Happy Valentine’s Day, Dayton!
We thought we’d celebrate by sharing two of our favorite love poems by Dayton’s very own Paul Laurence Dunbar. Enjoy!
Category Archives: Local History
More Interesting Street Names
- Wagner Ford Road – Named after the Wagoners, who owned the land where the road forded (was shallow enough to be crossed by wading) the Miami River. Over time, the spelling changed from Wagoner to Wagner.
- Benn Street – named for M.S. Benn, a real estate dealer.
- Siebenthaler Avenue – named for the well-known nursery family.
- Stop Eight Road – The Dayton and Troy Railway had sixteen stops throughout its route. The eighth stop was at Henneke Road, and later renamed Stop Eight Road.
- Wroe Avenue – named after Al Wroe, a Dayton contractor.
- Diamond Mill Road – Named for a mill at the southern end of the road.
- Iroquois Avenue, Wyandot Street, Bannock Street, Blackfoot Street, and Cherokee Drive – named after Native American tribes.
- Michigan Avenue – the road ran alongside the Dayton & Michigan railroad.
- Harman Avenue – named for Gabriel Harman, an owner of the Gebhart Harman Bank.
- Arnold Place – Named for J.O. Arnold, long-time resident, historian and one of the planners of the Dayton View neighborhood.
This Day in History – February 2nd, 1923
On February 2, 1923, the first leaded gasoline was sold in Dayton, Ohio.
Thomas Midgley, a chemist, worked with Charles Kettering at General Motors Research Corporation. Kettering had modified an internal combustion engine to produce greater horsepower, but it resulted in “engine knocking.” Midgley added tetraethyl lead to the fuel, which eliminated the problem. Kettering named the mixture “ethyl gas” and they first sold it at a station owned by Kettering’s friend, Willard Talbott. The gas was a success.
Unfortunately, leaded gas was toxic to humans and the environment. Workers in plants producing the gas were exposed to lead poisoning. Many died and others went mad. The gas was eventually phased out in the 1970s when the federal standards became stricter.
This Day in History – January 25th, 1978
On January 25, 1978, a severe blizzard blew in to Dayton, a result of two storm systems meeting and combining over Ohio. The storms created a megastorm and impacted the Great Lakes Region, mainly Ohio. Wind gusts were recorded in Dayton up to 70 mph, 5 miles faster than the 65 mph requirement for a storm to be considered a tornado. The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning that night at 9 pm.
The total amount of accumulation in Dayton was more than forty inches in January. More than a foot fell on just one day, January 26th. Volunteers dug out people stranded in cars and transported them to safe shelters that were set up. The situation was so severe that Governor James Rhodes sent the National Guard in to bring supplies and help rescue stuck motorists.
Most Dayton residents were unable to get to work, and for the first time since the 1913 Flood, mail was not able to be delivered. The airport ceased all air traffic at Cox International Airport and the RTA did not put any busses on the street. Travel agencies saw record bookings for cruise ships and warmer climate destinations. Some parts of the state still had snow until May.
Fire at the Requarth Lumber Company
When fire ignited the Requarth Lumber Company building at 2 am, only two firefighters responded to the call. Not long after, there wear 77 firefighters and 18 pieces of equipment to battle the blaze. Sightings of the fire were reported to be seen as far away as Preble and Darke Counties, 10 miles away.
Requarth incurred $650,000 in damages, but firefighters were able to save most of the main building. The storage sheds were almost completely destroyed. At first, faulty equipment was blamed for the blaze but soon after, it was discovered that arson was the cause. Samuel Edward Ross, who was a patient from the Dayton Mental Health Center, started the fire in the storage yard at the west corner.
Requarth Lumber Company
“Bought lumber for making ribs and uprights from Requarth Co..” – Orville Wright in his journal, January 19, 1904
Requarth Lumber was founded by Frederick August Requarth and Henry W. Meyer in 1860 as a small turning shop at Fourth Street and Wayne Avenue. They eventually moved to 447 East Monument Avenue in 1895, and have stayed there since.
Previous Floods in Dayton
Most Daytonians know about the big flood of 1913 in Dayton, but did you know that there were many others before?
Some of the major ones in Dayton History before 1913 were:
- March 1805 – waters flooded Ludlow, Monument, and Main Streets. Following this flood, Daniel Cooper suggested moving the plats to what is now St. Anne’s Hill, the area being the nearest high ground from the river. Property owners refused to move unless they were compensated, so Cooper dropped the issue.
- August 1814
- January 1828
- January 1847 – This was a big flood, the waters didn’t recede for four days. There was major property loss, with damages as far south as 5th Street.
- September 1866 – most damaging to date
- February 1883
- May 1896
- May 1898
When the 1913 flood hit, it was the 9th flood to hit Dayton since it was settled in 1796. The floods were averaging once every 13 years. The Vonderheide Act of 1914 and the Miami Conservancy District helped to prevent another occurrence.
Happy Veterans Day
For this Veterans Day, we’d like to honor some Dayton area Veterans; some are our own family members and some were provided in response to our request on our Facebook.
Thank you all for your service.
We’d also love to honor the late Dayton Police Department Detective Jorge Delrio who lost his life in the Line of Duty this week. Thank you so much, Detective Delrio, for your years of service to our community and the generous donation of your organs. Read more about Detective Delrio here.
Source: Dayton Police Department
Windows of Woodland
Have you ever visited the mausoleum at Woodland Cemetery and seen the beautiful stained glass windows all throughout the building? We highly recommend going in person! Also make sure to pick up the brochure with more information about these gorgeous works of art!
“Black Magic” Threats
It wasn’t a normal day of business January 30, 2018 when Dayton police responded to “black magic” or “Voodoo” threats at Honeywell First Responder Products on Innovation Court.
Two workers at Honeywell found threatening notes on their desks. In total, five notes had been left around their work stations throughout that day, making statements and allegations about the male and female victims that they claimed were untrue. These were not the first threats, as both the male and female described receiving nasty text messages in April and September 2017, from an unknown number. The notes left around the workstation threatened to make the man sick, and that he should not waste his time consulting a doctor when it happens.
Additionally, salt was spread across the male’s desk, with crosses and faces imprinted in the salt. Two eggs had been left on the desk as well, with crosses drawn on them. Other employees have reported receiving threats via text or notes as well.
This case mirrors one from 1976 in Circleville, Ohio. A bus driver named Mary Gillespie started receiving threatening letters accusing her of having an affair with the superintendent of schools. Mary vehemently denied the accusation, but the letters continued and even escalated to the point of Mary’s life being at risk, her husband dying, and the wrong man being convicted of the letter writing.
Unsolved Mysteries aired an episode covering this case and right before it aired, they received a letter threatening them if they aired the case, stating:
Forget Circleville Ohio: If You Come to Ohio You El Sickos Will Pay.
Signed, The Circleville Writer
In both cases, there are no leads and the mystery remains.
Dayton Unknown 