Category Archives: Local History

More Unsolved Facts

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Continuing our sharing of facts Sara found while writing her newest book Unsolved Dayton, here are some more!

  • January 26, 2009 – Leonard Hatton was shot in the head during what appeared to be a robbery in his home on Farr Avenue.
  • July 11, 1893 – 14 year old Anna Worl died in her mother’s arms after being shot by a stray bullet. She was leaning on a broom inside her home, in line with shots fired by Charles Bohes and Frank Engle. Both men were arrested but after investigation it was determined the bullet that struck Anna did not come from their guns. Both men were firing their guns from the east. The bullet came from an unidentified shooter from the West. The shooter has never been identified.
  • March 24, 2023 – Destiny Mills was in her apartment when several bullets were fired through her wall and door. Destiny was struck in the chest. Others in the apartment were not injured by any of the bullets. The shooter left the scene before police arrived.
  • August 6, 2003 – James “Tony” Gordon was shot while attempting to leave as he was being carjacked. His nephew in the car was not shot.
  • May 25, 1992 – Jennifer Causey was stabbed to death and her face was slashed. Her body was left in a junkyard near Orleans and Albany Streets.
  • August 9, 1974 – Dalton Smith was shot and killed in a bar after briefly speaking to a man. The man then pulled out a gun, shot Dalton, then fled out the back door.
  • February 9, 2008- Heather Smith was last seen with a friend at Sam’s Market on E Third Street. Her body was later discovered in a trash can a half mile from Sam’s Market in April.

Upcoming Events – Summer/Fall 2026

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With Summer winding to a close, why not enjoy a few more festivals? Here’s a list of some upcoming events in the area:

  • August 14 – 16: Dayton Germanfest Picnic
  • August 14 – 20: Miami County Fair
  • August 15-16: Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival
  • August 15: Art in the City Dance Pop-up – Dayton Metro Library
  • August 15-16: Dayton African American Festival
  • August 29-30: Xenia Monster Truck Wars

Gem City’s Most Haunted Podcast

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With most of the major holidays over, the season has started for the most avid of Halloween lovers. Why not put yourself in a spooky mood by listening to WDTN’s podcast titled Gem City’s Most Haunted.

Hosted by Trey Brown, Cameron Cooper, and Avery Lewis, this monthly podcast explores Dayton’s Dark History alongside local authors and paranormal investigators. The series investigates spooky sites, cryptids, and folklore from throughout Dayton. The podcast has included Patterson Homestead, the Dayton Art Institute, and Kettering’s Hills and Dales Tower, among others. You can listen to the full series by checking out Gem City’s Most Haunted WDTN playlist on YouTube. Don’t forget to check out the episode from April 17, 2026 featuring Sara Kaushal!

Huffman Prairie

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Have you ever been to Huffman Prairie in Fairborn? After their first flight in Kitty Hawn, NC, the Wright brothers were in search of a flying field nearby. A banker from Dayton, Torrence Huffman, loaned his pasture to the Wright Brothers rent-free and this is where the Wright Brothers really developed their flying skills in 1904-1905.

Later in 1910, the Wright Brothers established the Wright Company and used Huffman Prairie as their testing ground and exhibition space, and ran their flying school there as well.

Sara is currently working on her 4th book!

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This book, projected to be released in 2027, will cover unsolved cases from the Dayton area. What unsolved cases from around here interest you?

Here are a few of the mysteries the book will cover:

  • A bomb send to the groom just before his wedding. No suspect has ever been arrested.
  • A young woman visiting Dayton suddenly dies and is buried without a name. Who is she, and why did he traveling companion refuse to identify her?
  • A grandmother disappears from her apartment. There were no signs of foul play and she didn’t take her coat or purse before leaving. What happened to her? Where is she?
  • A nightclub singer and his wife are murdered in their home. Their young daughter escapes through a window. Who killed the couple?
  • A young girl disappears from Kettering in 1976. Police dismissed her as a runaway. Whatever happened to her?

Sara’s Ghost Tour & Courthouse Square

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Last Saturday, Sara hosted several ghost tours of the downtown area as part of the Dayton Housing Tour! We had a great turnout and met a lot of great people. It was a blast discussing the ghost stories and hauntings in downtown, while exploring the history of the city.

Thanks to all who came out!

Sara’s tour included:
  • Court House Square (Old Jailhouse)
  • Dayton Daily News Building (4th and Ludlow)
  • Dayton’s First Cemetery (5th and Ludlow)
  • Spaghetti Warehouse
  • The Old Courthouse
If you have any suggestions for local tours, let us know!

Downtown Housing Tour 2026

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The Downtown Housing Tour is back for 2026! The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 30.

Guests can get an inside look at downtown properties, and learn why a downtown address is so in demand!

Also, sign up for various Themed Walking Tours such as Sara’s Ghost Tour!
10 am – Walking Tour and Old Courthouse
11:15 – Old Courthouse only
12 noon – Walking tour and Old Courthouse

Sign up for Ghost Tour here!

Watch the Downtown Dayton Partnership page for sign up info and details on the other tours.

Local Author – J.E. Irvin

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Writing under the name J.E. Irvin, Janet Irvin has written seven mystery/thriller novels. Her works have appeared in a variety of print and online journals, including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Flights, and Literary Mama. Her poetry has been published in Hawaii Pacific Review, Creosote, MockTurtleZine, and more.

Irvin’s novel The Dark End of the Rainbow won the Jeremiah Healey Mystery Fiction Contest. Her next book, The Rules of the Game was a finalist for the same award. Irvin is a member of Sisters in Crime, Central Ohio Fiction Writers, and Buckeye Crime Writers. She also serves on the Springboro City Park Board and is a member of the Springboro Area Historical Society.

Some of her published works include:

  • Hollowed Bone, published in the Sky Island Journal Issue # 25 in 2023
  • ALL THE ODDS ARE EVEN, published in the Nexus Literary Journal in Spring 2015
  • PAWNS, published in the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine in May 2011
  • THE FABRIC OF OUR FEARS, published in The Broken Plate in Spring 2010

A Canal Tragedy in 1897

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In November of 1897, a Mrs. Seaman and her daughters, Katie and Mary, were driving across a bridge spanning the hydraulic canal north of Middletown when the horse suddenly became frightened.

Unfortunately, the horse fell into the canal, pulling with it the spring wagon containing the three women. They all plunged into the fifteen feet of water below, screaming and flailing. The commotion brought help to the scene but not in time for Mary and Katie. Mrs. Seaman was revived at the scene after a long period and taken to the hospital. She was not told of her daughters’ deaths until she recovered.

Source: Two Ohio Women Drowned, The New York Times, November 26, 1897