Category Archives: Local History

Roger Glass

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CEO and President of Marion’s Pizza Roger Glass passed away on August 24th. Roger’s father, Marion Glass, was the founder of Marion’s Piazza in 1965. Roger took over in 2006 when his father died. Roger wasn’t just known for his business, he was also a community leader and donated to many charities and causes.

Roger was well known in the community as a philanthropist. Most recently, Roger donated money to University of Dayton, his alma mater. His donations helped fund the future Roger Glass Center for the Arts and his donations to Chaminade Julienne funded Roger Glass Sports Stadium.

Roger split his time between Oakwood and Lauderdale-by-the-sea, Florida. In both areas, Roger was an active member of the community and philanthropist. He served on various boards, both charitable and professional. He was an avid fan of local sports, including the UD Flyers and Dayton Dragons.

Roger has been interred in Calvary Cemetery alongside his parents. He will be remembered and missed as a generous friend and a kind human being.

Street and Bridge Honorary Designations

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Perhaps you’ve seen the blue street signs above the regular street signs with names on them. Did you recognize the names? Did you wonder who they were or what they did? Here’s a list of many from around the Dayton area.

This list is thanks to the book Hidden History by Tony Kroeger, with a small amount of Googling on our part.

  • Page E. Gray Jr. Way (Liscum Drive) – Gray was the first African American to hold a position other than custodian at NCR. He was a parts inspector and later became an assistant design engineer during the 1960s.
  • Mick Montgomery Way (Patterson Boulevard) – Montgomery owned Canal Street Tavern.
  • Betsy B. Whitney Way (Wilkinson Street) – Whitney was a philanthropist and volunteered for many causes, including the YWCA, which is located on Wilkinson.
  • Paul Deneau Way (Fourth Street) – Deneau was an architect of several Dayton buildings, such as the Grant-Deneau Tower at 40 W. Fourth Street and the Lakewoods Tower at 980 Wilmington Avenue.
  • Ambassador Richard Holbrooke Memorial Bridge (Salem Avenue bridge) – Holbrooke was an American diplomat and a leader in the development of the Dayton Accords in 1995, which helped bring an end to the war in Bosnia.
  • Erma Bombeck Way (Brown and Warren Streets) – Bombeck was a writer whose humorous column and books were widely read. Bombeck grew up in Dayton and is buried at Woodland Cemetery.
  • Mike Schmidt Parkway (Riverside Drive) – Schmidt played in Major League Baseball for eighteen seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies, where he was three-time MVP and 12-time All-Star. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995.

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.
Continue reading →

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.