfest is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. The DAI Oktoberfest was started in 1971 and is the largest annual fundraiser for the Dayton Art Institute.

Lunch and Preview Party
Friday, September 24th
Advance Tickets
– $55 for DAI members
– $75 for non-members
At the gate: $95.

Oktoberfest –
Saturday, September 25th, 12pm-11:30pm
Sunday September 26 12pm-7pm
Advanced Tickets:
– Adults: $8
– Seniors (60+) and Ages 7-18: $5
– Children under 6: Free
At the Gate:
– Adults: $10
– Seniors (60+) and Ages 7-18: $7
– Children under 6: Free

Where:
Dayton Art Institute
456 Belmonte Park North
Dayton, OH 45405

Please Note: The DAI does not allow pets (except service dogs), backpacks and large bags, or weapons of any kind.